minus all the fingers but the half of one--the result probably of some
desperate reencounter. I did not like the appearance of my landlord, and
he eyed me in a way that led me to fear that he liked my looks as little
as I did his; but the claims of other guests soon diverted his attention
from me, and I was left to get warm and make further observations. At a
table in the middle of the room several hard-looking fellows were
betting at cards, amid terrible profanity and frequent drinks of whisky.
They cast inquiring and not very friendly glances at me from time to
time, once or twice exchanging whispers and giggling. As their play went
on, and tumbler after tumbler of whisky was drunk by them, they became
more boisterous. Threats were made of using pistols and knives, with
which they all seemed to be heavily armed; and one sottish-looking brute
actually drew forth a pistol, but was disarmed in no gentle way by the
big-limbed landlord. The profanity and other foul language were
horrible. Many of my readers have no conception of the brutishness of
men when whisky and Satan have full possession of them. In the midst of
a volley of oaths and terrible imprecations by one of the most violent
of the set, there was a faint gleam of lingering decency exhibited by
one of his companions:

"Blast it, Dick, don't cuss so loud--that fellow in the corner there is
a preacher!"

There was some potency in "the cloth" even there. How he knew my calling
I do not know. The remark directed particular attention to me and I
became unpleasantly conspicuous. Scowling glances were bent upon me by
two or three of the ruffians, and one fellow made a profane remark not
at all complimentary to my vocation--where at there was some coarse
laughter. In the meantime I was conscious of being very hungry. My
hunger, like that of a boy, is a very positive, thing at, least it was