a boa-constrictor, spoke of a spirit up in arms, and wrestling with
passion.

"What is the matter?" asked Roland.

"Matter that consarns you and me more than any other two persons in the
etarnal world!" said Bruce, with such energy of utterance as nothing-but
rage could supply. "Thar has been a black wolf in the pin-fold,--_alias_,
as they used to say at the court-house, Captain Ralph Stackpole; and
the end of it is, war I never to tell another truth in my life, that your
blooded brown horse has absquatulated!"

"_Absquatulated!"_ echoed Forrester, amazed as much at the word as at the
fierce visage of his friend,--"what is that? Is the horse hurt?"

"Stolen away, sir, by the etarnal Old Scratch! Carried off by Roaring
Ralph Stackpole, while I, like a brute, war sound a-sleeping! And h'yar's
the knavery of the thing; sir! the unpronounceable rascality, sir!--I
loaned the brute one of my own critturs, just to be rid of him, and have
him out of harm's way; for I had a forewarning, the brute, that his mouth
war a-watering after the Dew beasts in the pinfold, and after the brown
horse in partickelar! And so I loaned him a horse, and sent him off to
Logan's. Well, sir, and what does the brute do but ride off, for a
make-believe, to set us easy; for he knew, the brute, if he war in sight
of us, we should have had guards over the cattle all night long; well,
sir, down he sot in ambush, till all were quiet; and then he stole back,
and turning my own horse among the others, as if to say, 'Thar's the
beast that I borrowed,'--it war a wonder the brute war so honest!--picked
the best of the gathering, your blooded brown horse, sir! and all the
while, I war sleeping like a brute, and leaving the guest in my own house