a fellow, who was no other than an old Pawtucket stage driver, who
having tempered his throat with brandy until it had dried up his
wits, saw fit to reform, and had become the most implacable enemy of
all who enjoyed what he had abused.

The spy seeing the landlord about to set on his big dog, took to his
heels, muttering in a low and plaintive tone, and threatening to
report his grievances to Parson Bangshanter, and Squire Clapp, two
leading members of the temperance league, and who, in respect to
good morals, had taken the sale of liquor into their own hands, and
were making a good thing of it. The major now remembered that his
wife, Polly Potter, would get the news and be impatient to welcome
him, and so bidding the host and his company good night, and
assuring me that he would ring the town out to pay me proper respect
in the morning, he took his way home, meeting with so serious an
accident as had well nigh cost him his life, the particulars of
which I must reserve for another chapter.






CHAPTER XIII.

WHICH TREATS OF TWO STRANGE CHARACTERS I MET AT THE INDEPENDENT
TEMPERANCE HOTEL.