at his speed, through the now deserted town, the road
out of which to his own place, skirted partly the banks
of the river, and partly those of the lake.

After galloping about a mile, the old man found the feet
of Silvertail burying themselves momentarily deeper in
the sands which form the road near Elliott's Point.
Unwilling to distress him more than was necessary, he
pulled him up to a walk, and, throwing the reins upon
his neck, folded his arms as usual, rolling from side to
side at every moment, and audibly musing, in the thick
husky voice that was common to him in inebriety.

"Yes, by Jove, I am as true and loyal a subject as any
in the service of King George, God bless him, (here he
bowed his head involuntarily and with respect) and though,
as that poor dear old Grantham used to say, I do drink
a little, (hiccup) still there's no great harm in that.
It keeps a man alive. I am the boy, at all events, to
scent a rogue. That was Desborough and his son I saw just
now, and the rascals, he! he! he! the rascals thought,
I suppose, I was too drunk, (hiccup) too drunk to twig
them. We shall tell them another tale before the night
is over. D--n such skulking scoundrels, I say. Whoa!
Silvertail, whoa! what do yea see there, my boy, eh?"

Silvertail only replied by the sharp pricking of his
ears, and a side movement, which seemed to indicate a
desire to keep as much aloof as possible from a cluster
of walnut trees which, interspersed with wild grape-vines,