gets that mare, will have his eyes opened, sooner nor he
bargains for, I know.'

"Sais he, 'she ain't a bad mare; and if she could eat
bay, might do a good deal of work yet,' and be gave a
kinder chuckle laugh at his own joke, that sounded like
the rattles in his throat, it was so dismal and deep,
for he was one o' them kind of fellers that's too good
to larf, was Steve.

"Well, the horn o' grog he took, began to onloosen his
tongue; and I got out of him, that she come near dyin'
the winter afore, her teeth was so bad, and that he had
kept her all summer in a dyke pasture up to her fetlocks
in white clover, and ginn' her ground oats, and Indgian
meal, and nothin' to do all summer; and in the fore part
of the fall, biled potatoes, and he'd got her as fat as
a seal, and her skin as slick as an otter's. She fairly
shined agin, in the sun.

"'She'll jist suit the French', said he, 'they are a
simple people and don't know nothin', and if they don't
like the mare, they must blame their priests for not
teachin' 'em better. I shall keep within the strict line
of truth, as becomes a Christian man. I scorn to take a
man in.'

"Well, we chatted away arter this fashion, he a openin'
of himself and me a walk in' into him; and we jogged
along till we came to Charles Tarrio's to Montagon, and