“Begorrah, but yees are a fine owld gintleman, if yer face does look like a paint-jug, and ye isn’t able to lay claim to one-half the beauty meself possesses.  That ye be,” said Teddy, a few moments after they had seated themselves, and before either had been affected by the poisonous liquid.

“I loves you!” said the savage, betraying in his manner of speech a remarkable knowledge of the English language.  “I think of you when I sleep—­I think of you when I open my eyes—­I think of you all the time.”

“Much obleeged; it’s meself that thinks and meditates upon your beauty and loving qualities all the time, barring that in which I thinks of something else, which is about all the time—­all the same to yer honor.”

“Loves you very much,” repeated the savage; “love Mister Harvey, too, and Miss Harvey.”

“Then why doesn’t ye come to hear him preach, ye rose of the wilderness?”

“Don’t like preaching.”

“Did yees ever hear him?”

“Neber hear him.”

“Yer oughter come; and that minds me I’ve never saan ye around the village, for which I axes yees the raison?”

“Me ain’t Sioux—­don’t like ’em.”

“Whinever yees are discommoded with this jug, p’raps it wouldn’t be well for yees to cultivate the acquaintance of any one except meself, for they might be dispoused to relave yees of the article, when yees are well aware it’s an aisy matter for us to do that ourselves.  Where does yees get the jug?”

[Illustration:  “Where does yees get the jug?”]

“Had him good while.”

“I know; but the contents I mean.  Where is it ye secures the vallyble contents?”

“Me get ’em,” was the intelligent reply..

“That’s what I’ve been supposing, that yees was gitting more nor your share; so here’s to prevint,” remarked Teddy, as he inverted the jug above his head.  “Now, me butternut friend, what ’bjections have yees to that?”

“All right—­all be good—­like Miss Harvey?”

Teddy stared at the savage, as if he failed to take in his question.

“Like Miss Harvey—­good man’s squaw—­t’ink she be good woman?”

“The loveliest that iver trod the airth—­bless her swate soul.  She niver has shpoken a cross word to Teddy, for all he’s the biggest scamp that iver brought tears to her eyes.  If there be any thing that has nigh fotched this ould shiner to his marrowbones it was to see something glistening in her eyes,” said the Irishman, as he wiped his own.  “God bliss Miss Cora,” he added, in the same manner of speech that he had been wont to use before she became a wife.  “She might make any man glad to come and live alone in the wilderness wid her.  It’s meself that ought to be ashamed to come away and l’ave her alone by herself, though I thinks even a wild baste would not harm a hair of her blissid head.  If it wasn’t for this owld whisky-jug I wouldn’t be l’aving her,” said Teddy, indignantly.