"Rats" declared that he meant to conduct what he called a "house-to-house visitation," and accordingly, beginning at the bottom of the form, the first person he called upon was Grundy, a great lout of sixteen, who had been at the tail end of the Lower Fourth for the last twelve months.

But he walked to the table with a bold step; there was nothing now of the country lout about him; on the contrary, he moved with remarkable dignity, and bore himself so well that many a pair of feminine eyes watched him kindly, as he took his seat at the baize-covered table.

Thus wailed the louts in melancholy strain, Till bonny Susan sped across the plain; They seized the lass in apron clean arrayed, And to the ale-house forced the willing maid; In ale and kisses they forgot their cares, And Susan Blouzelinda's loss repairs.

And yet, no doubt, they had one time been country louts like any others.

They were themselves often clergymen, and were usually utterly inexperienced in wild backwoods life, in spite of their early surroundingsexactly as to-day any town in the Rocky Mountains is sure to contain some half-educated men as ignorant of mountain and plains life, of Indians and wild beasts, as the veriest lout on an eastern farm.

Bring him along then speedily And drink a glass of wine with me." The sooty lout with quick assent Laughed, picked me up, and off we went.