In the afternoon, as the sun was descending towards the western horizon,
and the balmy breezes were gently stirring the leaves of the silver
maples which shaded the main avenue leading from the hotel, Toney, in
company with Tom and the Professor, proceeded on a promenade. They had
not gone far before they perceived Harry Vincent and Clarence Hastings
just in advance of them, walking slowly and apparently engaged in
earnest conversation. They overheard Harry say, "I tell you my mind is
made up. I am off for Mexico, and I want you to go with me."
Clarence shook his head. His mind was not yet made up.
"Did you hear that?" said Toney.
"Yes," said Tom. "Harry is going to Mexico."
"Do you mean the tall, handsome young man walking on the left?" said the
Professor.
"The same," said Toney.
"I thought he had military glory in his mind as soon as I saw him," said
the Professor.
"Why so?" asked Toney.
"A close observer can sometimes tell what is in a man's mind by his
walk," said the Professor. "From the erect manner in which the young man
carried his head and the determined tread with which he brought down his
foot, I was certain that he had resolved on a march for the Halls of the
Montezumas."
The Professor and his two friends had now halted under a tree and were
engaged in conversation, when Claribel and Wiggins came by, and as they
passed Harry and Clarence, Wiggins bowed, but the lovely Claribel never
turned her head.
"Did you observe that?" said Seddon.
"I did," said Tony.
"Military glory is getting into the mind of the other young gentleman, I
think," said the Professor. "He seems to be half a head taller than he
was a moment ago, and his foot comes down with a determination that
indicates no benevolent intentions towards Santa Anna and his myrmidons.
But, look! yonder comes our three pretty little men."
Love now passed them, followed by Dove and Bliss, each escorting a very
beautiful young lady. Love seemed to be supremely happy, and in terms of
rapture was directing the attention of the smiling beauty to the
magnificent sunset.
"Yon sun that sets upon the sea
We follow in his flight;
Farewell, awhile, to him and thee----
Ugh! ugh! ugh!" exclaimed Love; and the lady loudly shrieked as he was
lifted from his feet and rudely carried away from her side.
A mischievous dog had assaulted an aged sow of monstrous proportions,
which was quietly rooting in the street, and the affrighted porker
frantically rushed between the legs of the beau and galloped off with
him on her back. Love was half paralyzed with terror. He fell forward on
the back of the sow and convulsively grasped her by the ears. The ladies
fled screaming toward the hotel, while Dove and Bliss stood petrified
with astonishment. Toney, Tom, and the Professor ran at full speed after
Love, who was rapidly galloping away on the back of his courser. The
dog, delighted with the sport, kept pinching the hams of the sow, and in
the hope of escaping from her ruthless tormentor, she diverged from the
main avenue and ran across a common to a pond of mud and water. Into the
pond plunged the sow with the unfortunate beau on her back, scattering a
flock of ducks, that with loud quacks fluttered up the banks, where
stood the dog barking and bobbing his head in the full enjoyment of the
fun.
In a few moments groups of men and boys were assembled on the margin of
the pond. Love sat on the back of the sow bespattered with mud, and
still tenaciously holding on by her long, pendant ears. Suddenly a voice
was heard, apparently issuing from the mouth of the porker, and
exclaiming, "Let go my ears!"
"Golly! did you hear that?" exclaimed Caesar, with his eyes dilating in
amazement.
"The hog's talking," said Hannibal.
"That beats Balaam's ass!" said Tom Seddon.
"Get off my back!" shrieked the sow, and Love, in the utmost terror,
rolled off into the mud. The sow slowly waded towards the bank and gazed
up at the dog with a look of indignation. Her canine persecutor was put
to flight by a stone hurled from the hand of Hannibal, when she ascended
the bank, and, shaking the mud from her sides, with a grunt trotted off,
and was soon seen industriously digging with her nose in a sward of
clover.
"Jehosophat! that hog talked," said Hannibal.
"Nonsense!" said Toney.
"'Deed, Massa Belton, that old sow talked. I heerd her talkin' myself,"
said Caesar.
"The devil's in the swine," said Seddon.
"I b'lieves that old sow's the debbil," said Hannibal.
"Pshaw!" said Toney, "it was some boy you heard talking. Do you suppose
that the hogs in this town have the gift of gab? Here, help Mr. Love out
of the pond."
The unfortunate beau sat helplessly in the midst of the mud and water,
and was turning his eyes imploringly towards Dove and Bliss, who stood
on the bank.
"Wade in and help him out," said Toney to the negroes.
Caesar and Hannibal both shook their heads.
"Here, take this," said Toney, handing each a silver coin. "Now, wade
in."
Caesar and Hannibal commenced slowly rolling up the legs of their
trousers until they had gathered them in bundles above their knees. They
then with much deliberation waded to the middle of the pond, and each
taking Love by an arm, lifted him up, and bringing him ashore, laid him
down on the bank.
"Get that wheelbarrow," said Toney, pointing to a vehicle of the sort
which had been left on the common.
Caesar brought the barrow, and Hannibal lifted Love up and deposited him
in the bottom of the vehicle, and, followed by a procession of people,
carried the luckless beau back to the hotel.
"Take him to the bath-house," said the landlord.
The negroes obeyed orders, and left Love in the care of Dove and Bliss.
"That hog talked," said Caesar.
"Sartingly!" said Hannibal. "Golly! who ever heerd a hog talk afore
dat?"
"Those African gentlemen are fully persuaded that the sow spoke," said
Seddon to the Professor.
"It may be so," said the Professor. "She was under the influence of
Love, and that has been known to produce miraculous results."
In the mean while, Wiggins and the lovely Claribel, in utter ignorance
of the melancholy catastrophe just related, had continued their walk
until they entered a delightful grove on the outskirts of the town. Here
was a beautiful fountain and rustic bench, around which hung a canopy of
clustering vines. Claribel was about to seat herself on the bench when a
hideous head was thrust out from among the vines. The lady uttered a
faint scream and swooned in terror. Wiggins was dreadfully startled, and
drawing back a cane with a leaden bullet enveloped in gutta-percha on
its end, dealt a blow on the head of the apparition which would have
cracked the skull of an ox. The monster fell back dead in the bushes.
Wiggins now turned his attention to his fair companion. She was
unconscious. He lifted her up, and, with the lovely Claribel in his
arms, seated himself on the rustic bench. Her head rested against his
bosom, and Wiggins bent down until his mouth accidentally came in
contact with her ruby lips. It was an accident, and Wiggins did not
intend to commit a trespass, but he could not help it. Wiggins kissed
Claribel on her delicious little mouth. Now, who ever kissed a lovely
young lady once without wanting to kiss her again? Wiggins kissed her
again, and then several times in rapid succession. Just then Harry
Vincent and Clarence Hastings, unperceived by Wiggins, entered the
grove. They stood still in astonishment. An expression of horror was
depicted on the countenance of Clarence. For a moment he stood as if
rooted to the earth. Then pulling Harry by the arm, he said, in a hoarse
whisper, "Come!" The young men walked on in silence for about five
minutes, when Clarence said, "Harry, I will go with you to the Mexican
war."