Nevertheless, it was as Richards had said. We had little occasion to fear that the portmanteaus would be lost or injured; but we knew very well that the only way to get them out of the claws of these rough backwoodsmen would be by some well-contrived joke. And those jokes were exactly what I feared; for one had often to risk breaking an arm or a leg by them. There was a crowd of men in the kitchen. One young fellow, upwards of six feet high, held a lighted candle; and they were all busily engaged examining something which lay in the middle of the floor. "No," cried a voice, appealing apparently from a decision that had been given, "I won't pay without I see the inside." They were debating whether the portmanteaus were of buffalo or cow hide. They had caught sight of them as they were being carried through the kitchen into the back-room, and had at once seized upon them as good subjects for a bet. It was time for us to interfere, if we did not wish to see our trunks ripped open, for the sake of ascertaining the quality of the leather. "Sixteen smalls," cried Richards, "that it's deer hide!" "Done!" thundered half a score voices, with loud peals of laughter. "It is a bet, then," said my friend; "but let us see what we are betting about." "Make way for the gemmen!" cried the men. "Our portmanteaus!" exclaimed Richards, laughing. "No, certainly, they are not deer hide. Here is my bet." A loud hurra followed the payment of the dollar which my friend handed over; and we now found ourselves in undisputed possession of our baggage. The next thing to be done was to endeavour to get the room to ourselves for a few minutes. "We wish to be left alone for a short time," said I to the help, who was bustling in and out, and covering the table with innumerable plates of preserved fruits, cucumbers, beet-root, and suchlike edibles. I shut the door. "That is the surest way to have it opened again," said Richards. He had hardly uttered the words, when, sure enough, the door flew open, amidst a peal of uproarious laughter. "Tail!" cried one fellow. "Head!" shouted another. "They want another dollar," said Richards. "Well, they must have it, I suppose. Head!" cried he. "Lost!" roared the fellows in chorus. "There is something for you to drink," said my friend, whose wonderful patience and good-humour was bringing us so fortunately through the shoals and difficulties of this wild backwoods' life. We now shut the door, and had time enough to change our wet clothes for dry ones. We were nearly dressed, when a gentle tapping at the only pane of glass of which the room window could boast attracted our attention. On looking in the direction of the sound, we distinguished the amiable features of Mr Isaac Shifty, who, upon our entering the tavern, had thought proper to part company.