Mr. Richard and his client Jerry had been sitting on the piazza of the tavern, watching for the return of Mr. Rutherford, who must pass that way to his house; hour after hour slipped by, and they looked in vain. 'It's striking nine, your honour; shall we wait any longer?' 'It is my opinion, my good fellow, that we might as well be on our way. As a matter of form, perhaps, it might be well enough just to make the demand; but as there is no probability, if it is all true that I hear, not the least probability that he can pay it, or will ever pay it, your only chance, my friend, is, as I say'--slapping his hand on Jerry's knee--'clap on to something tangible; and as you say the horses are valuable, they will be about as handy as anything I can think of. They have legs, you know; we can carry them off, or more probably, we can make them carry us off--ha, ha, ha!' All this was said with his face turned towards Malony, and speaking close to his ear, while his auditor, being rather short and a little worse for liquor, sat very erect, and looked as consequential as any newly made Justice trying his first cause. 'And as we are to walk, I think we may as well be jogging.' 'I think so, your honor.' The two worthies accordingly walked slowly along, and before a great while found themselves in the broad avenue leading to Mr. Rutherford's mansion. 'You are well acquainted here, I suppose, Malony? The dog you speak of--is he--is he--loose?' 'No, your honor, not just loose; he keeps tight to the nigger.' 'And he, you say, sleeps in the stable?' 'Pretty near it, your honor--close by.' 'I think, my good fellow, that we may as well go at once, then, to the stable; the nigger being there, it will be sufficient to demand them of him, or to leave the attachment with him.' Mr. Richard, it must be premised, was not over-burdened with law knowledge. The people among whom he labored had taken his word as law enough for them. They found it hard law, to be sure; but, poor souls, they knew no better, and thought all was right. Jerry had implicit confidence in his adviser, and so walked bravely along. The dog being just then uppermost in his mind, knowing, as he well did, his ferocious character, he cared much more about a proper introduction to him, than any nice point in law. 'Hadn't I better be after strikin' a light, your honor? it's amazin' dark.' 'Not yet, Malony; not until we reach the stable.' It cost master Jerry no little trouble to strike his light, for his hand was not very steady; and as he gave two blows with his finger against the steel to one with the flint, there was more blood than sparks flying. 'Bloody murther! that was a pealer: it's taken the skin, it has, your honor.' 'Can't you hit it, Malony?' 'I hit it, your honor, but my finger took it fornint the stone.'