"The fact is, I do not feel well, nor in high spirits, and I came here on purpose to see if Damon could not brighten me up a little." "To be sure I can," said he; "but why didn't you come sooner, and then we could all have gone to the circus together; that's the place for my money; you see you want something to make your blood circulate: a small taste or two would soon bring you round." "A taste of what?" asked Chevillere. "A small bit of a regular row, to be sure; all in good-nature, you know; a man needn't git in a passion, in takin a little exercise after bein cooped up here all day, in one of these cocklofts--why, if I sit here an hour, and go down in the street, by hokies, but I want to snort directly; I feel like old Pete when he's been stabled up for a week or two, and jist turned loose to graze a little; and I'll tell you what it is, stranger, I'm for making a straight coat-tail out of this place, and that in a hurry, for I've got through all my business now, and I'm keen to be among the Yorkers; for I've heard tell there's smashin work there every night." "Have you any acquaintances there?" asked Lamar. "No; but I expect to find some of our Kentuck boys there, who come round by the lakes; and if I do, I rather reckon we'll weed a wide row." "Take care you do not run against old Hays in your mad pranks," said Chevillere. "They say he's a little touched with the snappin-turtle, but I'm thinkin he'd hardly try old Kentuck at a fight or a foot-race." "He has had a good many fights and foot-races in his day," said Chevillere. "Yes," said Damon, "but always with rogues; he'd find it rather a different business at an honest ground-scuffle, where every man had to take care of his own ears." "You think, then, he could not be so successful in Kentucky as he is in New-York, at his occupation," said Lamar. "He'd be off the scent there, and I rather think he'd soon look like the babes in the woods; you see he has the rogues in the city like a coon when he's treed; an old dog's better than a young one in such a fix." "But come, Damon, go on with your adventures of the day which Chevillere's entrance interrupted." "Not till we have wet our whistles; come, stranger (to Chevillere), you have'nt drank nothin since you came into the room, nor into the city either, for what I know." "You know," said Chevillere, "that I am a cold water man, upon taste and principle both." "And that's what I call ra'al hard drink; well, here's to the little gal of the circus, and the little gal down yonder at the hotel; cold water's but a sorry drink to pledge such warm-hearted creters--but I see talking of them makes you look solemncholy again, and so here goes for my day's work; let me see--where did I leave off?" "At the commission house where you carried the letter," said Lamar.