As he pondered, he took out his pistols and examined them carefully; and, poising one neatly in his hand, he raised it, as marksmen sometimes will do, to take an imaginary aim. As he did so, M'Gruder entered, and cried out, laughing, “Is he covered,--is he dead?” Tony laid down the weapon, with a flush of shame, and said, “After all, M'Gruder, the pistol is more natural to me than the pen; and it was just what I was going to confess to you.” “You 're not going to take to the highways, though?” “Something not very unlike it; I mean to go and have a turn with Garibaldi.” “Why, what do you know about Garibaldi or his cause?” “Perhaps not a great deal; but I've been spelling out these newspapers every night, and one thing is clear, whether he has right or wrong on his side, the heavy odds are all against him. He's going in to fight regular troops, with a few hundred trampers. Now I call that very plucky.” “So do I; but courage may go on to rashness, and become folly.” “Well, I feel as if a little rashness will do me a deal of good. I am too well off here,--too easy,--too much cared for. Life asks no effort, and I make none; and if I go on a little longer, I 'll be capable of none.” “I see,” said the other, laughing, “Rags do not rouse your ambition, Tony.” “I don't know what would,--that is, I don't think I _have_ any ambition now;” and there was a touch of sorrow in the last word that gave all the force to what he said. “At all events, you are tired of this sort of thing,” said the other, good-humoredly, “and it's not to be much wondered at. You began life at what my father used to call 'the wrong end.' You started on the sunny side of the road, Tony, and it is precious hard to cross over into the shade afterwards.” “You 're right there, M'Gruder. I led the jolliest life that ever man did till I was upwards of twenty; but I don't believe I ever knew how glorious it was till it was over; but I must n't think of that now. See! this is what I mean to do. You 'll find some way to send that safely to my mother. There's forty-odd pounds in it, and I 'd rather it was not lost I have kept enough to buy a good rifle--a heavy Swiss one, if I can find it--and a sword-bayonet, and with these I am fully equipped.” “Come, come, Tony, I'll not hear of this; that you are well weary of the life you lead here is not hard to see, nor any blame to you either, old fellow. One must be brought up to Rags, like everything else, and _you_ were not. But my brother writes me about starting an American agency,--what do you say to going over to New York?” “What a good fellow you are!” cried Tony, staring at him till his eyes began to grow clouded with tears; “what a good fellow! you 'd risk your ship just to give me a turn at the tiller! But it must n't be,--it cannot be; I 'm bent on this scheme of mine,--I have determined on it.” “Since when? since last night?” “Well, it's not very long, certainly, since I made up my mind.”