thing there ain't no fire. Thought it was higher. Wouldn't care to kick
for the drinks, would ye?" he added to LeNoir.

LeNoir was too furious to enter into any contest so peaceful, but as he
specially prided himself on his high kick, he paused a moment and was
about to agree when Black Hugh broke in, harshly, spoiling all Yankee's
plans.

"There is no time for such foolishness," he said, turning to Dan Murphy.
"I want to know when we can get our timber out."

"Depinds intoirly on yirsilf," said Murphy.

"When will your logs be out of the way?"

"Indade an' that's a ha-r-r-d one," laughed Murphy.

"And will you tell me what right hev you to close up the river?" Black
Hugh's wrath was rising.

"You wud think now it wuz yirsilf that owned the river. An' bedad it's
the thought of yir mind, it is. An' it's not the river only, but the
whole creation ye an yir brother think is yours." Dan Murphy was close up
to Macdonald Dubh by this time. "Yis, blank, blank, yir faces, an' ye'd
like to turn better than yirsilves from aff the river, so ye wud, ye
black-hearted thaves that ye are."

This, of course, was beyond all endurance. For answer Black Hugh smote
him sudden and fierce on the mouth, and Murphy went down.