and even urging, that unless Huggermugger should exhibit a very
different side to his character from that which he had seen, nothing
like force or stratagem should be resorted to.

"For," said Little Jacket, "even if you succeeded, Mr. Nabbum, in
throwing your net over his head, or your noose round his leg, as you
would round an elephant's, you should consider how powerful and
intelligent and, if incensed, how furious an adversary you have to
deal with. None but a man out of his wits would think of carrying him
off to your ship by main force. And as to your idea of making him
drunk, and taking him aboard in that condition, there is no knowing
whether drink would not render him quite furious, and ten times more
unmanageable than ever. No, take my word for it, Mr. Nabbum, that I
know Huggermugger too well to attempt any of your tricks with him. You
cannot catch him as you would an elephant or a hippopotamus. Be guided
by me, and see if my plan don't succeed better than yours."

"Well," answered Zebedee, "I guess, arter all, Jackie, you may be
right. You've seen the big varmint, and feel a kind of o' acquainted
with him, so you see I won't insist on my plan, if you've any better.
Now, what I want to know is, what's your idee of comin' it over the
critter?"

"You leave that to me," said Little Jacket; "if talking and making
friends with him can do any thing, I think I can do it. We may coax
him away; tell him stories about our country, and what fun he'd have
among the people so much smaller than himself, and how they'd all look
up to him as the greatest man they ever had, which will be true, you
know: and that perhaps the Americans will make him General
Huggermugger, or His Excellency President Huggermugger; and you add a