He is
not my commanding officer, or you either--take that will you, old
ooman." If the colonel was not there his master was, therefore
pressing forward he took down the bars, and removed them a one side,
when he drew himself bolt upright, near one of the posts, and placing
his hand across his forehead, remained in that position, without
uttering a word, till the waggons passed, and the doctor said, "Well,
Jackson, how are you?" "Hearty, Sir! I hope your Honour is well? Why,
Buscar, is that you, dog; how are you, my man?" and then he proceeded
very expeditiously to replace the poles.
"What are you stopping for?" said the doctor to me, for the whole
party was waiting for us.
"I was admirin' of them bars," said I.
"Why, they are the commonest things in the country," he replied. "Did
you never see them before?" Of course I had, a thousand times, but I
didn't choose to answer.
"What a most beautiful contrivance," said I, "they are. First, you
can't find them, if you don't know beforehand where they are, they
look so like the rest of the fence. It tante one stranger in a
thousand could take them down, for if he begins at the top they get
awfully tangled, and if he pulls the wrong way, the harder he hauls
the tighter they get. Then he has to drag them all out of the way, so
as to lead the horse through, and leave him standin' there till he
puts them up agin, and as like as not, the critter gets tired of
waitin', races off to the stable, and breaks the waggon all to
flinders.
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