4. CHAPTER IV.
THE visionary philosopher had not yet abandoned
his project of civilizing the brute creation, and teaching
them the arts and sciences. He had caught a young panther,
and, with a chain about its neck, had put it to study
law with a young man of that profession, who wishing to
get forward in the business, thought it could do him no
harm, though it might not do the panther much good to
undertake the task. But there were those who bore
testimony against this, being of opinion that lawyers were
bad enough, even when made of the best materials.—
This idea was supported by some sensible men, who
could not conceive that this animal of the cat kind could
ever be brought to be capable of explaining a matter to
a jury, or stating a point of law to the court.
The visionary philosopher taking fire at this opposition
to his discovery, invention, or improvement, or what
else it might be called, exclaimed abundantly. What is
it, said he, whether he may be ever able to explain himself
intelligibly at the bar? Cannot he grin, bite—
[There would seem here to be an hiatus in the manuscript,
or the sheets misplaced. The editor cannot connect
the narrative.]
It had come to the knowledge of the people, or, at
least, was projected in the mean time, that after the proclamation
for scalps, and the hunt which took place in
consequenc of it, the governor had been guilty of the
most manifest partiality in screening the bog-trotter, who
was as much liable as any person, no one having been
more noisy in beer-houses, and active at town meetings,
to bring about a convention, than he had been; with the
exception of Thady O`Conner, who had taken the benefit
of the insolvent act; and a few others who had been
refused tavern licences at the sessions. It was thought
to be a ground of impeachment to connive at the secreting
any one on such occasion.
The fact was, the governor was as innocent of the
charge as any one among themselves, and so he declared
to them; that for a considerable time past, he had ceased
to have a controul over the bog-trotter; that like
Noctra Mullin's dog, he had been at his own hand, these
six weeks; that is, since he got in to be constable.
The affair was like to take a very serious turn, and
the people would not be satisfied; when Angus M`Donald,
the Scotch gardener, having knocked down the
panther that was studying law, and taken off a piece of
his hide, came forward with it, saying it was little matter
what had been done with Teague on the occasion alluded
to, since he had put the law in force against him
just now, and scalped him himself, as they might see by
the red hair, and the blood. There is nothing sooner
softens a passion, or calms a mad multitude, than the
yielding to it. Hence the fury abated in a moment; and
when it occurred to them that their remonstrance to the
governor had been the occasion of the tragedy, they began
to relent, and to blame themselves as having been
too precipitate in their representations.
The difficulty now occurred, what to do with the bog-trotter.
For it would not be safe that he should remain
in the government, and that it should be visible that the
scalping had been but a substitution, and not the genuine
exuvia of the man. Harum Scarum was of opinion
that it was best to knock him down in reality, and take his
scalp to the people, laying the deception at the door of
the Scotchman, as it really ought. The governor was
opposed to that, as it was to save him from an impeachment
that Angus, with great presence of mind, had bethought
himself of the stratagem, to divert the fury of
the populace.
But the visionary philosopher, in the mean time, enraged
at the murder of his crony panther, and the lawyer
with whom he was studying, dissatified, or seeming
to be so, the circumstance was explained to the people.
But they thought enough had been done for once, and that
it was not necessary to pursue the matter farther. In
fact, some of them were in the secret, and meant only
pastime from the beginning.
However, thinking it might not be amiss to be out of
the way for a while, the bog-trotter was sent over hill to
dig potatoes, at the farm of Niel M`Mullin, a neighbouring
gentleman.
