“Have you met any naked savages since you left your distant country?” asked one of the sports, with a wink at his comrade.

“Naked savages, is’t, you mean?  Ay, that I hae, or nearly naked anes,” was the quick reply.  “On the streets o’ Halifax, sir, near the wharves, sir, that’s whaur ye’ll come across them, but, dae ye ken noo, I aye thocht that savages were black, made sae I mean whan they were born into this worl’.  But, dae ye min’, it’s masel’ thinks that some o’ them could be made white, if only ane had soap an’ water enough to dae’t.  No that I didna see ony black savages roamin’ roon’ as weel; but maist o’ them had some claithes on, like decent Christian folk.  Some hadna come to that knowledge yet; but the nakedness o’ black skinned savages isna sae noticin’ as that o’ white savages, I tak’ it.”

A hearty laugh followed this last remark, and the conversation became general, until the train arrived in Halifax.

Mr. Sherwood took the countryman to the police headquarters at once, where the story of the theft was told at length, and as he could give a good description of the men who had robbed him it was thought that they might be captured.

As Mr. Sherwood had received such kind treatment from the man’s relations in Prince Edward Island, he thought it but fair to repay it by looking after the farmer during the rest of his stay in the city.

To satisfy the man that the vessel had not sailed during his absence he took him down to the wharf, and, after explaining to the captain the cause of his detention, Mr. Sherwood insisted on taking him up to visit his own family.

The farmer demurred at this, saying that his clothes were not in a fit state to visit anywhere.

This fact was evident, but Mr. Sherwood intended to visit a ready-made clothing store on his way up town, and make his friend presentable.

This was rather a delicate matter to accomplish without wounding the man’s feelings; but the native tact of the Yankee served him well here, and when the farmer stepped before the large mirror in the back shop of Silver’s clothing store and saw his own reflection, he hardly knew himself.

“But hoo am I ever gaun to repay ye?” he asked.  “If I shouldna get ma money back I’ll be in a bad fix.”

“Not at all, Mr. McDonald.  I’ll buy the best horse you have got, if you will sell him to me, and we can settle this little matter then; but I made enough on the big black horse I bought from your brother to give you this suit and still have a good profit besides.”

“Weel, ye’re an honest man, for ye paid a guid price for the beast, an’ paid it in cash tae.”

“Thank you for your good opinion; but in case the police should not find those rascals before the vessel sails, it will be rather hard on you to return home with empty pockets, so let me pay you in advance for that horse.”

It was quite a different-looking man that came out of the store a few minutes later, for he had been refitted from hat to boots, and he looked the well-to-do farmer to the life, even the well-filled purse was not lacking, for Mr. Sherwood had given him the horse’s value instead of the modest sum the farmer stated as the selling price of his animal.