Beader, thou art already acquainted with Bob ; thou hast had a
touch of his quality in the potato line, and hast borne him com-
pany in sundry expeditions from the sacred groves of Academus ;
thou hast seen, that, by deeds of valiant daring, he had built up
for himself a fame which extended far beyond the terrestrial



OLLAPODIANA. 106

limits that were allowed us for the exercise of our corporeal func-
tions, by the individual who instructed the youthful creatures of
our imaginations in the use of fire-arms, or, in the language of
the immortal poet,

* Taught our young ideas how to shoot.*

He was the plague of the farmers, the glory of the jollifiers, the
terror of the mothers, and the passion of the daughters, ' all
over the world, for thirty milQs round.'

He was an uncommon youth, was Bob — O, quite so !

Bob had a philosophical turn of mind, and was looked up to
by his satellites with unspeakable reverence. By tacit consent,
he was vested with an appellate jurisdiction in the Htde common
wealth. He sat in judgment upon all questions of law or equity,
arising between its juvenile members. He delivered his opinion
like the Oracle of Delphos, and his decrees were final.
It was winter ; the length of the evenings were remarkable for
the time of year, the frigidity of the circumambient atmosphere
was — very considerable. A thought smote Bob.
