He called this 'planting the standard of civilization in the
wilder gardens of My country.'
There is little doubt that Chollop would have planted this standard in
Eden at Mark's expense, in return for his plainness of speech (for the
genuine Freedom is dumb, save when she vaunts herself), but for the
utter desolation and decay prevailing in the settlement, and his own
approaching departure from it. As it was, he contented himself with
showing Mark one of the revolving-pistols, and asking him what he
thought of that weapon.
'It ain't long since I shot a man down with that, sir, in the State of
IllinOY,' observed Chollop.
'Did you, indeed!' said Mark, without the smallest agitation. 'Very free
of you. And very independent!'
'I shot him down, sir,' pursued Chollop, 'for asserting in the Spartan
Portico, a tri-weekly journal, that the ancient Athenians went a-head of
the present Locofoco Ticket.'
'And what's that?' asked Mark.
'Europian not to know,' said Chollop, smoking placidly. 'Europian
quite!'
After a short devotion to the interests of the magic circle, he resumed
the conversation by observing:
'You won't half feel yourself at home in Eden, now?'
'No,' said Mark, 'I don't.
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