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Star (Christchurch), Issue 664, 9 July 1870, Page 3

A distinguished Pottowottomlo warrior presented himself to the Indian agent at Chicago, and observing that he was a very good man— very good indeed— and a good friend to the Long-knives (the Americans),' requested a dram of whisky. The agent answered that he never gave gave - whisky to- good men: good men never asked for whisky, .and never drank it : it was only bad Indians who asked for whisky, or liked to drink it, "Then," replied the Indian quickly, in his broken English, " me dam rascal !" ' One of the quaintest proofs of JO'Connell's power as a cross-examiner was afforded by the way in which he wrung the truth out of a witness in a will case who, in answer to questions about the testator's condition when the will was signed, would say nothing more than, "Sure, sir, there was life in him." And so there was, only the life was that of a fly, which had been caught and caged in the dead man's mouth, while some one put his signature at the foot of the paper, which professed to dispose of the property he had left behind him. Previous to the late Duke of Buccleuch quitting his princely mansion of Drumlanrig, he had occasion to visit a certain burgh lying some ten or twelve miles to the north-west. On this occasion he preferred riding on horseback, and unattended, to any other mode of conveyance, which was a very common and unostentatious habit of his grace. He had cleared the romantic and woodland way so much admired by every traveller, and now entered upon a landscape less interesting and inviting, as he neared the termination of his journey— absorbed in thought, it may be, on the sublime and beautiful. Be that as it may, he was suddenly aroused from his reverie by " mine gatherer " of the Customs — "The toll, sir, gin ye plerse." Bis grace immediately pulled up; and while \ searching for the needful to satisfy so just a demand, he was thus accosted by the gate-keeper; — " Heard ye ony word o' the duke coming this way the day, sir ?" " Yes," was the reply, "he will be this way to-day." " Will he be in a coach an' four, or only in a carriage an' twa, think ye ?"■ "In all probability on horseback," was the brief rejoinder. "In that case, do ye think he wad be offended gif I offered him back the change should he gie me a saxpence or a shilling to pay wi' as he passed ?" The duke, stretching forth his hand to receive his balance, and with an arch and knowing look, replied — " Try him, friend, try him;" and quietly pocketed the browns, muttering to himself, " not to be done in that way.?'