or, The Silver Skates 181

made of squares cut out of glazed earthen pie-dishes, — first,
a yellow piece, then a red, until the whole looked like a vast
checker-board. Fancy a dozen high-backed wooden chairs
standing around; then a great hollow chimney-place, all aglow
with its blazing fire, reflected a hundred times in the polished
steel fire-dogs ; a tiled hearth, tiled sides, tiled top, with a Dutch
sentence upon it; and over all, high above one’s head, a nar-
row mantel-shelf, filled with shining brass candlesticks, pipe-
lighters and tinder-boxes. Then see, in one end of the room,
three pine tables; in the other, a closet and a deal dresser.
The latter is filled with mugs, dishes, pipes, tankards, earthen
and glass bottles ; and is guarded at one end by a brass-hooped
keg, standing upon long legs. Everything dim with tobacco-
smoke, but otherwise clean as soap and sand can make it.
Next, picture two sleepy, shabby-looking men in wooden shoes,
—one seated near the glowing fireplace, smoking a broken
pipe, the other pacing the room restlessly; Mynheer Kleef
walking softly and heavily about, clad in leather knee-breeches,
felt shoes, and a green jacket wider than it is long ; then throw
a heap of skates in the corner, and put six tired, well-dressed
boys, in various attitudes, upon the wooden chairs, — and you
will see the coffee-room of the Red Lion just as it appeared at
nine o’clock on the evening of December 6, 184—. For sup-
per, gingerbread again, slices of Dutch sausage, rye-bread
sprinkled with anise-seed, pickles, a bottle of Utrecht water,
and a pot of very mysterious coffee. The boys were ravenous
enough to take all they could get, and pronounce it excellent.
Ben made wry faces; but Jacob declared he had never eaten a
better meal. After they had laughed and talked a while, and
counted their money, by way of settling a discussion that arose
concerning their expenses, the captain marched his company