told Putnam, fist in face that he would more read-
ily send six publishers out o� the world than damage
the toes of one author.           This set Picton talking.
Stories of Herbert (Frank Forrester.)    How he, in
an interview with Putnam  had produced a four
inch bowie knife, gravely laying it on the table, at
the commencement.      How he had awfully alarmed
Stringer the publisher by chopping up a drawing  on
wood with said bowie-knife, (drawing having been con-
demned by the little publisher,) and then � demanding
payment for the same.     More stories of all sorts
credible & incredible.     North is a queer mortal.
Clever, most decidedly,  good natured, hath read &
written  to a wondrous amount and on every conceivable 
topic,  tremendously egotistic and impulsive.   He
took the M S of a big book to the Harpers  (they
had published or rather plagiarised divers of his brain-
boutlings from English copies.)         Called again in a
day or so. MS Book  not read.      �How�s this!�
quoth he, �You�re not business men � don�t understand
your business.  If you did you�d have published it
immediately!�            They were perfectly aghast. The
book would have taken a week or so to read!