's Xane 



was less precipitate only because of my more 

 sluggish limbs. What gallons of water it needed 

 to wash away the horror that hung about our lips ! 



" Say, fellers," remarked the old tenant, for he 

 soon followed us, " that was pretty tough. Seems 

 to me that was hoss liniment, if I know the smell." 



Somehow I did not care to talk as we strolled 

 down the lane, and I noticed that my friend was 

 not only morose but extremely mathematical in all 

 his movements. Even his constant but suppressed 

 exclamations of disgust and efforts to blow his 

 mustache from his mouth were at regular inter- 

 vals. Then, to make amends, as if the guilty 

 party, I tried to divert his thoughts by recurring 

 to events prior to the mishap, and asked to what 

 lines he referred when we were interrupted at the 

 spring-house. "Were they straight, curved, or 

 crooked ? " 



" Not as crooked as your wine ; but it was 

 Wordsworth's lines that I meant : 



A jolly place, said he, in time of old, 



But something ails it now ; the spot is curst. 



I believe it now." And he gave a vigorous blow 

 at the hair which he fancied was still dripping 

 with liniment. " Your fly-away method is all well 

 enough sometimes, but it does n't hurt to mix it 

 with a little mathematical precaution occasionally. 

 You jump at conclusions, and then swear black 

 is white in spite of the facts as subsequently de- 

 192 



