THE SOCIETY OF BOH-HOYS. 37 



from behind the back of the chair, never moved. On 

 went the youth, for he thought it too late to turn back 

 until he rounded the side of the chair, and, to his astonish 

 ment, beheld a tall, gaunt, three-corner figured man, above 

 six feet five inches in length, seated on his shoulders. I 

 would here make a passing observation that Americans 

 can, and with apparent comfort to themselves, not only 

 sit on their shoulders, but I have seen a citizen, for ease, 

 coolness, and comfort, sit on the back of his own head on 

 a desk- stool, all the rest of his person tending upwards 

 towards the realms above. The lips in the head (that, as 

 he rounded the side of the chair, turned with an angry 

 sort of stare towards him) were bulged out with a quid 

 of tobacco the size of a duck's egg, and were actively 

 employed in smoking a toothpick. The stare cast on 

 the intruder seemed to say, " Wall, I guess if you want 

 anything, you'll speak some?" So the intruder, thus 

 mentally apostrophised, blurted out a " Beg pardon ; 

 perhaps you '11 be good enough to afford me some intelli 

 gence ? " " Hum, hum ! " replied the tooth picked head ; 

 "wall, I might try." " Thanks then, sir; are you ac 

 quainted with the society of < Boh-hoys ? ' " The sharp, 

 dollar-seeking eyes of the tall man twinkled rather slyly 

 at this, and he replied, " Guess we all know "em." " In 

 deed, sir," rejoined the querist, " then you are just the 

 gentleman I want. The Boh-hoys are a numerous body, 

 are they not?" "Guess they are." " Could you in 

 troduce me to one?" The legs drew themselves very 

 slowly from their lofty position, and with much the action 

 of a snake, coolly and slowly the body and head rose, as 

 the waist and heels came down, when, sitting bolt up 

 right, and eyeing the intruder slyly, the tall man said, 

 " It don't want much introduction." " Can you, then, 



