170 THE FOGY DAYS AND NOW; 



out!" When I got to the front door, I heard several more 

 bottles firing off, and Mr. Obe. was swinging to the lines to 

 keep the horse from running away. I climbed in behind, and 

 we started for home; and as we pranced down Decatur street 

 the fusilade opened out in dead earnest, and it took both of 

 us to keep the team in the street. And the people in the 

 streets, doors and windows, gazed in wonder on the pass- 

 ing scene. We got safely back to the store, and found all in 

 confusion and consternation there. The bottles were firing 

 off in platoons in the rear end, the corks striking the ceiling 

 and flying all over the room, and the inmates huddled about 

 the front door. We stood in speechless horror at the scene. 

 Just then, the man we had delivered the keg of dried apple 

 cider to, came rushing up and reported that the keg had 

 blown up and torn the whole side out of his house. Cohen 

 was ranting, and wanted the dynamite removed from his 

 house immediately; but the demand was unreasonable, and 

 we paid no attention to it. No man could be had to face that 

 terrible battery. Somebody suggested Cap Joyner and the 

 fire department, but Cap could do nothing there. Some 

 wanted Connolly and the police, but several policemen peeped 

 in the door and then shied off. 



After awhile, the fracas gradually exhausted itself and then 

 died down, and was succeeded by the usual calm that follows 

 the storm. 



When some new customers came in ( who had not heard of 

 the trouble), inquiring for the champage cider, we took 

 them down to the ice house and tapped a barrel with a mallet, 

 when the bung flew out like a cannon ball and sent a fountain 

 of cider drenching the party, and everybody fled from the 

 scene. Other explosions followed till everything was empty. 



