102 The Wild-Fowlers 



' Wonderfully considerate of the com- 

 fort of others; takes up such a little 

 amount of space," said Seth, louder than 

 ever. And here the Captain, who, fear- 

 ing any acquiescence on his part would 

 urge the two jokers to increased hilarity, 

 was trying his best to make believe he 

 wholly disapproved of what was transpir- 

 ing among his guests, but was plainly 

 heard to mutter a little muffled chuckle 

 and then smother his head in the hunt- 

 ing-coat pillow. 



It was truly the most extraordinary 

 snoring Seth had ever heard, and he re- 

 marked this to Doctor Bradley. Then 

 Doctor Bradley told Seth that it was the 

 loudest snoring he had ever heard ; then 

 they expressed the same conclusion a half- 

 dozen times in chorus, and so kept up 

 the subject between them, sandwiching 

 the remarks about the exceptional vocal 

 qualities of the fat man's nasal organ with 

 a variety of ludicrous imitations of the vul- 

 gar sounds, until the Captain's restlessness 



