44 Seventy Years a Master, 



telling tales — and a rare good one he was at 

 that — with a rich fund of yarns that would 

 keep you listening all the night. I can see 

 them now, with the firelight playing on their 

 faces, intent upon the old gentleman's stories, 

 and he working himself up to concert pitch 

 until he had them all spell-bound. Then the 

 gin-toddy, hot brandy, and warmth from the 

 blazing fire began to tell, first on one and then 

 upon another, and heads here and there began 

 to bob. One old chap fell fast asleep, and his 

 hand slipped ofi" the high arm of his chair, and 

 his fingers fell into a glass of hot spirits which 

 the waiter had just placed on a table close by ; 

 he jumped up with a yell, nearly knocking my 

 father out of his chair, awaking everybody 

 else, and abruptly bringing the story telling 

 to an end. 



Not until then did I reaKse that the 

 governor had been scowling darkly and very 

 angrily at me. He ordered me to bed, and 

 following me to my chamber, angrily demanded 

 why, for the last half-hour, I had been making 

 such a fool of myself by laughing. I 



