186 Windfalls 



than the dry-as-dust pages that were to be 

 memorized at school, pages that made no im- 

 pression, save a misty recolle&ion of twaddle 

 about men who were supposed to have never 

 had equals before nor since. Humphrey Fa- 

 gan had another story that roused him to in- 

 finite aftion when he told it, and doubtless the 

 pain resulting from gesticulating and twisting 

 his distorted body prevented its frequent rep- 

 etition. It was necessary to hint in a quiet 

 way for some time, and await his pleasure. 

 Anything like a demand was certain to be met 

 with refusal. We could always tell when 

 the story was coming. There were certain 

 movements of the body and a clearing of the 

 throat indicating that his story was to be 

 told, one in which his manner went further 

 than the matter. We would move back, if 

 there happened to be several children gath- 

 ered to hear him, that he might have abun- 

 dant room for the vigorous swing of his cane. 

 We almost fancied that he was in reality 

 the king of the Pine Robbers. Much rub- 

 bish, by the way, has been written about the 

 Tories. Everything they did was devsilish ; 

 not an aft of the Continental soldiers but 

 was righteous. A few, of course, were ras- 



