for collection. TK^ sui.l he guesr^ed Uktc wasn't ninch 

 use. luit he'd try his best, an.l puttin- the notes in his 

 pocket drove otT. Last week I happened t.. meet the 

 maker of the notes, who was j.-yous over the iact that he 

 was soon going to be able to pay off his creditors, and 

 asked after the three notes. I told him to whom I ha<l 

 given them for collection, but he >ai<l he had never heard 

 from them. He advised me to ride to the town and get 

 them, so next day I started over the mountains to see the 

 legal lights. On the road I met my friend the hunberman 

 coming back, and he reported that the lawyers had no 

 recollection of mv claim whatever. 



Un my arrival 1 iVmnd tlu- pundits in a little upstairs 

 room seated at a table covered with envelopes, opened 

 letters, bills of sale, bonds, writs of rei>levin, leases, 

 promissory nt)tes and "the Lord knows what." 



The elder brother was a genial, kindly-looking man, 

 with an old straw hat. a shirt nuich the worse for wear, 

 and no coat. vest, collar or necktie. He assured me when 

 I told him wh>. I was that he had promptly presented my 

 claim to the hunberman, but he found that if he sued he 

 hadn't any chance, and so had waited. I asked for the 

 return of the notes. Then a luuit was startcl and such a 

 hunt as only the inunortal Dickens could, with justice, 

 have described. Brother number one looked through the 

 letters, papers and portfolios at his side of the table. 

 Brother number two ditto at his side. The day was hot, 

 muc-o-v and oppressive; they got worried, excited and 

 nervous. Brother nund.er two said he guessed he'd go 

 home and look through his clothes, which he did. brother 

 number one in the meantime going through his printed 



"7 



