THE HEN FEVER. 45 



The gen;lemin's eye was exactly filled with this pair of 

 chickens. 



" What will you take for those two fowls ?" 



" One hundred doUai's, sir," I replied. 



" I guess you will — when you can get it," he added. — 

 " Name your lowest price, now, for those two. I want 

 good ones, if any." 



' ' I prefer to keep them, rather than to part with them at 

 any price," I insisted. " If, however, a gentleman like 

 yourself, who evidently knows what good fowls are, 

 desires to procure the choicest specimens in the country, 

 why, I confess to you that those are the persons into whose 

 hands I prefer that my best stock should fall. But I will 

 show you some at a lower figure," I continued, driving this 

 pair firom the fence. 



" Don't you ! Don't drive 'em away ! " said the gentle- 

 m?ji ; — " let 's see. That 's the cock ? " 



" Yes, sir." 



"And this is the hen?" 



"Yes." 



" One hundred dollars ! You don't mean this, of 

 course," he persisted. 



" No, I mean that I would rather keep them, sir." 



"Well — I'll take them" said the stranger. 



"It's cruel. But, I'U take them;" and he paid me five 

 twenty-dallar gold pieces down on the spot, for two ten- 



