THE HISTORY OF THE HEN FEVER. 105 



" My dear sir," I replied, " they are going to England." 



" I want them. What will you take for them ? " 



" I can't sell them, sir." 



" You can 'send others, you know." 



" No, sir. I can't dispose oi these, surely." 



" Can you duplicate this lot ? " 



" Pretty nearly — perhaps not quite." 



" I see," he continued. " I will give you two hundred 

 lollars for them." 



" No, sir." 



" Three hundred — come ! " 

 ' I can't sell them." 



•' Will you take four hundred dollars for the nine chick- 

 ens, sir ? " he asked, drawing his pocket-book in presence 

 of a dozen witnesses. 



I declined, of course. I could n't sell these identical 

 fowls ; for I had an object in view, in sending them abroad, 

 which appeared to me of more consequence than the amount 

 offered — a good deal. 



" Will you name a price for them ? " insisted the 

 stranger. 



I said, "No,, sir — excuse me. I would not take a 

 thousand dollars for these birds, I assure you. Their 

 equals in quality and number do not live, I think, to-day, 

 in America ! " 



" I won't give a — a — thousand dollars, for them," he 



