reet, when I encounters
a party who's ridin' herd on one of these yere telescopes, the same
bein' p'inted at the effulgent moon. Gents, she's shorely a giant
spy-glass, that instrooment is; bigger an' longer than the smokestack
of any steamboat between Looeyville an' Noo Orleans. She's swung on a
pa'r of shears; each stick a cl'ar ninety foot of Norway pine. As I
goes pirootin' by, this gent with the telescope pipes briskly up.

"'"Take a look at the moon?"

"'"No," I replies, wavin' him off some haughty, for that bag of
doubloons has done puffed me up. "No, I don't take no interest in the
moon."

"'As I'm comin' back, mebby it's a hour later, this astronomer is still
swingin' an' rattlin' with the queen of night. He pitches his lariat
ag'in an' now he fastens.

"'"You-all better take a look; they're havin' the time of their c'reers
up thar."

"'"Whatever be they doin'?"

"'"Tellin' wouldn't do no good," says the savant; "it's one of them
rackets a gent has to see to savey."

"'"What's the ante?" I asks, for the fires of my cur'osity begins to
burn.

"'"Four bits! An' considerin' the onusual doin's goin' for'ard, it's
cheaper than corn whiskey."

"'No; I don't stand dallyin' 'round, tryin' to beat this philosopher
down in his price. That ain't my style. When I'm ready to commit
myse'f to a enterprise, I butts my way in, makes good the tariff, an'
no delays. Tharfore, when this gent names four bits, I onpouches the
_dinero_ an' prepares to take a astronomic peek.

"'"How long do I gaze for four bits?" I asks, battin' my right eye to
get it into piercin' shape.

"'"Go as far as you likes," retorts the philosopher; "thar's no limit."

"'Gents,' says the Colonel, pausin' to renoo his Valley Tan, while Dan
an' Texas an' even Old Man Enright hitches their cha'rs a bit nearer,
the interest is that intense; 'gents, you-all should have took a squint
with me through them lenses. Which if you enjoys said privilege, you
can gamble Dan an' Texas wouldn't be camped 'round yere none tonight,
exposin' their ignorance an' lettin' fly croode views concernin'
astronomy. That telescope actooally brings the moon plumb into
Kaintucky;--brings her within the reach of all. You could stretch to
her with your hand, she's that clost.'

"'But is thar folks thar?' says Dan, who's excited by the Colonel's
disclosures. 'Board the kyard, Colonel, an' don't hold us in suspense."

"'Folks!' returns the Colonel. 'I wishes