heir fraternal Elephants had not
waited a sufficient time to give them an opportunity for salvation.

The vehicles provided for the occasion were two single buggies, into
which all seven of the party were to pack themselves, a feat which was
finally accomplished, much to the detriment of Johnny Cake's
shirt-collar, and greatly to the discomfiture of Quackenbush, who had to
sit in behind, and let his legs hang over.

Van Dam took the reins of the foremost carriage, and his first exploit
was to run the wheel against the curb-stone, and spill the party into a
coal-hole, from which they were rescued by the exertions of the
bystanders. They once more started on their journey, under the
supervision of Quackenbush, who was recalled from the stern of the
craft, and made to assume the guidance of the crazy horse.

Van Dam, on being deprived of his charge, immediately went to sleep, and
waked no more, except when his companions roused him to pay the toll,
which they did at every gate, until there was no more small change in
his pockets than there is gunpowder in a tom-cat, after which they
offered to pay every time with a twenty-dollar bill, and as no one would
assume the responsibility of changing it, they passed free, and
proceeded merrily enough until they reached the encampment of the devout
darkeys.

There being no taverns immediately adjoining, the horses were made as
comfortable as circumstances would admit of, under a beech-tree, in a
clover-field, and the human part of the Elephantine delegation marched
in an exceedingly irregular procession to the camp ground; the line of
march being occasionally thrown into disorder by John Spout, who
persisted in making protracted and strenuous efforts to squeeze
something wet out of a Schiedam schnapps bottle, which had been dry as a
powder-horn ever since Quackenbush had his last pull at it.

A description of the sylvan scene which met their metropolitan gaze may
not be out of place.

It was in a clearing, in a piece of beech and maple woods. Stands were
erected for some of the prominent speakers; slabs were laid from stump
to stump, for the accommodation of such of the brothers and sisters as
desired to sit still and listen to the preaching, and in places straw
was laid on the ground, for the special benefit of such as had the
"power," and wanted to get down on the ground and have a private tussle
with the devil on their own account. Stands were erected under the
trees, in t