ul lot to do. In the first place, you've got to come an' 'most
scare the life out of Polly, an' then when he runs away you've got to
do a song an' dance, an' turn three or four hand-springs before you
sink right down through one of these holes, I don't know what you do
want if that don't suit you, unless it is to do the whole play."

Ben had nothing more to say; he realized that his was really an
important part, and he was abashed by the withering sarcasm of the
angry author. Then each of the others, fearing lest they should not
have as good an opportunity for the display of their talents, demanded
to know what they were to do.

"Now I'll begin an' tell you the whole thing," said Mopsey, as he
prepared to show how all of Shakespeare's plays could be performed on
one evening by a small company. "In the first place, Nelly comes out,
all dressed up, an' sings a song; then the play commences. I come out
with a sword an' pistols, an' tell about my hoss runnin' away, an'
after I get through, Shiner comes out an' picks a fuss with me, an' I
kill him."

Here the speaker was interrupted by the gentleman who had been
selected to play the part of Othello, with the remark that it was
hardly fair to dispose of him at such an early stage of the
performance, more especially on the first night.

"But you come on agin an' dance," said Mopsey, fretfully. "Why don't
you wait till I get through? After I kill Shiner, Dickey comes in an'
we two have a reg'lar fight, an' we both run away. Then Shiner jumps
up an' dances just as long as he can, an' down comes the curtain. In
the next act Polly comes out an' talks a lot of stuff; an' when he
gets through, Ben comes right up through the floor an' scares him
awfully. An' when he runs off, Ben does a song an' dance, an' that
ends that act. Then Nelly sings another song, an' we all come out
fightin'; an' when we get through, Dickey dances a clog; an' if that
ain't show enough for five cents, I don't know what is."

In fact the partners were of Mopsey's opinion, and since they were all
to appear in the last act in a grand fight, they would not have
complained even though it had been necessary for them all to die in
the first scene. Even if Mopsey had not written an original play, he
had covered himself with glory in this arrangement of Shakespeare's
works; and if there had been any doubts as to the success of their
enterprise, they were dispelled now.

Of course it was necessary to make some