pan, not being accustomed to such lilies of the
field, stared at their clothes and general glory, but observed that they
could eat the native bill-of-fare as well as anybody. They found
some good, cool beer, moreover, and spoke to several people of
the Bird-in-Hand, and got several answers: for instance, that the
Bird-in-Hand was at Hingham; that it was at Nantasket; that they had
better inquire for it at South Braintree; that they had passed it a
mile back; and that there was no such place. If you would gauge
the intelligence of our population, inquire your way in a rural
neighborhood. With these directions they took up their journey after
an hour and a half,--a halt made chiefly for the benefit of the black
gelding, whom they looked after as much as they did themselves. For
a while they discussed club matters seriously, as both of them were
officers of certain organizations, chosen so on account of their
recognized executive gifts. These questions settled, they resumed the
lighter theme of philosophy, and made it (as Billy observed) a near
thing for the Causal law. But as they drove along, their minds left this
topic on the abrupt discovery that the sun was getting down out of the
sky, and they asked each other where they were and what they should
do. They pulled up at some cross-roads and debated this with growing
uneasiness. Behind them lay the way to Cambridge,--not very clear, to be
sure; but you could always go where you had come from, Billy seemed to
think. He asked, "How about Cambridge and a little Oscar to finish off
with?" Bertie frowned. This would be failure. Was Billy willing to go
back and face John the successful?

"It would only cost me five dollars," said Billy.

"Ten," Bertie corrected. He recalled to Billy the matter about the
landlady's hair.

"By Jove, that's so!" cried Billy, brightening. It seemed conclusive.
But he grew cloudy again the next moment. He was of opinion that one
could go too far in a thing.

"Where's your sand?" said Bertie.

Billy made an unseemly rejoinder, but even in the making was visited by
inspiration. He saw the whole thing as it really was. "By Jove!" said
he, "we couldn't get back in time for dinner."

"There's my bonny boy!" said Bertie, with pride; and he touched up
the black gelding. Uneasiness had left both of them. Cambridge was
manifestly impossible; an error in judgment; food compelled them to
seek the Bird-in-Hand. "We'll try Quincy, anyhow," Bertie said.