ntented. He was astonishing the people.

"Once I swallowed a tree toad." he told old Broderson, "by mistake.
I was eating grapes, and the beggar lived in me three weeks. In rainy
weather he would sing. You don't believe that," he vociferated. "Haven't
I got the toad at home now in a bottle of alcohol."

And the old man, never doubting, his eyes starting, wagged his head in
amazement.

"Oh, yes," cried Caraher, the length of the table, "that's a pretty good
one. Tell us another."

"That reminds me of a story," hazarded old Broderson uncertainly; "once
when I was a lad in Ukiah, fifty years."

"Oh, yes," cried half a dozen voices, "THAT'S a pretty good one. Tell us
another."

"Eh--wh--what?" murmured Broderson, looking about him. "I--I don't know.
It was Ukiah. You--you--you mix me all up."

As soon as supper was over, the floor was cleared again. The guests
clamoured for a Virginia reel. The last quarter of the evening, the time
of the most riotous fun, was beginning. The young men caught the
girls who sat next to them. The orchestra dashed off into a rollicking
movement. The two lines were formed. In a second of time the dance
was under way again; the guests still wearing the Phrygian bonnets and
liberty caps of pink and blue tissue paper.

But the group of men once more adjourned to the harness room. Fresh
boxes of cigars were opened; the seventh bowl of fertiliser was mixed.
Osterman poured the dregs of a glass of it upon his bald head, declaring
that he could feel the hair beginning to grow.

But suddenly old Broderson rose to his feet.

"Aha," he cackled, "I'M going to have a dance, I am. Think I'm too
old? I'll show you young fellows. I'm a regular old ROOSTER when I get
started."

He marched out into the barn, the others following, holding their sides.
He found an aged Mexican woman by the door and hustled her, all confused
and giggling, into the Virginia reel, then at its height. Every one
crowded around to see. Old Broderson stepped off with the alacrity of a
colt, snapping his fingers, slapping his thigh, his mouth widening in
an excited grin. The entire company of the guests shouted. The City Band
redoubled their efforts; and the old man, losing his head, breathless,
gasping, dislocated his stiff joints in his efforts. He became
possessed, bowing, scraping, advancing, retreating, wagging his beard,
cutting pigeons' wings, distraught with the music, the clamour, the
applause, the effects of the fe