meals--"

"'Twas the congregation that added the 'foinelly,' though, before hastily
leaving be the back door!" and Costigan slapped his thigh.

"The gentleman in question don't seem to be makin' much use of his present
conversational opportunities. I'm feelin' kinder turned down myself"; and
the Texan began to look over his six-shooter.

The man with the squint looked up and down the board.

"Gentlemen, I believe the foregoing expresses the sentiment of this
company, which, while it incloodes many foreign and frequent-warring
elements, is at present held together by the natchral tie of eating."

Thumping with knife and fork handles, stamping of feet, cries of "Hear!
hear!" with at least three cow-boy yells, argued well for a resumption of
last night's festivities. Simpson glowered, but said nothing.

"Seems to me you-all goin' the wrong way 'bout drawin' Mistu' Simpson out.
He is shy an' has to be played fo' like a trout, an' heah you-all come at
him like a cattle stampede." The big Texan leaned towards Simpson. "Now
you-all watch my methods. Mistu' Simpson, seh, what du think of the
prospects of rain?"

There was a general recommendation from Simpson that the entire company go
to a locality below the rain-belt.

A boy, plainly "from the East," and looking as if the ink on his
graduating thesis had scarce had time to dry, was on his feet, swaggering;
he would not have swapped his newly acquired _camaraderie_ with these
bronzed Westerners for the Presidency.

"Gentlemen, you have all heard Simpson say it is lonesome having no one to
talk to during meals. We sympathized with him and offered him a choice of
subjects. He greets our remarks by a conspicuous silence, varied by
profanity. This, gentlemen, reflects on us, and is a matter demanding
public satisfaction. All who feel that their powers as conversationalists
have been impugned by the silence of Simpson, please say 'Ay.'"

"Ay" was howled, sung, and roared in every note of the gamut.

"If me yoong frind here an me roight"--and Costigan jerked a shoulder
towards the boy--"will be afther closin' that silf-feeding automatic
dictionary av his for a moment, I shud be glad to call the attintion av
the coomp'ny to somethin' in the nature av an ixtinuatin' circoomsthance
in the case av Simpson."

"Hear! hear!" they shouted. The broad countenance of Costigan beamed with
joy at what he was about to say. "Gintlemin, the silence av Mr. Simpson is
jew in all probabil