hat it should be a success, although I dreaded the opening
of my first sale.

After supper we seated our musicians at the rear end of the wagon-box
and started on our parade around town.

Loud singing and the sweet strains of music routed every body in town.

[Illustration: MY FIRST AUCTION SALE AT BLISSFIELD MICH.--PAGE 398.]

I remember one song they used to sing that always took immensely. It was
to the tune of "Marching Through Georgia." The chorus was:

"Come out, come out, you hungry wearied souls.
Come out, come out, we're here to do you good.
We've marched from East to West, and North, and now we're going South,
To supply the wants of those way down in Georgia."

When we drove back to a convenient corner and lighted our immense
torches it seemed to me that the towns-people had turned out _en masse_
and gathered around us.

After one or two more pieces by the musicians my proprietor handed me
the keys and directed me to open up. I removed the covers from the top
of the goods and then began sorting them over carefully. I then laid off
my coat and again went through the goods.

Next I threw off my vest and sorted over more goods, till at last
realizing that the time had come when something must be said, I looked
knowingly over the vast concourse of people and then removed my hat.

A death-like stillness prevailed.

The cold perspiration stood out on my forehead in big drops.

Something about the size of a watermelon appeared to be in my throat.

I feared the sound of my own voice. My knees were weak, and knocking
together.

I looked over my audience the second time, and was about to venture to
say something, when I happened to think that I hadn't taken off my cuffs
and collar, and proceeded to do so, when to my horror I heard a young
man in the audience say, in a tone loud enough for all to hear:

"You bet yer life he is fixing to give us the biggest game of talk we
ever heard."

It was then I realized that the great preparations I had been making,
and the knowing looks I had been giving, had only confirmed their
supposition that I was certainly capable of doing credit to such a
complete and pretentious turn-out.

Could I have lassoed and hung that fellow to the nearest tree, I would
gladly have done so; for it seemed to almost completely demoralize me
and unfit me for the occasion. And I would have given ten times the
price of the whole outfit could I have been spirited a