ct
of interest to the cats all night, and a subject of surprise to good
Mrs Butt in the morning. Now, Zook," he added, when his guest was
fairly at work taking in cargo, "I want to ask you--have you any
objection to emigrate to America?"

"Not the smallest," he said, as well as was possible through a full
mouth. "Bein' a orphling, so to speak, owin' to my never 'avin' 'ad a
father or mother--as I knows on--there's nothin' that chains me to old
England 'cept poverty."

"Could you do without drink?"

"Sca'sely, sir, seein' the doctors say that man is about three parts--or
four, is it?--made up o' water; I would be apt to grow mummified without
drink, wouldn't I, sir?"

"Come, Zook--you know that I mean _strong_ drink--alcohol in all its
forms."

"Oh, I see. Well, sir, as to that, I've bin in the 'abit of doin'
without it so much of late from needcessity, that I don't think I'd find
much difficulty in knocking it off altogether, if I was to bring
principle to bear."

"Well, then," continued Charlie, "(have some more ham?) I have just
conceived a plan. I have a friend in America who is a reformed
drunkard. His father in this country is also, I hope, a reformed
drunkard. There is a good man out there, I understand, who has had a
great deal to do with reformed drunkards, and he has got up a large body
of friends and sympathisers who have determined to go away into the far
west and there organise a total abstinence community, and found a
village or town where nothing in the shape of alcohol shall be admitted
except as physic.

"Now, I have a lot of friends in England who, I think, would go in for
such an expedition if--"

"Are _they_ all reformed drunkards, sir?" asked Zook in surprise,
arresting a mass of sausage in its course as he asked the question.

"By no means," returned Charlie with a laugh, "but they are earnest
souls, and I'm sure will go if I try to persuade them."

"You're sure to succeed, sir," said Zook, "if your persuasions is
accompanied wi' sassengers, 'am, an' buttered toast," remarked the
little man softly, as he came to a pause for a few seconds.

"I'll bring to bear on them all the arguments that are available, you
may be sure. Meanwhile I shall count you my first recruit."

"Number 1 it is, sir, w'ich is more than I can say of this here slice,"
said Zook, helping himself to more toast.

While the poor but happy man was thus pleasantly engaged, his
entertainer opened his writing p