em some
time. Salviated by merkery."

"What are you goin' to do for it?" asked Tommy.

"When the agint comes up, and I begins to realize on this yer mine,"
said Johnson, contemplatively, "I goes to New York. I sez to the
barkeep' o' the hotel, 'Show me the biggest doctor here.' He shows me.
I sez to him, 'Salviated by merkery,--a year's standin',--how much?' He
sez, 'Five thousand dollars, and take two o' these pills at bedtime, and
an ekil number o' powders at meals, and come back in a week.' And I goes
back in a week, cured, and signs a certifikit to that effect."

Encouraged by a look of interest in Tommy's eye, he went on.

"So I gets cured. I goes to the barkeep', and I sez, 'Show me the
biggest, fashionblest house thet's for sale yer.' And he sez, 'The
biggest, nat'rally b'longs to John Jacob Astor.' And I sez, 'Show him,'
and he shows him. And I sez, 'Wot might you ask for this yer house?' And
he looks at me scornful, and sez, 'Go 'way, old man; you must be sick.'
And I fetches him one over the left eye, and he apologizes, and I gives
him his own price for the house. I stocks that house with mohogany
furniture and pervisions, and thar we lives, you and me, Tommy, you and
me!"

The sun no longer shone upon the hillside. The shadows of the pines were
beginning to creep over Johnson's claim, and the air within the cavern
was growing chill. In the gathering darkness his eyes shone brightly
as he went on: "Then thar comes a day when we gives a big spread. We
invites govners, members o' Congress, gentlemen o' fashion, and the
like. And among 'em I invites a Man as holds his head very high, a Man I
once knew; but he doesn't know I knows him, and he doesn't remember me.
And he comes and he sits opposite me, and I watches him. And he's very
airy, this Man, and very chipper, and he wipes his mouth with a white
hankercher, and he smiles, and he ketches my eye. And he sez, 'A glass
o' wine with you, Mr. Johnson'; and he fills his glass and I fills mine,
and we rises. And I heaves that wine, glass and all, right into his
damned grinnin' face. And he jumps for me,--for he is very game, this
Man, very game,--but some on 'em grabs him, and he sez, 'Who be you?'
And I sez, 'Skaggs! damn you, Skaggs! Look at me! Gimme back my wife and
child, gimme back the money you stole, gimme back the good name you
took away, gimme back the health you ruined, gimme back the last twelve
years! Give 'em to me, damn you, quick, before I cuts