that the whites smelt a rat, and wished
he would go, fur they didn't want to chase him without they had to.

Jest when we was getting along fine one of them prominent citizens asts
the doctor was we there figgering on buying some land?

"No," says the doctor, "we wasn't."

They was silence fur quite a little spell. Each prominent citizen had
mebby had his hopes of unloading some. They all looks a little sad, and
then another prominent citizen asts us into the back room agin.

When we returns to the front room another prominent citizen makes
a little speech that was quite beautiful to hear, and says mebby we
represents some new concern that ain't never been in them parts and is
figgering on buying cotton.

"No," the doctor says, "we ain't cotton buyers."

Another prominent citizen has the idea mebby we is figgering on one of
these here inter-Reuben trolley lines, so the Rubes in one village can
ride over and visit the Rubes in the next. And another one thinks mebby
we is figgering on a telephone line. And each one makes a very eloquent
little speech about them things, and rings in something about our fair
Southland. And when both of them misses their guess it is time fur
another visit to the back room.

Was we selling something?

We was.

Was we selling fruit trees?

We wasn't.

Finally, after every one has a chew of natcheral leaf tobaccer all
around, one prominent citizen makes so bold as to ast us very courteous
if he might enquire what it was we was selling.

The doctor says medicine.

Then they was a slow grin went around that there crowd of prominent
citizens. And once agin we has to make a trip to that back room. Fur
they are all sure we must be taking orders fur something to beat that
there prohibition game. When they misses that guess they all gets kind
of thoughtful and sad. A couple of 'em don't take no more interest in
us, but goes along home sighing-like, as if it wasn't no difference WHAT
we sold as long as it wasn't what they was looking fur.

But purty soon one of them asts:

"What KIND of medicine?"

The doctor, he tells about it.

When he finishes you never seen such a change as had come onto the faces
of that bunch. I never seen such disgusted prominent citizens in my hull
life. They looked at each other embarrassed, like they had been ketched
at something ornery. And they went out one at a time, saying good night
to the hotel-keeper and in the most pinted way taking no notice of