Scotch herring and cheese were
Harrison's principal food and a few of the liver pills were used, but
the vermifuge stood on the shelves in the press room covered with dust.
Mr. Hurd ordered Alfred to get rid of it even if he had to give it away;
not to destroy it; if he could not sell it to give it to the subscribers
to the paper with the compliments of the editor. Alfred covered his
route with renewed vigor, a bundle of papers under his arm and both coat
pockets filled with pills.

Alfred was personally acquainted with nearly every family in the town;
he was familiar with the habits and health of all the boys.

Red haws, green apples, may apples, green chestnuts, in fact, everything
that grows which boys devour more greedily before than after maturity,
were plentiful in the country around Brownsville.

Alfred did a fine business for a time. The paper was published only
weekly and Alfred was ordered by Mr. Hurd to dispense the medicine only
when the paper was delivered. Alfred was doing so well that he intimated
to Harrison that the paper should be semi-weekly, at least. Alfred was
receiving a commission on all pills he sold.

Alfred looked over the medicine stock; about the only thing in stock was
liver pills. There were large quantities of liver pills lying on the
shelves. Alfred figured that the pills would do Johnny's cow no harm and
possibly might help her, as the cow was very sick.

Alfred did not wait until the paper was printed as the case was an
urgent one. He made a special call, carrying nearly a pint of the liver
pills in a paper collar box. (Harrison always wore paper collars and a
dicky.)

Alfred assured Johnny that the pills were specially prepared for just
such disorders as his cow was afflicted with. There was some question
as to the number of pills that constituted a dose for a cow. As the
printed directions gave no information on the matter, Alfred thought a
teacupful of the pellets would be about right.

It required a great deal of hard labor on the part of both Alfred and
the owner to compel the cow to swallow the pills. However, a goodly part
of the cupful of pills was administered to her.

At first the cow appeared a great deal worse and her owner feared she
would die. Squire Rowley, the best cow doctor in the neighborhood, was
sent for. He administered blackberry tea and other astringents and the
cow recovered.

[Illustration: "A Cow's Dose Is a Teacupful"]

When Lin heard that the b