garters on them?'"

The fellows laughed at the doctor's quaint conceit about the garters,
but Murphy called them back to the business of the election.

"What next?" he said, "public-houses and tally-rooms to have pipers and
fiddlers--ay--and we'll get up as good a march, too, as Scatterbrain,
with all his yeomanry band;--think a cartfull of fiddlers would have a
fine effect!"

"If we could only get a double-bass amongst them!" said Dick.

"Talking of double-basses," said the doctor, "did you ever hear the
story of the sailor in an admiral's ship, who, when some fine concert
was to be given on board----"

"Hang your concerts and stories!" said Murphy; "let us go on with the
election."

"Oh, the doctor's story!" cried Tom Durfy and Dick Dawson together.

"Well, sir," continued the doctor, "a sailor was handing in, over the
side, from a boat which bore the instruments from shore, a great lot of
fiddles. When some tenors came into his hand he said those were real
good-sized fiddles; and when a violoncello appeared, Jack, supposing it
was to be held between the hand and the shoulder, like a violin,
declared 'He must be a strapping chap that fiddle belonged to!' But
when the double-bass made its appearance, 'My eyes and limbs!' cried
Jack, 'I _would_ like to see the chap as plays that!!!'"

"Well, doctor, are you done?" cried Murphy; "for, if you are, now for
the election. You say, Dick, Major Dawson is to propose your
brother-in-law?"

"Yes."

"And he'll do it well, too; the Major makes a very good straightforward
speech."

"Yes," said Dick; "the old cock is not a bad hand at it. But I have a
suspicion he's going to make a greater oration than usual and read some
long rigmarolish old records."

"That will never do!" said Murphy, "as long as a man looks Pat _in_ the
face, and makes a good rattling speech 'out o' the face,' Pat will
listen to him; but when a lad takes to heavy readings, Pat grows tired.
We must persuade the Major to give up the reading."

"Persuade _my_ father!" cried Dick. "When did you ever hear of his
giving up his own opinion?"

"If he could be prevailed on even to shorten----" said Murphy.

"Oh, leave him to me," said Dick, laughing; "I'll take care he'll not
read a word."

"Manage that, Dick, and you're a jewel!"

"I will," said Dick. "I'll take the glasses out of his spectacles the
morning of the nomination, and then let him read, if he can."

"Capital, Dick; and now the next po