bunch of cattle have I got up
here, anyhow? Whoa! And out in this country too where I'm known and
where they know all about such things! God! Whoa! Here I spend thousands
of dollars to get together an equipment that will make a pleasant
afternoon for a crowd of gentlemen, and this is what I draw--hams! A lot
of barflies who never saw a tally-ho! Well, I'm done! I'm through! I'll
split the damned thing up for firewood before I ever take it out again!
Get down! Get out, all of you! I'll not haul one of you back a step!
Walk back or anywhere you please--to hell, for all I care! I'm through!
Get out! I'm going to turn around and get back to the barn as quick as I
can--up some alley if I can find one. To think of having such a bunch of
hacks to deal with!"

Humbly and wearily we climbed down and, while he drove savagely on to
some turning-place, stood about first in small groups, then by twos and
threes began making our way--rather gingerly, I must confess, in our
fine clothes--along the winding road back to the place on the hill. But
such swearing! Such un-Sabbath-like comments! The number of times his
sturdy Irish soul was wished into innermost and almost sacrosanct
portions of Sheol! He was cursed from more angles and in more
artistically and architecturally nobly constructed phrases and even
paragraphs than any human being that I have ever heard of before or
since, phrases so livid and glistening that they smoked.

Talk about the carved ivories of speech! The mosaics of verbal precious
stones!

You should have heard us on our way back!

And still we stayed.

* * * * *

Some two years later I was passing this place in company with some
friends, when I asked my host, who also knew of the place, to turn in.
During my stay it had been the privilege and custom among those who knew
much of this institution to drive through the grounds and past the very
doors of the "repair shop," even to stop if Culhane chanced to be
visible and talking to or at least greeting him, in some cases. A custom
of Culhane's was, in the summer time, to have erected on the lawn a
large green-and-white striped marquee tent, a very handsome thing
indeed, in which was placed a field-officer's table and several camp
chairs, and some books and papers. Here of a hot day, when he was not
busy with us, he would sit and read. And when he was in here or
somewhere about, a little pennant was run up, possibly as guide to
vi