," said a dark spectre with
shifty eyes on the outskirts of the group.

"Gold, ain't they, Pershal?"

"No, no," said the spectre modestly; "jest common silver-leavin's.
Arfter they've made silver dollars they scrape up all the cornder
pieces and leavin's, and heave 'em out into the road. They wears down
smooth in a little while--and shine? Wal----"

"Speakin' o' coots," firmly interposed Captain Dan Kirtland, "onct when
I was cruisin' to Boston, I seen a lot o' coots hangin' up thar' in the
market 't looked as though they'd been hangin' thar' ever senct before
Adam cut his eye-teeth. 'How long be you goin' to keep them coots?'
says I. 'Coots!' says he; 'them's converse-back ducks.'
'Converse-back ducks!' says I; 'them 's coots,' says I, 'and they're
gittin' to be _old_ coots too,' says I. 'You come from Maine, I guess,
don't ye?' says he. 'Never mind whether I come from Maine or whether I
come from Jaffy,' says I, 'I come from sech a quarter of this 'arth as
whar' coots is jest _coots_,' says I."

"Ye'd orter see the coots in Californy," wailed the voice of the shifty
spectre on the outskirts.

"Kind o' resemblin' cows in size, ain't they, Pershal?"

"No, no; the biggest I ever seen was the size o' Shamgar's tom-turkey;
but plenty? Wal----"

"Speakin' o' Jaffy," said Captain Leezur; "somebody was tellin' me 't
they'd heered how 't Lot's wife--she that was turned into a pillar o'
salt, ye know----"

"Ye'd orter see the hunks o' salt in Californy!" moaned triumphantly
the spectre.

"Had got up and went!" joyfully concluded Captain Leezur.

"Wal, now, speakin' o' trout (I permits that they have termenjus trout
in Californy," wisely subjoined Captain Rafe), "larst Sunday I was
startin' for Shadder Brook with my pole and line, and I met this
noospaper man's wife, 't's boardin' up to Lunette's. She was chopped
down so small tow'ds the waist line, looked as ef, ef she sh'd happen
to get ketched in a nor'wester, she'd go clean in tew. Didn't bear no
more resemblance to your Vesty, Dan, than a hourglass on the shelf does
to the nateral strompin' figger o' womankind (I permits the women has
splendid figgers in Californy).

"'Wal,' says she to me, and sighs. 'I wish 't there was a chapel to
this place,' says she. 'I know,' says I; 'I've all'as said, ef they'd
start 'er up I'd contribbit to 'er--'s fur as my purse 'u'd allow.'"

Exhaustive laughter for some cause from the group.

"'Do you think it's righ