said with great satisfaction, "you'll find that's no
back-yard brew."

Shock slowly lifted the glass and smelt it. "Why, it's whisky!" he said
in a surprised tone.

"Ha! ha!" burst out the old man. "You're a dandy; that's what it is at
home."

He was delighted with his guest's fine touch of humour. Shock hesitated
a moment or two, looking down at the whisky in the glass before him.

"How much?" he said at length.

"Oh, we'll make that fifty cents to you," said the old man carelessly.

Shock put down the money, lifted his glass slowly, carried it to the
door and threw the contents outside.

"Hold on there! What the blank, blank do you mean?" The old man was
over the counter with a bound.

"It was mine," said Shock quietly.

"Yours," shouted the old man, beside himself with rage; "I aint goin'
to stand no such insult as that."

"Insult!"

"What's the matter with that whisky?"

"All right as far as I know, but I wanted lime-juice."

"Lime-juice!" The old man's amazement somewhat subdued his anger.
"Lime-juice! Well, I'll be blanked!"

"That's what I asked for," replied Shock good-naturedly.

"Lime-juice!" repeated the old man. "But what in blank, blank did you
throw it out for?"

"Why, what else could I do with it?"

"What else? See here, stranger, the hull population of this entire
vicinity isn't more than twenty-five persons, but every last one of 'em
twenty-five 'ud told you what to do with it. Why didn't you give it to
me?"

"Why," said Shock in a surprised tone, "I don't know the ways of your
country, but where I come from we don't take any man's leavings."

This was new light upon the subject for the old man.

"Well, now, see here, young man, if ever you're in doubt again about a
glass of whisky like that one there, you just remark to yourself that
while there may be a few things you might do with it, there's just one
you can't. There's only one spot for whisky, and that's inside some
fellow that knows something. Heavens and earth! Didn't know what to do
with it, eh?"

He peered curiously into Shock's face as if he found him an interesting
study.

"No," said Shock seriously, "you see, I couldn't drink it--never did in
my life."

The old man drew nearer to him. "Say," touching him with his forefinger
on the chest, "if I could only be sure you'd keep fresh I'd put you in
a case. They'd come a mighty long way in this country to see you, you
bet."

Bill Lee's anger and disgust were givi