er to rise or
to speak a word. When I did get to my feet, I had to stand holding by
the veranda for some time, my head still rushing on in the race. At
length the master said, "Will you not come in?"

I knew that he was treating me for a drunken man; and the giddiness was
so dreadful still, that my attempts at speech seemed more drunken than
even my gait.

As soon as I could stand, I went into the house, and drew near to an
excellent fire in my dripping clothes. The squatter sat opposite me in
silence, reading the newspapers, and taking a look at me now and again
over his spectacles. By and by he remarked, "Wouldn't it be worth while
to change your clothes?"

Speech was now returning to me. I replied, "Yes, but my bag is coming on
in the cart, and may not be here to-night."

He began to relent. He took me into a room, and laid out for me a suit
of his own. I being then very slender, and he a big-framed farmer, my
new dress, though greatly adding to my comfort, enhanced the singularity
of my appearance!

Returning to him, washed and dressed, I inquired if he had arranged for
a meeting? My tongue, I fear, was still unsteady, for the squatter
looked at me rather reproachfully, and said, "Do you really consider
yourself fit to appear before a meeting to-night?"

I assured him he was quite wrong in his suspicions, that I was a
life-long Abstainer, and that my nerves had been so unhinged by the
terrible ride and runaway horse. He smiled rather suggestively, and said
we would see how I felt after tea.

We went to the table. All that had occurred was now consummated by my
appearing in the lusty farmer's clothes; and the lady and other friends
had infinite difficulty in keeping their amusement within decent bounds.
I again took speech in hand, but I suspect my words had still the
thickness of the tippler's utterance, for they seemed not to carry much
conviction, "Dear friends, I quite understand your feelings; appearances
are so strangely against me. But I am not drunken, as ye suppose. I have
tasted no intoxicating drink, I am a life-long Total Abstainer!"

This fairly broke down their reserve. They laughed aloud, looking at
each other and at me, as if to say, "Man, you're drunk at this very
moment."

Before tea was over they appeared, however, to begin to entertain the
idea that I _might_ address the meeting; and so I was informed of the
arrangements that had been made. At the meeting, my incredulous friends
became