eing shot
down by local militia. In his own simple phraseology:--"Not by a darned
sight. No, sir."

Ransom at long range will be about the size of it--cash or crash.

Let us revisit calmer scenes.

In the heart of Buffalo there stands a magnificent building which the
population do innocently style a music-hall. Everybody comes here
of evenings to sit around little tables and listen to a first-class
orchestra. The place is something like the Gaiety Theatre at Simla,
enlarged twenty times. The "Light Brigade" of Buffalo occupy the boxes
and the stage, "as it was at Simla in the days of old," and the others
sit in the parquet. Here I went with a friend--poor or boor is the man
who cannot pick up a friend for a season in America--and here was shown
the really smart folk of the city. I grieve to say I laughed, because
when an American wishes to be correct he sets himself to imitate the
Englishman. This he does vilely, and earns not only the contempt of his
brethren, but the amused scorn of the Briton.

I saw one man who was pointed out to me as being the glass of fashion
hereabouts. He was aggressively English in his get-up. From eye-glass
to trouser-hem the illusion was perfect, but--he wore with evening-dress
buttoned boots with brown cloth tops! Not till I wandered about this
land did I understand why the comic papers belabor the Anglomaniac.

Certain young men of the more idiotic sort launch into dog-carts and
raiment of English cut, and here in Buffalo they play polo at four
in the afternoon. I saw three youths come down to the polo-ground
faultlessly attired for the game and mounted on their best ponies.
Expecting a game, I lingered; but I was mistaken. These three shining
ones with the very new yellow hide boots and the red silk sashes had
assembled themselves for the purpose of knocking the ball about. They
smote with great solemnity up and down the grounds, while the little
boys looked on. When they trotted, which was not seldom, they rose
and sunk in their stirrups with a conscientiousness that cried out
"Riding-school!" from afar.

Other young men in the park were riding after the English manner, in
neatly cut riding-trousers and light saddles. Fate in derision had
made each youth bedizen his animal with a checkered enamelled leather
brow-band visible half a mile away--a black-and-white checkered
brow-band! They can't do it, any more than an Englishman, by taking
cold, can add that indescribable nasal twang