about to start,
when asthmatic party pulls out his jack-knife and cuts the strap.
Asthmatic party triumphs. Driver, frantic with rage, throws an apple at
asthmatic party, and hits asthmatic party on his knowledge-box.
Asthmatic party falls, and upsets an apple-stand. Celtic female, the
proprietor of the apple-stand, hits asthmatic party with a brick. Both
parties close in, and fight amid the ruins of the apple-stand. Driver
starts the horses, but looks around to watch the fight. Horses sheer off
to the starboard, and the hub of the hind wheel breaks down a lamp-post.
Driver observes policeman approaching at a rapid speed. No time to
survey the ruins, so he applies the lash, and we move away from the
scene of the mishap at a speed ominous of swift destruction to
horse-shoes and wagon-tires. Female, with three children, calls out to
stop, and passes up a three-dollar bill. Driver inquires if she hasn't
got any change. Female gives a negative response. Driver gives change in
small pieces, retaining as fare the moderate sum of seventy-five cents
for a woman and three children. Woman attempts to count the change.
Driver sings out to 'Hurry up--behind time--can't wait all day.' Female
bewildered, leaves with her children, and driver whips up the horses,
remarking that he 'guesses she'll learn, after a while, not to pass up
bills for stage-fare.' Soon reach Union Square. Tell the driver I'll get
off. Offer him a sixpence. Driver says, 'he'll not take a cent; that if
there ever was a nout-'n'-outer, I'm one, and he hopes that it won't be
the last time we'll meet; and if he only had time, he wouldn't let me
off without treatin' me.' I thanked him for his good opinion, shook
hands, and jumped off the box.

"Thus, gentlemen," concluded Mr. Dropper, "ends the history of my voyage
on an omnibus."

Mr. Quackenbush arose, and stated that he regarded Mr. Dropper's paper
as a valuable addition to the historical writings of the country. He
therefore moved that a gold medal be prepared by a committee of the
club, of which the Higholdboy should not be an _ex-officio_ member, for
presentation to Mr. Dropper. Mr. Dropper to pay the whole expense of
procuring the same, and to stand a champagne supper for the honor
conferred on him.

The motion was carried with only one dissenting voice--that of Mr.
Dropper, who said he didn't want any such expensive and equivocal
honors.

The presiding officer informed Mr. Dropper that he was fined thre