ays.

About half way up the Lake is a place called Tongue Mountain.

A long time ago a colony of strong-minded women settled there.

That may have had something to do with its name.

Nobody ever goes there now.

People go very near the mountain in boats, however, as it is noted for
something very extraordinary in the Echo line.

It has what is called a "Double Echo."

I fully expected something of this kind.

Now if there is anything I am particularly down on, it is those
unmitigated frauds known as Echoes. And if I ever throw four sixes, it
is when I am tackling some unsuspecting old ass of a watering place
echo.

I consider them "_holler_ mockeries."

Of course we steamed within proper distance, and I seized the
opportunity to "put a head on" this venerable two-ply nuisance, as
follows:

First, I read a page of a Patent Office Report I go armed with.

This the Echo, with very little hesitation, repeated in duplicate as
usual. From one side of the rock in English, and from the other in fair
French.

I saw at once that old EK was pretty well filled.

Next I sang "Listen to the Mocking Bird," which it repeated very
creditably indeed, dropping but two notes on the third verse. This it
made up for, I am bound to admit, by throwing in some original
variations in the chorus.

But I hadn't played from my sleeve yet, so I recited HAMLET'S Soliloquy.

From the wooded slope on our right came the familiar "_To be_" of BOOTH,
while from the sloping woods on our left proceeded a finely rendered
imitation of the Teutonic FECHTER, in the same.

This staggered me!

I had one more jack in my cuff, however. I pulled out a copy of the
Tribune and read a few paragraphs of GREELEY'S "What do I know about
Farming."

_That settled him!_

He never got to the first semi-colon. It knocked the breath right out of
him!

The poor old fossil had to quit. He changed his repeater to a leaver.
But then you see he had held the office a good while.

He hasn't left the business to any one, either.

In future no one will go fooling round there except the fishermen. The
sign is down.

In my next I will finish the Lake trip, and give you some account of the
celebrated "Roger's Slide."

SAGINAW DODD.

[_To be continued._]

* * * * *

RAMBLINGS.

BY MOSE SKINNER.

POPULARITY.

Next to talk, popularity is the cheapest thing I know of. It is achieved
by three classes--those who have bra