ully set himself to play upon the emotional nature of
the other. With a gracious wave of his hand he checked the Professor's
expression of thanks.

"Don't mention it," he said generously, "don't mention it. It teks a
purformer to understand another purformer's feelin's. So I therefo'
teken it 'pon myse'f to nomernate you fur the gran' marshal and also ez
the proper one to sound the buglin' blasts endurin' of the turnout.
Seems lak somebody else would 'a' had the sense to do so, but w'en they
wuzn't nobody w'ich did so, I steps in. But right soon afterwards I gits
to stedyin' 'bout the hoss you'll be ridin', an' it's been worryin' me
quite some little--the question of the hoss."

"I been thinkin' concernin' of 'at very same thing," confessed Cephus
Fringe.

"Is that possible?" exclaimed Cump Glass with well-simulated surprise.
"Well, suh, smart minds shorely runs in the same grooves, ez the sayin'
goes. Yas, suh, settin' yonder after I made that motion, I sez to
myse'f, I sez, 'Glass, you done started this thing an' you must see it
th'ough. 'Twon't never do in this world fur the gran' marshal to be
stuck up 'pon the top side of a skittish, skeery liver'-stable hoss
that'll mebbe start cuttin' up right in the smack middle of things and
distrac' the gran' marshal's mind frum his business.' I seen that happen
mo' times 'en onct, wid painful results. I s'pose, tho, you kin ride
mighty nigh ary hoss they is, can't you, Purfessor?"

"Well, I could do so onct," stated Cephus in the manner of one who
formerly had followed rough-riding for a calling, "but leadin' a public
life fur so long, lak I has, I ain't had much time fur private
pleasures. 'Sides w'ich, ef I'm goin' sound the notes I'll be needin'
both hands free fur my instermint."

"Puzzactly the same thought w'ich came to me, jes' lak I'm tellin' it to
you," agreed Cump. "It teks a musician to think of things w'ich an
ordinary pusson wouldn't never dream of. So, fur the las' hour or so I
been castin' about in my mind an' jes' a minute ago the idee come to me.
I feels shore I kin arrange wid a frien' of mine to he'p us out. I
s'pose you is acquainted with this yere Jeffy Poindexter?"

"I has met him," said Cephus with chill creeping into his tones. "An' I
has observed him present yere the last two-three nights. But I ain't
aimin' to ax no favors frum him."

"You ain't needin' to," said Cump. "I'll 'tend to that myse'f. Besides,
Purfessor, you is sizin' up Jeffy Poi