e kindest people in the world. The Briscoe house we can't see,
because it's so shut in by trees; and, besides, it's a mile or so ahead
of us. We'll go out there for supper to-night. Don't you like Briscoe?
He's the best they make. We'll go up town with Judd Bennett in the
omnibus, and you'll know how a rapid-fire machine gun sounds. I want
to go straight to the 'Herald' office," he finished, with a suddenly
darkening brow.

"After all, there may be some explanation," Meredith suggested, with a
little hesitancy. "H. Fisbee might turn out more honest than you think."

Harkless threw his head back and laughed; it was the first time Meredith
had heard him laugh since the night of the dance in the country.
"Honest! A man in the pay of Rodney McCune! Well, we can let it wait
till we get there. Listen! There's the whistle that means we're getting
near home. By heaven, there's an oil-well!"

"So it is."

"And another--three--five--seven--seven in sight at once! They tried it
three miles south and failed; but you can't fool Eph Watts, bless him! I
want you to know Watts."

They were running by the outlying houses of the town, amidst a thousand
descriptive exclamations from Harkless, who wished Meredith to meet
every one in Carlow. But he came to a pause in the middle of a word.

"Do you hear music?" he asked abruptly. "Or is it only the rhythm of the
ties?"

"It seems to me there's music in the air," answered his companion. "I've
been fancying I heard it for a minute or so. There! No--yes. It's a
band, isn't it?"

"No; what would a band----"

The train slowed up, and stopped at a watertank, two hundred yards east
of the station, and their uncertainty was at an end.

From somewhere down the track came the detonating boom of a cannon.
There was a dash of brass, and the travellers became aware of a band
playing "Marching through Georgia." Meredith laid his hand on his
companion's shoulder. "John," he said, "John----" The cannon fired
again, and there came a cheer from three thousand throats, the shouters
all unseen.

The engine coughed and panted, the train rolled on, and in another
minute it had stopped alongside the station in the midst of a
riotous jam of happy people, who were waving flags and banners and
handkerchiefs, and tossing their hats high in the air, and shouting
themselves hoarse. The band played in dumb show; it could not hear
itself play. The people came at the smoker like a long wave, and Warren
Smit