t you take the agency? you have always wanted to travel."

He asked what kind of a show I'd give him.

I told him we charged ten dollars for the General Agency for each county
and we would supply him with the polish, or he could have the recipe for
making it by paying twenty-five dollars. He said he had no money and
there was no use talking.

I asked how much our bill would be for staying over night.

"Two dollars," was his reply.

"Very well, then, we can fix the money part. Which do you prefer, the
General Agency or the recipe?"

He said he wanted the recipe.

"You can just give us credit then, for the two dollars and pay us fifty
cents in cash and you will owe us twenty-two and one-half dollars which
you can pay after you have made it."

His wife said that was fair. He said he hadn't the fifty cents, but they
would give us a chicken for the difference.

As we had been accustomed to trading anything and everything we
explained that the fowl was right in our line, and immediately closed
the deal and left with it. The reader may be assured that we
congratulated ourselves on our narrow escape. The man still owes the
balance,--in fact I forgot to leave him my address, so he could send it.

We had consumed nearly a half day wrestling with our farmer friend to
effect a deal, and immediately started out with renewed vigor and the
chicken with its legs securely tied and under the wagon seat.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXVI.

HELPING A TRAMP--WE DISSOLVE PARTNERSHIP--MY AUCTION SALE FOR THE
FARMER--HOW I SETTLED WITH HIM--I RESUME THE AUCTION BUSINESS FOR
MYSELF--MY HORSE TRADE--I START FOR MICHIGAN.

We were then but a short distance from Fostoria, to which place we
drove, arriving there at noon with seventy-five cents and the chicken,
which we sold for twenty-five cents. When we received the cash for it, a
rather seedy-looking individual stepped up and asked us if we couldn't
give him money enough to buy his dinner, as he had had nothing to eat
for several days. We figured that as we had a dollar we could afford to
give the fellow twenty-five cents, and have the same amount left for
dinner for each of us, including the old horse. When we handed the tramp
his quarter, I remarked:

"We will divide equally with you, which is the best we can do."

He thanked us, and passed out of the store, when a very sorry-looking
individual with a deacon-fied appearance who stood by said:

"Young man, I think you ma