did, except the first time I tried to water'em
out o' the cup; but they nearly pestered me to death tryin' to find out
what was mysterious about 'em I told 'em the full reasons for my takin'
'em up to the Diamond Dot; but that didn't suit 'em, they had to have
some outlandish excuse. I stuck to the truth until my good nature began
to blister an' then I fixed up a past history for those chickens that
wasn't nowise common.

When you just glance at it, a chicken ain't a creature that's apt to
have a adventurous life; but long before we reached Oakland, folks was
gettin' on the train every place we stopped, just to have a look at
chickens what had been taught to tell counterfeit money. It was easy
enough when I got started. Every one knows that a chicken's eye is
mighty detectin'. They stroll along pickin' up bugs 'at you or I can't
see with a magnascope, an' all 'at would be necessary to make 'em
experts at money, would be to get 'em interested.

The' 's allus somebody in a crowd who don't swaller bait as easy as the
rest, an' bye an' bye a feller holds up a silver dollar to the rooster.
The rooster was a pretty beast, all red an' blue, an' a good feeler;
but he didn't care a hang for money. He turned his head away, an' I
sez, "The dollar's good."

But the feller had to keep on makin' tests, which didn't interest the
rooster any until finally the rooster begun to get some exasperated.
The feller held out a five-dollar bill to the rooster, an' he was tired
o' such nonsense an' took a sudden peck at it an' tore it in two. "It's
bad," sez I.

"I knew it was bad," sez he. "I said when I took it that I bet it
wasn't any good; but one o' these smooth Easterners give it to me. If
I'd had a bird like that I wouldn't 'a' got stuck. What'll you take for
him?"

I smiled and sez, "I don't reckon you'd believe what these birds is
worth, but I wouldn't want to sell 'em even if I got my price. I wish
you'd give me that counterfeit bill though. The hen ain't fully taught
an' bills like that are scarce."

He give me the bill, an' offered me all kinds o' prices for the
poultry; but I wanted to take 'em to Barbie, an' I finally stuck 'em
under the seat an' refused to let any one see 'em. That blame fool
offered me seventy-five dollars for that pair o' chickens when he got
off the train at Oakland, an' I was blame glad I had give up business,
'cause it was sure good business to take a price like that. The
five-dollar bill was all righ