n pills to prove their good qualities--that will be no
joke."

"O no, Num is kept on purpose for that. What else is the fool good
for?"

The next week was employed as we anticipated. Boxes of pills of every
size, neatly labelled, bottles of various mixtures, chiefly stimulants,
were corked and packed up. Powders of _anything_ were put in papers;
but, at all events, there was nothing hurtful in them. All was ready,
and accompanied by Num (Jumbo and Fleta being left at home) we set off,
Melchior assuming the dress in which we had first met him in the waggon,
and altering his appearance so completely, that he would have been taken
for at least sixty years old. We now travelled on foot with our dresses
in bundles, each carrying his own, except Num, who was loaded like a
pack-horse, and made sore lamentations: "Can't you carry some of this?"

"No," replied I, "it is your own luggage; everyone must carry his own."

"Well, I never felt my spangled dress so heavy before. Where are we
going?"

"Only a little way," replied Timothy, "and then you will have nothing
more to do."

"I don't know that. When master puts on that dress, I have to swallow
little things till I'm sick."

"It's all good for your health, Num."

"I'm very well, I thank'e," replied the poor fellow; "but I'm very hot
and very tired."

PART ONE, CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

IN WHICH TIMOTHY MAKES A GRAND SPEECH, QUITE AS TRUE AS THOSE DELIVERED
FROM THE HUSTINGS--MELCHIOR, LIKE THE CANDIDATE, STATES HIS PRETENSIONS
FOR PUBLIC FAVOUR, AND THE PUBLIC, AS USUAL, SWALLOW THE BAIT.

Fortunately for poor Num, we were not far from the market town at which
we intended to open our campaign, which we did the next morning by Num
and Timothy sallying forth, the former with a large trumpet in his hand,
and the latter riding on a donkey. On their arrival at the
market-place, Num commenced blowing it with all his might, while
Timothy, in his spangled dress, as soon as they had collected a crowd,
stood upon his saddle, and harangued the people as follows:--

"Gentlemen and ladies--I have the honour to announce to you the arrival
in this town of the celebrated Doctor Appallacheosmo Commetico, who has
travelled farther than the sun and faster than a comet. He hath visited
every part of the globe. He has smoked the calumet with the Indians of
North America--he has hunted with the Araucas in the South--galloped on
wild horses over the plains of Mexico, and rubbed no