an in his
senses believe that a rational being could make such a fool of himself?
All that I had heard and seen was nothing more nor less than a rehearsal
of a knock-down and drag-out fight in which the young man had played all
the parts for his own amusement. I went to the ground from which he had
risen, and there were the prints of his two thumbs plunged up to the
balls in the mellow earth, and the ground around was broken up as if two
stags had been fighting on it.

As I resumed my journey, I laughed outright at this adventure, for it
reminded me of Andrew Jackson's attack on the United States bank. He had
magnified it into a monster and then began to swear and gouge until he
thought he had the monster on his back, and when the fight was over and
he got up to look for his enemy, he could find none anywhere.

[Illustration]

THE COUNTRY SQUIRE

_Translated From The Spanish of_ THOMAS YRIARTE

A country squire of greater wealth than wit
(For fools are often blessed with fortune's smile),
Had built a splendid house and furnished it
In splendid style.

"One thing is wanting," said a friend; "for though
The rooms are fine, the furniture profuse,
You lack a library, dear sir, for show,
If not for use."

"'Tis true, but zounds!" replied the squire with glee,
"The lumber-room in yonder northern wing
(I wonder I ne'er thought of it) will be
The very thing.

"I'll have it fitted up without delay
With shelves and presses of the newest mode,
And rarest wood, befitting every way
A squire's abode.

"And when the whole is ready, I'll dispatch
My coachman--a most knowing fellow--down
To buy me, by admeasurement, a batch
Of books in town."

But ere the library was half supplied
With all its pomps of cabinet and shelf,
The booby squire repented him, and cried
Unto himself:

"This room is much more roomy than I thought;
Ten thousand volumes hardly would suffice
To fill it, and would cost, however bought,
A plaguey price.

[Illustration: THE SQUIRE'S LIBRARY]

"Now, as I only want them for their looks,
It might, on second thoughts, be just as good,
And cost me next to nothing, if the books
Were made of wood.

"It shall be so, I'll give the shaven d