he
door to take care of itself, Tiffles marched boldly to his doom.
Previous to extinguishing the candles in the exhibition hall, he went
behind the curtain, and there found the idiot sitting patiently at the
crank, and rehearsing, in a low tone, the code of signals which had been
adopted. Patching was also there. He shrugged his shoulders in the
French style as Tiffles came in, but said not a word. Tiffles proceeded
straight to a bottle which stood on a window sill, and took a long drink
from it, and then passed it to Patching, who mutely did the same, and,
in turn, handed it to the idiot, who pulled at it with great gusto, in
the manner of a rational person.

Feeling that it would be superfluous to repeat his instructions to so
sagacious an idiot, Tiffles immediately presented himself before the
audience again, with a long stick, or wand, for pointing out the
beauties of the panorama.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to exhibit to you the Panorama of
Africa. You have all heard of Africa."

VOICE. "Consider'ble."

"True, my friend; therefore you will be well prepared to enjoy the
pictorial attractions which I am about to unfold."

VOICE. "H'ist the rag."

"My friend--who has no doubt paid his quarter--I respect your request.
The rag _is_ about to be h'isted. But, before that ceremony is proceeded
with, I would ask the gentlemen sitting nearest the candles to be good
enough to blow them out."

Never was request more cheerfully complied with. There was a scramble of
six or seven tall young men to each candle; and, at several of the
candles, a brisk but friendly struggle took place between rival
aspirants for the privilege. The room was then in total darkness, save a
small gleam which came through the partly opened door from a solitary
tallow in the entry, and the dull reflection of the panorama lights
through the curtain.

Some of the effects of this sudden extinguishment were extraordinary.
The female seminary all screamed slightly. The boys' school all laughed,
and several were heard to say, "Prime fun, a'n't it?" The railroad
conductor and his friends coughed fictitiously, and said, "Oh! oh!"
"A'n't you ashamed!" "Look out for pockets!" "Thief in the house!" and
other playful things, which put the entire audience in good humor. But
the strangest and most unexpected occurrence, was a grand rush, as of a
herd of wild bulls, on the stairs, accompanied by the dousing of the one
remaining light in the entry. A