to the tavern,
kept by a man named Stemples, and made arrangements to stop with him
while in town. He found that a man named Cox lived in Jenkintown, and
that he was a carpenter by trade. During the evening he was much
surprised to meet Cox at the tavern. Fox was a genial fellow, and, after
a paying day's work always made himself agreeable to those whom he met
at the tavern where he put up. He had the knack of getting easily
acquainted, and soon was on the best of terms with Cox and his friends.
He did not force the acquaintance, but during the evening paid much more
attention to Cox's friends than to Cox.

Fox went through about the same routine the next day, and toward
evening, finding that he had made a dollar and a half, he packed up his
tools and went up to the tavern. Here he found Cox and his friends
again. He told them how successful he had been, and received their
hearty congratulations--they feeling that there was no doubt but that
they would be gainers by his good fortune. Cox and his friends joined in
having a good time at the tinker's expense, and pronounced him the
"prince of good fellows;" though I much fear, had Fox suddenly
importuned them for a small loan, they would have changed their tune;
but as he did not, "all went merry as a marriage bell."

[Illustration: _Cox and his friends joined in having a good time at the
tinker's expense, and pronounced him "the prince of good
fellows."_--Page 86.]

Cox had two bosom friends--Horton and Barclay. They were held together
by ties stronger than those which bind kindred--they were fellow-topers,
and could drink about equally deep. They generally concluded an
evening's entertainment in somewhat the following manner:

Cox would say, "Hic, Barclay, you'r drunk; better go home, hic."

Barclay would insist that he was never more sober in his life, but that
Horton and Cox were "pos-(hic)-tively-(hic)-beasley." All three would
then start off, bent on seeing one another safely home, and, like the
blind leading the blind, generally fall into the ditch. Three irate
women would then make their appearance on the scene, and they would each
be led home, declaring they were never more sober in their lives. Fox
found that Cox was known by his friends as Josh. Cox, and he was what
might be called a lazy loafer, as were also his friends, Horton and
Barclay. Fox did not try to get any information from Cox, but got all he
possibly could from his friends, Horton and Barclay,