erk
with a list of names sat below.

"As I call the names, will each gentleman step forward and draw his
slip?" announced the official.

We were all watching with our mouths open intensely interested.

"Did you ever hear of such a damfool way of doing the thing?" said
Talbot. "Here, give me a boost up!"

Johnny and I raised him on our shoulders.

"Gentlemen! gentlemen!" he cried a number of times before he could be
heard above the row. Finally they gave him attention.

"I'm a ticket holder in this thing; and I want to see it done right. I
want to ask that gentleman there what is to prevent the wrong man from
answering to a name, from drawing a slip without having any right to?"

"The right man will prevent him," answered a voice. The crowd laughed.

"Well, who's to decide, in case of dispute, which is the right man and
which the wrong man? And what's to prevent any man, after the drawing,
from marking a blank slip--or making a new slip entirely?"

"That's right!" "Correct!" shouted several voices.

The officials consulted hurriedly. Then one of them announced that the
drawing would be postponed until the following morning. Each was to
bring his steamship ticket with him. The winners in the drawing must be
prepared to have their tickets countersigned on the spot. With this
understanding we dispersed.

This was Talbot Ward's first public appearance; the first occasion in
which he called himself to the attention of his fellows assembled in
public meeting. The occasion was trivial, and it is only for this reason
that I mention it. His personality at once became known, and remembered;
and I recollect that many total strangers spoke to him that evening.

By next morning the transportation officials had worked it out. We could
not all get into the office, so the drawing took place on the Plaza
outside. As each man's name was called, he stepped forward, showed his
ticket, and was allowed to draw a slip from the box. If it proved to be
a blank, he went away; if he was lucky, he had his ticket _vised_
on the spot. Such a proceeding took the greater part of the day; but the
excitement remained intense. No one thought of leaving even for the noon
meal.

Yank drew passage on the first steamer. Talbot, Johnny, and I drew
blanks.

We walked down to the shore to talk over the situation.

[Illustration: "'YOU HOUNDS!' HE ROARED. 'DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SNEAK
OFF!'"]

"We ought to have bought tickets good on this parti