e announced daily. Each Sunday to be celebrated, first, with a grand
feast, closing with a rich profusion of beer, champagne, good old port,
whiskey punch, brandy smashes, Tom and Jerry, etc. Second, a game of
cards. Third, a grand ball in upper saloon. Fourth, a dog fight. Fifth,
a theatrical performance in the evening. If I could truthfully publish
such an ad as that I think about two sermons would convert this city."

The crowd had all turned back to him, laughing good-humouredly. The
preacher stretched out his long bony arm, and held forth. His talk was
against gambling, and it had, I am afraid, but little real effect.
Nevertheless he was listened to; and at the end of his talk everybody
contributed something to a collection.

At the land end of the wharf we ran into the most extraordinary
collection of vehicles apparently in an inextricable tangle, that was
further complicated by the fact that most of the horses were only half
broken. They kicked and reared, their drivers lashed and swore, the
wagons clashed together. There seemed no possible way out of the mess;
and yet somehow the wagons seemed to get loaded and to draw out into the
clear. Occasionally the drivers were inclined to abandon their craft and
do battle with the loaded ends of their whips; but always a peacemaker
descended upon them in the person of a large voluble individual in whom
I recognized my former friend and employer, John McGlynn. Evidently John
had no longer a monopoly of the teaming business; but, as evidently,
what he said went with this wild bunch.

Most of the wagons were loading goods brought from the interiors of
storehouses alongside the approach to the wharf. In these storehouses we
recognized the hulls of ships, but so shored up, dismantled, and cut
into by doors and stories that of their original appearance only their
general shapes remained. There was a great number of these storehouses
along the shore, some of them being quite built about by piles and
platforms, while two were actually inland several hundred feet. I read
the name _Niantic_ on the stern of one of them; and found it to
have acquired in the landward side a square false front. It was at that
time used as a hotel.

"Looks as if they'd taken hold of Talbot's idea hard," observed Yank.

"Say!" cried Johnny, "will one of you drinking men kindly take a look
and inform me if I've gone wrong?"

This remark was called forth by the discovery, as we neared the shore,
of