hisself, which he's rather long about
this time."

"Is he ill?" asked Layton.

"Well, you can't say exactly he's all right; he gave hisself an ugly
gash with a case-knife on the neck, and tried to blow hisself up
arter with some combustible stuff, so that he's rather black about the
complexion; and then he's always a-screechin' and yellin' for drink,
but I go in at times with a heavy whip, and he ain't unreasonable then."

"He's mad, in fact," said Layton, gravely.

"I only wish you and I was as sane, stranger," said the other. "There
ain't that place on the globe old Poll, as we call him, could n't make
a livin' in; he's a man as could help a minister with his discourse, or
teach a squaw how to work moccasins. I don't know what _your_ trade is,
but I 'll be bound he knows something about it _you_ never heerd of."

Mr. Heron went on to prove how universally gifted his friend was by
mentioning how, on his first arrival, he gave a course of lectures on a
plan which assuredly might have presented obstacles to many. It was
only when the room was filled, and the public itself consulted, that the
theme of the lecture was determined; so that the speaker was actually
called upon, without a moment for preparation, to expatiate upon any
given subject. Nor was the test less trying that the hearers were plain
practical folk, who usually propounded questions in which they possessed
some knowledge themselves. How to open a new clearing, what treatment
to apply to the bite of the whipsnake, by what contrivance to economize
water in mills, how to tan leather without oak bark,--such and such-like
were the theses placed before him, matters on which the public could
very sufficiently pronounce themselves. Old Poll, it would seem,
had sustained every test, and come through every ordeal of demand
victorious. While the host thus continued to expatiate on this man's
marvellous gifts, Layton fell a-thinking whether this might not be the
very spot he sought for, and this the audience before whom he could
experiment on as a public speaker. It was quite evident that the verdict
could confer little either of distinction or disparagement: success
or failure were, as regarded the future, not important If, however, he
could succeed in interesting them at all,--if he could make the
themes of which they had never so much as heard in any way amusing
or engaging,--it would be a measure of what he might attain with more
favorable hearers. He at once