THE SIEGE OF THE DRUG STORE

"Once upon a time, when I was scarcely married at all, you might
say," began Mr. Scraggs, "I quit workin' for a livin' and started a
scientific school."

"_You_ did?" cried Red, after one astonished second vanished in the
past.

"Yes, sir," replied Mr. Scraggs, "I did. _It_ was for the
investigation and pursuit of this, here doctrine of chances. The
idee was to put a little box full of playin'-cards on the table,
and draw them forth one at a time, to see just how they'd fall.
Some of the students got that interested they bet on the results."

"Oh!" said Charley, "I took a course in that one winter myself.
Did you always draw _one_ card at a time out'n that box, Zeke?"

"So help me, Bob! I did," returned Mr. Scraggs most earnestly.
"Hence I didn't get rich. It sometimes happened that a Wild Wolf
from Up the Creek would breeze in, full of rum, plumb foolishness,
and money. Oh, man! High or low, red or black, odd or even,
coppered or open, on the corner or let her rip, last turn and in
the middle, from soda-card to hock, them brier-whiskered
sons-of-guns would whipsaw my poor little bank till there wasn't
much left of her but sawdust. Yes, sir," mourned Mr. Scraggs, "I
made enough out of the early birds to eat, but them Roarin' Bears
from Bruindale uset sometimes to apply the flat of their hands to
my seat of learning till the sparks flew out of my eyes. In short,