our next glass would bring about satisfactory conclusions. I
downed her, but it had got to be all I could do, I felt a freezin'
cold in my vitals, like William had complained of, instead of the
warmth and comfort for which I looked. Y-a-as, I swallered that
glass by main strength, like a snake would a hop-toad--kinder
lengthened myself until I was outside of it.

"'Tick-tick-tick,' remarks William's clock on the wall. When it
had arranged its hands before its mild countenance in such a way as
to inform me that twenty minutes, mountain time, had done all the
elapsin' possible, I slid my anxious gaze on William. He held to
his chair with both hands, and white spots showed in his cheeks,
the way he chawed his teeth together.

"'Ahem,' says I, clearin' my throat, 'Hum--ah, do you--er--do you
no--'

"I got no farther. William leant over and bent his finger double
agin my chest. 'Full well,' says he in a tone of v'ice not loud
but so loaded with meanin' it bumped on his teeth--'full well,
Ezekiel George Washington Scraggs, do I assimerlate what the
results of such a course will be, but if you should persume to ast
me any more if I notice anything I shall at once arise and bat you
in the eye--I am beyond carin' for conserquences.'

"'Now, now, now! What is the use of gettin' so excited? Take a
drink of water--you'll bust your b'iler, foamin' like that,' I says.

"'Water!' says William. 'Ha, ha, ha.' It wasn't no giggle, that
laugh of his. It was one of them blood-curdlers you read about.