No contrary minds. The crowd uttered a great silence. Every man looked at
his neighbor, surprised to find how well they agreed.

"Unanimous!" Tarbox pronounced. "No fractious minorities _here_, to block
the wheels of legislation!"

The crowd burst into a roar at this significant remark, and, again
abashed, dropped portcullis on its laughter, cutting off the flanks and
tail of the sound.

"Mr. Purtett, will you please conduct the Chairman to the Chair," says
Bill, very stately.

"Make way here!" cried Perry, with the manner of a man seven feet high.
"Step out now, Mr. Chairman!"

He took a big, grizzled, docile-looking fellow patronizingly by the arm,
led him forward, and chaired him on a large cylinder-head, in the rough,
just hatched out of its mould.

"Bang away with that, and sing out, 'Silence!'" says the knowing boy,
handing Wheelwright an iron bolt, and taking his place beside him, as
prompter.

The docile Chairman obeyed. At his breaking silence by hooting "Silence!"
the audience had another mighty bob-tailed laugh.

"Say, 'Will some honorable member state the object of this meeting?'"
whispered the prompter.