intensified by his aquiline nose, keen eagle-like eyes, and a long
beard sweeping his expansive chest. A smile lightened his face as he
approached.

"Good mornin', parson," was his cheery greeting. "Ye're abroad early."

"Oh, good morning, captain," was the hearty reply. "We seem to be the
only persons astir, eh?"

"More's the pity, parson. Don't see the like of that every day," and
the captain waved his stick through the air. "Fine sight, that."

"It certainly is," the clergyman assented, "and how few are abroad to
see it. But say, captain, you haven't seen anything of my cow, have
you?"

"Ho, ho, that's a sudden jump, isn't it, parson?"

"A sudden what?"

"A sudden jump from the sublime to the ridiculous; from a scene like
that to a cow."

"Not when you have no milk or cream, captain. Brindle has broken out
of the pasture, and I have no idea where she can be."

"Did ye pray this mornin' that ye might find her, parson?"

"No, I can't say that I did," was the somewhat reluctant reply, for
Parson Dan was well accustomed to Captain Josh's thrusts.