communicate, but knew that he would do so in his own way.

"Speakin' o' hoss trades," he began.

"We WASN'T and we ain't goin' to," said Mrs. Bigsby with great
promptness. "I've heard enough of 'em."

"But this here one hez suthin' to do with your fr'en', John
Lummox," said Dan'l, with a chuckle.

Mrs. Bigsby stared. "Go on, then," she said, but, for goodness'
sake, cut it short."

Dan'l threw away his quid and replenished it from his silver
tobacco box. Mrs. Bigsby shuddered slightly as she recognized the
usual preliminary to prolixity, but determined, as far as possible,
to make her brother brief.

"It mout be two weeks ago," began Dan'l, "that I see John Lummox
over at Palmyra, where he'd bin visitin'. He was drivin' a hoss,
the beautifulest critter--for color--I ever saw. It was yaller,
with mane and tail a kinder golden, like the hair o' them British
Blondes that was here in the Variety Show."

"Dan'l!" exclaimed Mrs. Bigsby, horrified. "And you allowed you
never went thar!"

"Saw 'em on the posters--and mebbe the color was a little brighter
thar," said Dan'l carelessly--"but who's interruptin' now?"