"That's right," said two or three, "let Melvin test 'em."

After giving the box to someone else to hold, Melvin fished out of
his pocket a little china dish and a bottle of some liquid. They
scraped off some of the gilt particles with a pocket knife, and
put them in the dish. Melvin had his bottle poised above them.

"If it aint genyewine," said he, solemnly, "it'll fizzle when I
pour this acid onto it, but if it is genyewine, it won't fizzle."

Then he poured the acid into the dish. There was a pause.

"It don't fizzle," said he.

"Three cheers for Brother Snider!" bellowed the Hon. J. Harvey
Bowditch.

The old man who had made the test advanced toward Mr. Snider. He
had a roll of money in his hand, and I saw a hundred dollar bill
on top.

"I'll take a hundred of them shares, Mister," said he.

"I come first here," said another man, "I've had this fixed up
with Harvey Bowditch ever since we come. Gimme fifty shares."

"I'll take fifty of 'em," said another man.

"Here's twenty-five dollars," said another, "that's good for five