told. They sounded kind of scaly to Jonadab and me, but if we hinted at
such a thing, he'd pull himself together and say: "Fact, I assure you,"
in a way to freeze your vitals. He seemed like such a good feller that
we didn't mind his telling a few big ones; we'd known good fellers afore
that liked to lie--gunners and such like, they were mostly.

Somehow or 'nother Phil got Cap'n Jonadab talking "boat," and when
Jonadab talks "boat" there ain't no stopping him. He's the smartest
feller in a cat-boat that ever handled a tiller, and he's won more races
than any man on the Cape, I cal'late. Phil asked him and me if we'd ever
sailed on an ice-boat, and, when we said we hadn't he asks if we won't
take a sail with him on the river next morning. We didn't want to
put him to so much trouble on our account, but he said: "Not at all.
Pleasure'll be all mine, I assure you." Well, 'twas his for a spell--but
never mind that now.

He introduced us to quite a lot of the comp'ny--men mostly. He'd see a
school of 'em in a corner, or under a palm tree or somewheres, and steer
us over in that direction and make us known to all hands. Then he begin
to show us off, so to speak, get Jonadab telling 'bout the boats he'd
sailed, or something like it--and them fellers would laugh and holler,
but Phil's face wouldn't shake out a reef: he looked solemn as a fun'ral
all the time. Jonadab and me begun to think we was making a great hit.
Well, we was, but not the way we thought. I remember one of the gang
gets Phil to one side after a talk like this and whispers to him,
laughing like fun. Phil says to him: "My dear boy, I've been to
thousands of these things"--waving his flipper scornful around the
premises--"and upon honor they've all been alike. Now that I've
discovered something positively original, let me enjoy myself. The
entertainment by the Heavenly Twins is only begun."