servant was despatched for a doctor, and the shaft was disengaged, and
drawn out of the man's body--just at the pit of the stomach; he was laid
on a bed, and every one thought of course he must die at once, but he
didn't; and the doctor came next day, and he wasn't dead--did what he
could for him--and, to make a long story short, sir, the man recovered."

"Pooh! pooh!" said the diminutive doubter.

"It's true," said the narrator.

"I make no doubt of it, sir," said Murphy; "I know a more extraordinary
case of recovery myself."

"I beg your pardon, sir," said the cit; "I have not finished my story yet,
for the most extraordinary part of the story remains to be told; my
friend, sir, was a very sickly man before the accident happened--a
_very_ sickly man, and after that accident he became a hale healthy
man. What do you think of that, sir?"

"It does not surprise me in the least, sir," said Murphy; "I can account
for it readily."

"Well, sir, I never heard It accounted for, though I know it to be true; I
should like to hear how you account for it?"

"Very simply, sir," said Murphy; "don't you perceive the man discovered
a _mine_ of health by a _shaft_ being sunk in the _pit_ of his stomach?"

Murphy's punning solution of the cause of cure was merrily received by the
company, whose critical taste was not of that affected nature which