to have paid my respects to the old fellow."

The funny thing about it was that he didn't seem half as disappointed
as the children--that is, Marmaduke and Hepzebiah, particularly
Hepzebiah. Jehosophat just smiled in a sort of superior way and said
nothing, but perhaps that was because he was getting older and had
lost some of his enthusiasm. As for Marmaduke, he hadn't been so
enthusiastic about seeing Santa Claus ever since Reddy Toms had told
him something, but now, after seeing Santa alive and before him--why,
he didn't care what any "ole Reddy Toms" said.

He had seen Santy--and had shaken him by the hand.




XIV

THE HOLE THAT RAN TO CHINA


By this time you should have noticed, if you ever stop to think, that
Marmaduke was quite a traveller. It was really remarkable the trips
and voyages that boy took--not only to the town, and Apgar's Woods,
and the Leaning Mill on Wally's Creek, but to the South Seas, The Cave
of the Winds, the Ole Man in the Moon, the Fields of Golden Stars, and
to all sorts of beautiful cities and kingdoms, some of which you may
find in your geographies, and some not on any map in the world. And he
didn't have much money for fares, either. It was hard to tell just how
he managed all these journeys, but sometimes, do you know, I suspect