We're only represhentatives Government in she town.Burden whole shing fallsh on us.Understand? We musht do everyshing.Understand?
Country 'spects every man to do his duty.Undershtand?"Abe sank down on a bench, leaned his head against the wall, and looked at his companion with one eye closed wearily.
"Yesshir," Kent resumed, summoning up a new supply of oratorical energy, and an official gravity beneath which his legs trembeled.
"Name shis town's London.Shame name's big town 'cross ocean.Lots history c'nected wish name.Shtacks an' cords of it.Old times when King went out t'meet him, wish shtyle pile on bigger'n a haystack.Fact.Clothes finer'n a peacock.Tendered him keys, freed'm city.All shat short shing.Ver' impreshive shpectacle.
Everybody felt better'n for improvin' sight.Undershtand? We'll be Lord Mayor and train for shis London.We can rig out right here.Our trouseau's here in shis hair trunk.""Shall we get anyshing t' drink?" inquired Abe making a temporary collection of his wits with a violent effort.
"Abe!" the freezing severity of Kent's tone and manner would have been hopelessly fatal to early vegetables."Abe you've many good qualities--more of 'em shan any man I know.but a degrading passion fur shtrong drink is ruinin' you.I'm your besht fren, an' shay it wish tearsh in m' eyes.Lemme beg o' you t' reform ere it ish too late.Beware of it, my fren, beware of it.It shtingeth like a serpent, an' biteth like a multiplier--I mean an adder.You haven't got my shuperb self-control, an' so yer only shafety lies in total abstinence.Cheese it, my fren, cheese it on she sheductive but fatal lush.""Are we goin' out t' meet she boysh?" inquired Abe.
"Shertainly we are.Yesshir.An' we're goin' out ash I proposed.
Yer a shplendid feller, Abe," continued Kent, with lofty patronage.
"A shplendid feller, an' do great credit t' yer 'portunities.
But y' haven't had my 'dvantages of mingling constantly in p'lite s'ciety, y'know.Rough diamond, I know, 'nall that short o' shing, but lack polish an' easy grace.So I'll be th' Lord Mayor, an'
y'll be th' train.Undershtand?"
He lurched forward, and came near falling over the chair, but recovering he stiffened up and gazed on that useful article of furniture with a sternness that implied his belief that it was a rascally blackleg trying to insinuate itself into the circle of refinement and chaste elegance of which he was the particular ornament.
"Come," he resumed, "le's bedizen ourselves; le's assume th'
shplendor 'propriate t' th' 'casion."
When the troops marched in in the afternoon, the encountered at the head of the crowd that met them at the crossing of the creek just ouside of town, a man who seemed filled with deep emotion, and clothed with strange fancies.He wore a tall silk hat of antique patter, carefully brushed, which he protected from the rays of the sun with a huge blue cotton umbrella.A blue broadcloth coat, with gilt buttons, sat jauntily over a black satin vest, and nankeen trousers.A pair of gold spectacles reposed in magisterial dignity about half way down his nose, and a large silver-headed cane in the left hand balanced the umbrella in the right.By the side of the man with rare vestments stood another figure of even more limpness of general bearing, whose garb consisted of a soldier's uniform pantaloons and woolen shirt--none too clean--set off by a black dress-coat, and white linen vest.
As the head of the column came up he in the blue broadcloth pulled off his hat and spectacles, and addressed himself to speech:
"Allow me, shir, to welcome you with hoshpitable hands to a bloody--no, let me tender you, shir, the liberties of our city, and reshoice shat she old banner which has braved she battle, hash---"The column had stopped, and the Captain commanding the advance was listening patiently to what he supposed was the address of an enthusiastic, but eccentric old Kentuckian, when one of the sharp-eyed ones in the company shouted out:
"I declare, it's Kent Edwards and Abe Bolton."The yell of laughter and applause at the ludicrous masquerade shook the hills.The Colonel rode up to see what occasioned it.
He recognized his two men, and his face darkened with anger.
"You infernal rascals," he shouted, "you have been off plundering houses, have you, in place of being with your company.I'll stop this sort of thing mighty sudden.This regiment shall not degrade itself by plundering and robbing, if I have to shoot every man in it.Captain, arrest those men, and keep thim in close confinement until I can have them tried and properly punished."
