It's a coincidence, anyhow."
"Oh, boys will be boys," said Reddy. "When they get a good pension
they'll be just as respectable as you or me. Here comes Tom Slade now,
and Josh Thatcher, too."
The door had opened, and through the smoke Sam descried two young men,
one a slight wiry fellow, the other a large, broad-shouldered,
fair-haired man with a dull expression of the eye.
"Who says 'drinks all around'?" cried the former. "Everybody's blowing
us off now."
"Here," said Jackson, waking up, "I'll do it, hanged if I don't. You
fellows are a-goin' to civilize the Cubapinos, and you deserve all the
liquor you can carry."
He got up and approached the bar and the crowd followed him, and soon
every one was supplied with some kind of beverage.
"Here's to Thatcher and Slade! May they represent Slowburgh honorably
in the Cubapines and show 'em what Slowburghers are like," said
Jackson, elevating his iced cocktail.
The health was heartily drunk.
"And here is to that distinguished officer, Captain Jinks. Long may he
wave!" cried old Reddy.
"Speech, speech!" exclaimed the convivial crowd.
"Gentlemen," responded Sam, "I am a soldier and not an orator, but I am
proud to have my name coupled with those of your honored fellow
townsmen. It is a sign of the greatness of our country that men of just
the same character are in all quarters of this mighty republic
answering their country's call.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89