Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/21

 see what was going on in the great world outside, each one of us cherished the secret hope that we might find favor in the eyes of the prospective purchaser. We were so inexperienced and foolish that we didn't care much who bought us, so long as we got out.

"I—aw! I want to look at a nice light bird gun," said the young man; "something you can recommend for woodcock and the like, don't yer know?"

"Why, that's a countryman of mine," exclaimed the double-barrel, who seemed to be highly excited by the discovery.

The bamboo hastened to assure me that he wasn't—that he was an American trying to ape English ways.

"Do you want a hammerless?" asked the proprietor.

"I—aw! They come pretty 'igh, don't they?"

"Not necessarily. Here's one worth a hundred and twenty-five dollars," replied the store-keeper; and as he spoke, he opened the show-case and took from it a double-barrel who was so very plain in appearance, that I had not before taken more than a passing glance at him. "I