"Yes, I see. Uncle Sam had to economize, hey? Save somethin' for a rainy
day."

"Well, possibly. Still the bill is just as heavy. Now, Captain
Whittaker, I don't KNOW anything about this affair, and it's not my
business. But I've been about to-day, and I asked questions, and--I'm
going to tell you a fairy tale. It isn't as interesting as your sea
yarns, but--Do you like fairy stories?"

"Land, yes! Tell a few myself when it's necessary. Sometimes I almost
believe 'em. Well?"

"Of course, you must remember this IS a fairy story. Let's suppose that
once on a time--that's the way they always begin--once on a time there
was a great man, great in his own country, who was sent abroad by his
people to represent them among the rulers of the land. So, in order to
typically represent them, he dressed in glad and expensive raiment, went
about in dignity, and--"

"And whiskers. Don't leave out the whiskers!"

"All right--and whiskers. And it came to pass that the people whom he
represented wished to--to--er--bring about a certain needed improvement
in their--their beautiful and enterprising community."

"Sho! sho! how natural that sounds! You must be a mind reader."

"No. But I have to make speeches in my own community occasionally.
Well, the people asked their great man to get the money needed for this
improvement from the rulers of the land aforementioned. And he was