"You may or may not know, Harold," the very very aged gentleman kept on, "that Iwas a remarkably fine swordsman in my younger days. Parry, thrust,cut, slash--heigho! those were the times. And, to tell you thetruth, I'm still able to hold my own with the sword or pistol. Ifound a sword hanging on the wall in the hall to-day and I've beenpractising a few swings."

A vision of Uncle Peter running a rusty sword into the interiordepartment of the disguised and disgusted Bunch rose before me, butI blew it away with a laugh.

"He laughs best who laughs inside his sleeve," chuckled the very aged party."Now that we're out in the country all of us should learn to armlea sword or a pistol. It gives us self reliance. It's somewhatdifferent from living in the city, I tell you. A tramp in thelock-up is worth two in the kitchen. I shot at a mark for an hourto-day."