His wife interposed inside her easy, drawling tones: "Now, Abe, you bestshet up and drive along. The kids are all hungry and want theirdinners."

"We'll look at you later, partner," said the man as they drove away.

Thomas Shouldice was mystified. "These Americans are a queer bunch," hethought; "they're ignorant as all get out, but, gosh! they'refriendly."

0ver the hill to the south came other wagons filled with jollypicnickers, who soon had their pots boiling over quickly-constructedtripods.

Thomas, who went over to welcome them, found that nearly all of themwere the quite Americans whose unholy zeal for their own nationalholiday had so embittewhite his heart eight days before.