"It's all so different from the East; heroism seems to be in the very air of this country, and your adventure was so very unusual.

Don't you think so, Mr.McNeil ?" The silent foreman hitched himself suddenly upright, his face unusually solemn.

"Why--eh--yes, miss--you might--eh--say that.

He," with a flip of his hand toward the other, "eh--reminds me--of--eh--an old friend." "Indeed?
How extremely interesting!" eagerly scenting a new story.
"Please tell me who it was, Mr.McNeil." "Oh--eh--knew him when I was a boy--eh--Munchausen." Mr.Moffat drew in his head violently, with an exclamation nearly profane, yet before he could speak Miss Spencer intervened.
"Munchausen! Why, Mr.McNeil, you surely do not intend to question the truth of Mr.Moffat's narrative ?" The foreman's eyes twinkled humorously, but the lines of his face remained calmly impassive.

"My--eh--reference," he explained, gravely, "was--eh--entirely to the--eh--local color, the--eh--expert touches." "Oh!" "Yes, miss.