"There'll be something dewing around here before many days that will make you landlubbers wish your rubbers were eight or nine million sizes larger than the ones you bought last February; and as for liquidation--well, father dear, you can take my word for it that when this mortgage of mine is presented at my office for payment by its present holder there will be liquid enough around to float a new bond issue in case I can't pay in spot cash.

If that is not satisfactory to my creditors, you still need not worry.

I have a definite fund in mind that will take care of them." "That is a relief," said I, innocently.

"But may I ask what fund you refer to ?" "Certainly, father dear," he replied.

"I refer to the Sinking Fund which will be in full working order the minute the deluge arrives." This was about all the satisfaction I was ever able to get out of my son on the subject of his Ark, and after two or three hundred years I stopped arguing with him on the futile extravagance of his course.