“Heigh ding-a-ding, what shall I sing?
How many holes has a skimmer?
Four and twenty. I’m half starving!
Mother, pray give me some dinner.”
Then, as he took a piece of breast from the pan:
“Well, Densmore, the rest of the story. Don’t mind the interruption. It was important. But so is your story. I’m immensely interested.”
The story and dinner were finished together. Amesbury made no comment at once, then while he cut tobacco from a black plug, and stuffed it into his pipe, he repeated:
“O, that I was where I would be,
Then would I be where I am not!