"But how happens it," said Seddon, "that the bird never speaks except when you are present?"
"Oh, that is easily accounted for," said Tickle. "The bird of wisdom has a vast deal of discretion. He will not commit himself by any utterance except in the presence of a reliable witness. In me he has confidence, and in no other living man. I one day told a man to take a skull, which he had found, to the phrenologist, and that he would get a good price for it. When I entered, Boneskull had it in his hand and was carefully examining it. The owl now spoke, and said that it was the skull of a distinguished negro lawyer of Timbuctoo, which a missionary had brought home with him on his return from Africa. Boneskull was delighted with this information. He purchased the skull, and always has it before him on his table. It affords him great pleasure to point out its intellectual developments as indicated by the bumps. He says that an intellect once resided in that cranium equal to that of Clay, Webster, or Calhoun, and that its bumps clearly demonstrate that the negro is the equal of the white man in mental capacity. The vender of this valuable specimen of craniology afterwards told me that it was the skull of an idiot who had died in the almshouse; but I did not believe him, for how could I doubt the veracity and intelligence of the bird of wisdom?"
Here the conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Botts and Perch, accompanied by Pate and Wiggins, and followed by Scipio, Hannibal, and Cæsar carrying the baggage of the two former gentlemen. Toney and his friends walked with them to the cars. On the way Wiggins and Botts got into a warm altercation, and the latter became much excited as Wiggins upbraided him with having shown the white feather when menaced by the landlord's cudgel.
"I tell you," exclaimed Botts, "I never uttered a word."
"You did," said Scipio, who was walking behind with a trunk on his shoulder.
"What's that you say?" shouted Botts, turning round and looking at Scipio with a most malignant aspect.
"Indeed, Massa Botts," exclaimed Scipio, "I didn't say nothing."
"Botts begged!" said Hannibal. "Yaw! haw! haw!"
"Asked the women to save him from a beating!" said Cæsar. "Yaw! haw! haw!"