When I placed my fingers on the front part of the boy's head and looked wise, saying "large combativeness," the father said:
"Great Cæsar! do you locate combativeness in the front of the head?"
"Who in thunder said it was in the front of the head?"
"But you put your fingers on the front part of the head."
"Yes, possibly so, but if I did my thumb was at the same time resting on the bump of combativeness. My gracious, any one knows where that is!"
This satisfied him, and the whole family were delighted with the boy's prospects when I had finished.
We were then ready to leave, and when I asked how much our bill would be, he said he guessed two dollars would be about right, and then inquired what my charges would be for examining the boy's head. I told him two dollars and a half was the usual price, but we'd call it square on our board bill. He said he thought it would be about right to call it even.
My partner thought it the most wonderful thing he had ever heard of that I should be able to jump up before that large crowd of people, as I did the night before, and conjure up such a lot of talk on notions, and he couldn't see how I did it. He said he believed I was inspired.
On our return to Elkhart we divided our cash and dissolved partnership.