Mr. Moxon explained that the meeting was called for the purpose of having a pleasant time and everyone was cordially invited to say something.
“Is Bob Irwin, ‘Canada’s fastest man,’ present?” came an inquiry from Dave Ryan.
“No, Bob and Aleck Sinnot went a-fishing this morning down to Hesperian canal, but we expect to see them back very soon.”
“I say, Dave,” queried Kentucky George Ellsworth, “how about that story that Brother Topping tells about you when you were on General Bragg’s staff? Did the General really cease hostilities on a certain occasion till you could be located?”
“Just you read United States history and get better acquainted with me,” testily replied Ryan. But a smile speedily lit up the old war horse’s face when he recognized the president of the meeting.
“Well, if there isn’t Fred Moxon, whom I left in St. Louis in 1875. Glad to see you, old boy; do you remember how you used to paste me when I was down there in Galveston? I tell you what, to take you and fight those native mosquitoes was a bigger job than fighting under General Bragg.”
“Yes, Dave, you remember how that old Long Horn wire used to work and how those repeaters at Denison would rattle? The man in charge of the Denison repeaters went to sleep one night and I could not hear you break.”
“I never broke in my life,” interrupted Ryan.
“That’s right, too,” agreed Moxon, “and the only way I knew you were getting me was to ask New Orleans.”
“Same old stunt,” broke in Cy Whitaker, who just arrived and took a seat in front.