“Oh,” said Brown, with an air of relief. “I thought you did and felt bad for your favorite composers. Then, my friend, you play by ear?”
“Divil the ear,” returned Barney, still scraping away.
The listeners laughed.
“What,” cried Brown. “Neither by note nor by ear? What then do you play by?”
“By main strength, be jabers,” said the Irishman, and went on with his steady scrape amid the loud laughter of his hearers.
The road began to wind in among the trees.
“Form in solid,” said Captain Hale. “Keep up the playing. We must make our entry in good style.”
And in close form they went along the winding roadway until the opening in front of the house was reached, and then the word was given:
“Halt!”
The odd cavalcade pulled up, the two steam monsters halting also and retaining their position at the van.