But I waited to hear no more. I ketched holt of Josiah’s arm, and sez I, “Let us flee from this place to once!”
And he sez, “Why?”
And I sez, “Ask no questions but foller me.” He hung back, but see I wuz firm. I had noticed that folks wuz drinkin’ sunthin’ out of glasses, not good, respectable coffee like my pardner and me, but spozed it wuz lemonade or sweetened water and vinegar, little did I think I had got into a winebibbers’ resort. But I see it wuz too true, for as we went out of the tent on another side I see a punch bowl as big as our caldron kettle and two pretty girls ladlin’ out the wretched stuff to the waitin’ crowd. We didn’t leave a minute too soon, but after we got outside Josiah sez:
“Now, will you tell why you snaked a hungry man away from his food? If it wuz anything besides pure meanness now is your time to tell it.”
So I told him the fearful fact, and sez, “Josiah Allen, look not upon wine when it is read.”
“Champagne hain’t red, nor punch, nuther.”
“Its effects are red with heart’s blood all the same.”
“Dum it all!” sez he, “don’t you spoze I know enough to not drink liquor when I am a Good Templar?”
Sez I, “Better men than you have been drawn away from the straight path, Josiah. Look at David,” and I wuz jest about to bring up Solomon and Noah, but he interrupted:
“I hain’t goin’ into no Bible controversy at this time of night, nor no dum W. C. T. U. talk.”