“I’m rather particular about the exact time—have to be in this climate.”
Even this open declaration of his hospitable intention not being understood the Colonel politely said,
“Gentlemen, will you take something?”
Col. Sellers led the way to a saloon on Fourth street under the hotel, and the young gentlemen fell into the custom of the country.
“Not that,” said the Colonel to the bar-keeper, who shoved along the counter a bottle of apparently corn-whiskey, as if he had done it before on the same order; “not that,” with a wave of the hand. “That Otard if you please. Yes. Never take an inferior liquor, gentlemen, not in the evening, in this climate. There. That’s the stuff. My respects!”
The hospitable gentleman, having disposed of his liquor, remarking that it was not quite the thing—“when a man has his own cellar to go to, he is apt to get a little fastidious about his liquors”—called for cigars. But the brand offered did not suit him; he motioned the box away, and asked for some particular Havana’s, those in separate wrappers.
“I always smoke this sort, gentlemen; they are a little more expensive, but you’ll learn, in this climate, that you’d better not economize on poor cigars.”