Assuming a lounging position against a lamp-post, McNab waited until chance delivered up to him a superhumanly dignified citizen in top hat and boutonnière, moving through the crowd with an air of solid importance. Darting out, he approached with the sweep of an eagle, saying in a hoarse whisper: "Old clothes, any old clothes, sir?" His victim, frowning, accelerated his pace. "Buy your old clothes, sir, buy 'em now." Several onlookers stopped and looked. The gentleman, who had not turned to see who was addressing him, said hurriedly in an undertone: "No, no, nothing to-day." "Buy 'em to-morrow--pay good price," said McNab peevishly. "No, no, nothing to sell." "Call around at the house--give good prices." "Nothing to sell, nothing, I tell you!" "Buy what you got on," said McNab at the psychological moment, "give you five dollars or toss you ten or nothinks!" "Be off!" said the now thoroughly infuriated victim, turning and brandishing his cane. "I'll have you arrested." McNab, having accomplished his preliminary rôle, retreated to a safe distance, exclaiming: "Toss you ten dollars or nothinks!" The now supremely self-conscious and furious gentleman, having rid himself of McNab, immediately found himself in the hands of Buck Waters, who pursued him for the remainder of the block, with a mild obsequious persistency that would not be shaken off. By this time the occupants of the shop windows and the loiterers, perceiving the game, were in roars of laughter, which made the passage of the second and third victims a procession of hilarious triumph for McNab and Waters. Tiring of this, they locked arms again and, taking by hazard a side street, continued their quest for adventure. "Mornings are a dreadful bore," said McNab, pulling down his hat. "They certainly are." "Who was the old duck we tackled first?" "Don't know--familiar whiskers." "Seemed to me I've seen him somewhere." "Say, look at the ki-yi." "It's a Shetland poodle." "It's a pen-wiper." Directly in front of them a shaggy French poodle, bearing indeed a certain resemblance to both a Shetland pony and a discarded pen-wiper, was gleefully engaged in the process of shaking to pieces a rubber which it had stolen. "If it sees itself in a mirror it will die of mortification," said Buck Waters. "And yet, Buck, he's happier than we are," said McNab, who had been unjustifiably forced to flunk twice in one morning's recitation. "I say, Dopey," said Waters in alarm, "quit that!" "I will." "Look at the fireworks," said Waters, stopping suddenly at a window, "pin-wheels, rockets, Roman candles." "What are they doing there this time of the year?" said McNab angrily. "Election parade, perhaps." "That's an idea to work on, Buck." "It certainly is." "We must tell Tom Kelly about that." "We will." "Why, there's that ridiculous ki-yi again!" "He seems to like us." "I'm not complimented."