"Take these yer wild dogs," he said, pointing the stem of his well-chewed pipe at the President, who sat at the end of the dining-room table waiting patiently for a nervous young farmer to read his painfully prepared paper on the vexed question of "Inoculation as a Cure for Lung-sickness." "Take these yer wild dogs. Haven't they got a leader? They have. Of course they have, and wha' jer think they've got a leader for if it isn't to follow him or her--for more often than not the leader's a she; and wha' jer think they foller him or her if it ain't because they've got rules and regulations which are be-known to that leader?" "Don't they follow the leader because he happens to be the strongest in the pack?" asked the nervous member anxiously, bent on shirking his task. "We ain't going to follow your lead this afternoon on that score," said Abe caustically. "No sir, they follow the leader not because he is the strongest, but for the reason that he knows the rules and regilations." "Have you seen a printed copy, Abe?" asked one member shyly. "No, sir. It's only human beings that ain't got sense enough to know what they are setting out to do unless they put everything in print. A human being wants to know everything, and he don't know nothing; but a animile he calkalates to know what's necessary for him, and when he learns his lesson he don't want any noospaper to tell him about it--you jes' put that in your pipe. Now take your case--" "Have some baccy, Uncle," said the interrupting member eagerly. "Don't mind if I do. Lemme see. I were jes' going to tell ye a yarn about some wild dogs, but I see the President's waiting for our young friend to 'lighten us about 'noculation, which is good on his part, considerin' there's some here as were curing lung-sick cattle before he were born." "My paper can wait," said the young farmer, hastily stuffing his notes into his pocket. "Let us have your story." "Drive ahead, ole man."