The Bookman arose gracefully. "While I thank the gentleman who has preceded me for his encomiums," he said, with deprecatory modesty, "yet I can lay no claim for scholastic honors, owing to an unfortunate difference of opinion with the Faculty in the scorching question of turning state's evidence concerning the ebullition of class feeling, in which I was implicated by a black eye or so. I fought the good fight, I kept the faith, but I did not finish my course. But to return to our sheep. "In every crisis, I have always found precedent for action in the words of the immortal Swan of Avon. What does Will say? He says: '_Put money in thy purse_!' "Follows naturally the advice of the melancholy Dane, bearing directly on the case in hand: '_Let it work. 'For 'tis the sport to see the engineer Hoist with his own petard._' "Again, '_Look on this picture, then on that! The counterfeit_.' "Where is that counterfeit, anyhow?" He took from his pocket a good silver dollar, compared it thoughtfully with the bad one on the table, and continued. "What else? Why, this: '_Art thou not horribly afeared?... Could the world pick thee three such enemies again as that fiend Douglas, that spirit Percy, and that devil Glendower?'_ "Having thus pointed out the danger, he plainly indicates the remedy: '_Where shall I find one that will steal well? O! for a fine thief of the age of two-or-three and twenty! I am heinously unprovided_.' "Gentlemen, in my opinion we need three things. First, the services of a skillful and discreet silversmith. Second, a pair of eye-glasses fitted with a powerful microscopic lens, able to distinguish good from evil. Third, a confederate who can steal well, such as we can doubtless find in or about Broad Street. By these simple and feasible means we shall be enabled to whip-saw our redoubtable opponents or, to use the local term, 'give 'em the double-cross.'" He sat down amid boisterous applause. "The Watch-dog of the Treasury!" said Steve icily. The Watch-dog stood apologetically, twisting nervous fingers together. "It strikes me, Mr. Speaker," he stammered, "that my eminent colleague might aptly have quoted from the same high authority two maxims in praise of prudence. 'Discretion is the better part of valor,' he says, and also, '_He who fights and runs away Will live to fight another day._' "It appears to me the part of prudence----" Here he was howled down by disapproving groans. "The Chair will take great pleasure in recognizing the Gentleman from New Mexico," suggested Steve, with a gracious nod.