This was the most audacious take in I ever hearn of. Do you think the cus didn’t set rite down beside me, and never blindfolded himself at all, and hit me every lick himself, and now and then hittin’ his knee with the book, to make me b’lieve he was bob’d too. My bed was a singin’ with the licks when she told me how he done me, and I do b’lieve if it hadn’t been for her I’d gin Cousin Pete sich a lickin’ rite thar in that room as he never had afore in his born days. Blazes! but I was mad at fust. But Mary begged me not to raise no fus about it, now it was all over, and she would fix him for his smartness. I hadn’t no sort of a ide how she was gwine to do it, but I know’d she was enuff for Cousin Pete any time, so I jest let her go ahed. Well, she tuck the ’bominable fool off to one side and whispered to him like she was gwine to let him into a grate secret. She told him ’bout a new play what she learned down to Macon when she was at the college, called “Interduction to the King and Queen,” what she sed was a grate deal funnyer than “Brother Bob,” and ’swaded him to help to git ’em all to play. After she and him made it all up, Cousin Pete put out three chairs close together in a roe for a throne, and Mary she put a sheet over ’em to make ’em look a little grand. Bill Byers was to be King and Mary was to be Queen. “Now you must all come in t’other room,” ses Cousin Pete, “only them what belongs to the court, and then you must come in and be interduced, one at a time.” “I ain’t gwine,” ses Tom Stallins, “for ther’s some trick in it.” “No ther ain’t,” ses Cousin Pete, “I’ll give you my word ther ain’t no trick, only a little fun.” “Well,” ses I, “I’s had fun enough for one nite.” Mary looked at me and kind o’ winked, and, ses she: “You’re one of the court you know, Majer, but jest go out till the court is sumonsed before the throne.” Well, we all went out, and bimeby Bill Byers called out the names of all the lords and ladys what belonged to the court, and we all went in and tuck chairs on both sides of the throne. Cousin Pete was to be the first one interduced, and Samuwell Rogers was to be the feller what interduced the company. Well, bimeby the dore opened, and in come Cousin Pete, bowin’ and scrapin’ and twistin’ and rigglein’ and puttin’ on more ares nor a French dancin’ master—he beat Crotchett all to smash. The King sot on one side of the throne and the Queen on t’other, leavin’ room in the middle for some one else. Sam was so full of laugh at Cousin Pete’s anticks that he couldn’t hardly speak. “Doctor Peter Jones,” ses he, “I interduce you to ther Majestys the King and Queen.” Cousin Pete scraped about a while and then drapt on one knee, rite afore ’em. “Rise, gallant knight,” ses Bill Byers, “rise, we dub you knight of the royal bath.”