“I thought, sir, that I should best wait until I had arrived here.”

“You thought wisely.  I shall introduce you to a good cloth mechanic.  Go to him at once and get one suit for dinner and perhaps two for the street.  It costs money to be a gentleman here.  It’s a fine art.  While you are in London you’ll have to get the uniform and fall in line and go through the evolutions or you will be a ‘North American savage.’  You shall meet the Hares in my house as soon as your clothes are ready.  Ask the tailor to hurry up.  They must be finished by Wednesday noon.  You had better have lodgings near me.  I will attend to that for you.”

The Doctor sat down and wrote on a number of cards.  “These will provide for cloth, linen, leather and hats,” he said.  “Let the bills be sent to me.  Then you will not be cheated.  Come in to-morrow at half after two.”

2

Jack bade the Doctor good night and drove to The Spread Eagle where, before he went to bed, he wrote to his parents and a long letter to The Pennsylvania Gazette, describing his voyage and his arrival substantially as the facts are here recorded.  Next morning he ordered every detail in his “uniforms” for morning and evening wear and returning again to the inn found Solomon waiting in the lobby.

“Here I be,” said the scout and trapper.

“What happened to you?”

“S’arched an’ shoved me into a dark hole in the wall.  Ye know, Jack, with you an’ me, it allus ’pears to be workin’.”

“What?”

“Good luck.  Cur’us thing the papers was on you ’stid of me—­ayes, sir, ’twas.  Did ye hand ’em over safe?”

“Last night I put ’em in Franklin’s hands.”

“Hunkidory!  I’m ready fer to go hum.”

“Not yet I hope.  I want you to help me see the place.”

“Wall, sir, I’ll be p’intin’ fer hum soon es I kin hop on a ship.  Couldn’t stan’ it here, too much noise an’ deviltry.  This ’ere city is like a twenty-mile bush full o’ drunk Injuns—­Maumees, hostyle as the devil.  I went out fer a walk an’ a crowd follered me eround which I don’t like it.  ‘Look at the North American,’ they kep’ a-sayin’.  As soon as I touched shore the tommyhawk landed on me.  But fer Cap.  Preston I’d be in that ‘ere dark hole now.  He see the Jedge an’ the Jedge called fer Slops an’ Slops had slopped over.  He were layin’ under a tree dead drunk.  The Jedge let me go an’ Preston come on with me.  Now ’twere funny he turned up jest as he done; funny I got app’inted cook o’ The Snow so as I had to give that ’ere paper to you.  I tell ye it’s workin’—­allus workin’.”

“Doctor Franklin wants to see you,” said Jack.  “Put on your Sunday clothes an’ we’ll go over to his house.  I think I can lead you there.  If we get lost we’ll jump into a cab.”

When they set out Solomon was dressed in fine shoes and brown wool stockings and drab trousers, a butternut jacket and blue coat, and a big, black three-cornered hat.  His slouching gait and large body and weathered face and the variety of colors in his costume began at once to attract the attention of the crowd.  A half-drunk harridan surveyed him, from top to toe, and made a profound bow as he passed.  A number of small boys scurried along with them, curiously staring into the face of Solomon.