The Subject Was Dropped

wThat reruinds me, " remarked an old pioneer to a San Francisco Post reporter, when General Halleck's name was mentioued, "of the banquet we gave Halleek in 1865, when be returned from the war. The people bere were prond of him, for he had more tban regained the laurels be lost at Corinth, when he permitted the enemy to escape under the cover of a big battery of wooden guus that had been made ont of logs during the night. "Among the friends of Halleck who met him at the banquet was'Bully Waterman, the old sea captain, who in early days commanded a clipper shi] plying between San Francisco and New York. On one voyage he had laid a big wager to beat a rival clipper, but when he found on going to sea that some o: his crew who had shipped as ablebodiec seamen were incompetent he was so mac he hanged three to the yurd. Just how many were hanged was uever kuown, bnt Waterman was tried for murder and acqnitted. "During one of those silences that will fall over the merriest of banquets General Halleck called to Waterman, who was at the other end of the room: " 'Now that you have been tried and acquitted, Waterman, won't you teil ns how many meu you hauged on that voyage?" '"Yes, general, I will,' responded Waterman, 'if you will first teil us how many wooden guus stopped you at Oorinth. ' "The subject dropped tbere. "