THE BARBER'S QUESTION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 10

THE BARBER'S QUESTION.

Old Mack is a messenger in ono of tho departments, has a good record as a soldier, and for several years has been a faithful employee of the Government. Like many of the war veterans, he can draw the long bow when occasion requires. Ho was out in a terrible North Dakota blizzard once on a time, and when ho recovered from the effects of the severe freeze he was minus a small portion of each ear, and sometimes he gets very tired of the questions his "earmarks" bring out. Not long ago he was in a barber's shop down town having his hair cut, and the tonsorial artist had his curiosity aroused. "How did you lose part of your ear ?" questioned the barber, as lie was working the shears along carefully on tho starboard side of Mack's head.

" Lost that under Grant in the Wilderness," Mack said, with a sober face. Pretty soon tho shears were snipping on the other side, and another section of ear was disclosed missing. "Hello! how did you lose this one ?" the hairdresser asked, standing off and viewing his workmanship. "Lost that ono under Napoleon at Marengo," was the imperturbable response. The barber was silenced for a while, but when he had received his fee and was shaking out his cloth, ho startled tho old gentleman, who had put on liis hat and had his hand on the door knob, with :

" Did you lose anything when you were under Noak in the ark '?"