“Well, as I was saying,” the Doctor resumed, “this claim of H——­’s to a share of the glory of slaying the bear, reminds me of an anecdote related by Noah soon after the subsidence of the flood, and it shows that impudence is, at least, not post-deluvian in its origin.  It seems that there were in the world before, as well as after the flood, some very meddling impudent fellows, who were always interfering with other people’s business, claiming a share of other people’s credit, trying to make the world believe that they were great things, and persuading everybody that whatever remarkable achievement was accomplished, occurred through their counsel and advice, and as a consequence, claiming a large share of all the honors going.

“Well, after the rain had continued falling for a number of days, and the valleys were all full of water, and the angry surges went roaring, with the voice of ten thousand thunders, high up along the sides of the hills, one of these pestilent fellows—­deriding the miraculous exhibition going on all around him—­undertook, in his self-conceit, to lead the people to a place of safety.  So he selected a lofty peak that shot up from a range of mountains, and commenced travelling up its steep acclivities.  But the flood followed him, roaring, and boiling, and heaving, in its onward rush.  Day by day, night by night, it crept up, and up, higher and higher, until the self-confident leader, who scoffed at the supernatural warning, had but a mighty small place above the surge, whereon to shelter himself from the destruction that surrounded him.  About that time the Ark, with Noah and his people, all safe and snug, came drifting that way.

“‘Halloo!’ says the occupant of the rock, ’send us a boat, and take us aboard.  The freshet is getting pretty bad, and it is getting a little damp, up here.’

“‘I can’t do it,’ says Noah, ‘my craft is full of better people.’

“‘But,’ says the applicant for admission into the Ark, ’let me in, and I’ll superintend the navigation.  I’ll man the wheel, and see that the sails are all right, and we can pick up a deal of floating plunder as we go along.’

“‘Can’t do it,’ says Noah, ’we’ve got a good steersman and safe navigators on board already.’

“‘Well,’ says the applicant, ’I’ll work my passage as a deck hand, asking only a small portion of such spoils as we may pick up.  Come, bring us aboard.’

“‘Can’t do it,’ says Noah, ’can’t think of such a thing.”

“‘Then,’ said the persevering applicant for a passage in the Ark, ’I’ll go along for nothing—­giving the benefit of my counsel and assistance free gratis; more than all that, I’ll stand the liquor all round.’

“‘No use in talking,’ says Noah, ’you can’t come on board of my craft, on any terms.  You’d corrupt my people, and set them by the ears in a week.  You can’t have a berth on any conditions.  Good-bye!’

“‘Then go to thunder with your old Ark,’ indignantly responded the occupant of the rock, ’I don’t believe there’s going to be much of a shower, after all.’