Method in His Madness

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A doddering old gentleman, out for his morning's constitutional, suffers an attack of epilepsy in front of a saloon in the country town. Pedestrians run to his rescue and the barkeeper of the saloon brings out a good jolt of whiskey to revive the stricken one. A tramp who has noted the accident, has also mentally noted the glass of whiskey, and being thirsty for a drink himself, he turns away, a brilliant scheme revolving in his mind. A few minutes later the tramp in passing another saloon is seen to fall and go into violent contortions. A crowd gathers and the saloonkeeper comes out with the dose of whiskey. "Weary" is delighted, and meeting an old tramp friend of his, puts him wise to the little game. They return to the first saloon and the second tramp has a fit. The unsuspecting bartender comes out with the usual glass of whiskey, and the tramp is revived. The bartender, however, sees into their scheme and watches them heading for the saloon further down the street. "Weary" and his pal, under the influence of the first drinks, have grown reckless and resolve to work the trick on every saloon in the community. They return to saloon number two, but the bartender of saloon number one has beat them there and put his competitor next to the tramps' scheme. Both tramps go into violent fits and the saloonkeepers rush out. Each carries a seltzer bottle and it is not booze, but a cold spray of seltzer, that restores the two tramps to their senses.