Starbottle monologue (Act 1) — Two Men of Sandy Bar: A Drama

(quickly) One moment, a simple moment. We will not weary you with--er--er--history, or the vagaries of youth. He--er--came to California in '49. A year ago, touched by--er--er--parental emotion and solicitude, my friend resolved to seek him here. Believing that the--er--er--lawlessness of--er--er--untrammelled youth and boyish inexperience might have led him into some trifling indiscretion, we have sought him successively in hospitals, alms-houses, reformatories, State's prisons, lunatic and inebriate asylums, and--er--er--even on the monumental inscriptions of the--er--er--country churchyards. We have thus far, I grieve to say, although acquiring much and valuable information of a varied character and interest, as far as the direct matter of our search,--we have been, I think I may say, unsuccessful. Our search has been attended with the--er--disbursement of some capital under my--er--er--direction, which, though large, represents quite inadequately the--er--er--earnestness of our endeavors.