Arliss and Sam were camped in their usual chairs in front of the hardware store. It was a beautiful spring morning.

Arliss scratched his chin. "Wonder what Pete's gotten himself up to this mornin'. I haven't seen him around."

Sam shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe he's over at Carter's."

Arliss stood to stretch as he nodded in agreement. His attention was caught by an unusual sight down at the end of the block. "Sam, take a look down the street. You wanna tell me if I'm seeing things?"

Sam looked. His eyebrows buried themselves into his hairline. "Nope, not unless I am, too. The two old friends, along with several other townsfolk, watched a rather large, lone bactrian camel make his majestic way up the middle of the street at a leisurely pace.

The animal glanced neither right nor left, and seemed not to be bothered by the humans gaping at him. He passed Arliss and Sam, moved on up the block, and then, as if on a precise route, turned the corner at the next block, and disappeared.

Not five minutes later, Andy and Pete came flying up to them, both out of breath. Pete wheezed, "Have you seen my cousin? He's come to visit, and he got lost on the way from the airport! He 'as to be around somewhere, mates!"

Perplexed, the two old men shook their heads. They offered to help look, but Newkirk demurred, claiming his cousin was easily confused, but thanked them just the same. Carter and Newkirk split up after a hurried conference and both men quickly disappeared.

A few minutes later they heard a triumphant shout from Pete, and were shocked to see him come around the corner leading the runaway camel… and talking a mile a minute… catching up on what sounded like at least five years' worth of family gossip!

Carter grinned as he came from the other way, and met them and was promptly introduced to "me cousin Elmer." Newkirk then went off down the street chatting happily with his cousin.

Arliss glowered at Andy. "Oh, now look, just what was that all about?"

Andy began to laugh. "You really don't keep track of the date much do you?"

"What?"

Suddenly Sam rolled his eyes. "You did it to us again, didn't you?"

Andy nodded happily. "And this time, Peter was here to help me do it! Just don't ask me where he found the camel. You'll have to get him to tell you that story! April Fool's!"

~HH~

A little over an hour later, Newkirk showed up and plopped down into his chair, grinning from ear to ear. His "cousin" was conspicuously AWOL.

Sam grunted, "That was a short reunion."

"Ah, you know how it is with these family things." He waved a hand dismissively as he hunted around in the cooler for something to drink. "Don't you heathens ever stock anything but root beer?"

Andy chuckled. "We were wondering, Peter, just where did you come across a bactrian camel anyway? The nearest zoo only has a dromedary or two, as I recall."

Pete grinned at his best friend. "Got a mate wot owns a circus, 'aven't I? An' he was travelin' through town, an' he rang me up t'other day. We got to talkin' an' one thing lead to another. He just stopped 'is train at the local station, easy as pie an' bob's yer uncle, I 'ad me a camel for a cousin!"

Newkirk, looking every bit the cat that swallowed the canary, sat back and lit a cigarette as his friends' laughter floated out over the morning breeze.

~HH~