Straight ahead four inches.
that's the rule."
"Well, didn't they go straight ahead four inches? What's a matter
with ye?"
"I'll darn soon show ye what's the matter with me, you come any o'
your shenanigan around here."
" Mighty ready to accuse other folks o' shenannigan, ain't ye? For
half a cent I'd paste you in the moot."
"Now, boys! Now boys! None o' that."
Lots more excitement than a horse-race. Lots more improving to
the mind, and beneficial to the country.
And if you hanker after the human element of skill, what's the
matter with the contest where the women see who can hitch up a
horse the quickest? Didn't you have your favorite picked out from
the start? I did. She was about thirteen years old, dressed in
an organdie, and I think she had light blue ribbons flying from
her hat, light blue or pink, I forget which. Her pa helped her
unharness, and you could tell by the way he look-at her that he
thought she was about the smartest young one for her age in her
neighborhood. (You ought to hear her play "General Grant's
Grand March" on the organ he bought for her, a fine organ with
twenty-four stops and two full sets of reeds, and a mirror in the
top, and places to set bouquets and all.) There was a woman in
the contest that seemed, by her actions, to think that the others
were just wasting their time competing with her, but when they got
the word "Go!" (Old Nate Wells was the judge; he sold out the
livery-stable business to Charley, you recollect) her horse backed
in wrong, and she got the harness all twisty-ways, and everything
went bewitched.
Pages:
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226