"Mis' Bixbee," said David emphatically, "if I'd paid good money to see a
funny show I'd be a blamed fool if I didn't laugh, wouldn't I? That
specticle of the deakin cost me consid'able, but it was more'n wuth it.
But," he added, "I guess, the way the thing stands now, I ain't so much
out on the hull."

Mrs. Bixbee looked at him inquiringly.

"Of course, you know Dick Larrabee?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Wa'al, three four days after the shower, an' the story 'd got aroun'
some--as _you_ say, the deakin _is_ consid'able of a talker--I got holt
of Dick--I've done him some favors an' he natur'ly expects more--an' I
says to him: 'Dick,' I says, 'I hear 't Deakin Perkins has got a hoss
that don't jest suit him--hain't got knee-action enough at times,' I
says, 'an' mebbe he'll sell him reasonable.' 'I've heerd somethin' about
it,' says Dick, laughin'. 'One of them kind o' hosses 't you don't like
to git ketched out in the rain with,' he says. 'Jes' so,' I says. 'Now,'
I says, 'I've got a notion 't I'd like to own that hoss at a price, an'
that mebbe _I_ c'd git him home even if it did rain. Here's a hunderd
an' ten,' I says, 'an' I want you to see how fur it'll go to buyin' him.
If you git me the hoss you needn't bring none on't back. Want to try?' I
says. 'All right,' he says, an' took the money. 'But,' he says, 'won't
the deakin suspicion that it comes from you?' 'Wa'al,' I says, 'my
portrit ain't on none o' the bills, an' I reckon _you_ won't tell him
so, out an' out,' an' off he went. Yistidy he come in, an' I says,
'Wa'al, done anythin'?' 'The hoss is in your barn,' he says. 'Good fer
you!' I says. 'Did you make anythin'?' 'I'm satisfied,' he says. 'I made