"Well, if that's so, then why didn't he give it to me when I asked
him?" demanded his uncle.

"That was because he was disappointed in you. You've not yet shown any
'git up and git,'" replied Bob.

"What do you mean by 'git up and git'?" asked his uncle.

"Why, things like draining the pond and making it raise corn instead
of letting it lie there a waste; building a new road up to the barn
that won't be so steep you can't haul a load up or down; building new
wire fences with concrete posts and a new barn with silos, and--"

"Stop!" shouted his enraged uncle. "You're only talking to hear
yourself, Bob, and I'm not sure but you're talking to make fun of me.
I've a good notion to get a buggy whip and whale you for such
impertinence," he declared, his anger suddenly getting the better of
him. "No 'git up and git'! You know yourself I work from before
daylight until long after dark as it is. What does he expect me to
do?"

"Just work from six o'clock in the morning until six at night, then
you can spend the rest of the time planning how to improve the farm."

"Did he say that, Bob?" demanded his uncle, looking down at the
ground.

"Well, not just that way," replied Bob, "but that's what he meant. He
did say, though, he would make the loan if you could show him you knew