“Oh yes—I’ve seen whole families in the same fix.”     

       “Smarty! You think you’re some, now, don’t you? Oh, what a hat!”     

       “You can lump that hat if you don’t like it. I dare you to knock it off—and anybody that’ll take a dare will suck eggs.”     

       “You’re a liar!”     

       “You’re another.”     

       “You’re a fighting liar and dasn’t take it up.”     

       “Aw—take a walk!”     

       “Say—if you give me much more of your sass I’ll take and bounce a rock off’n your head.”     

       “Oh, of course you will.”     

       “Well I will.”     

       “Well why don’t you do it then? What do you keep saying you will for? Why don’t you do it? It’s because you’re afraid.”     

       “I ain’t afraid.”     

       “You are.”     

       “I ain’t.”     

       “You are.”     

       Another pause, and more eying and sidling around each other. Presently they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:     

       “Get away from here!”     

       “Go away yourself!”     

       “I won’t.”     

       “I won’t either.”     

 Prev. P 7/194 next