h in if he stays on the mule's back a minute. The man he
lets out a blast of a laugh, and he says, 'Ladies and gents,' he says,
'here's a man wants to take a children's home into the show free if he
can stay on the mule a minute,' he says. 'Oh, gather round and see the
fun--oh, gather round.' Pete, he's for rushing at the man, but I holds
him back, for I see Pa's eyes, and I know that mule's going to be
pretty miserable in a few seconds, and the man's going to be worse if
he gets off any more of his chin about the family. Of course the mule
stands as meek as a sheep while Pa gets on--them trick mules is trained
to do that--and the crowd's waitin' for him to throw Pa up in the air,
or roll him off, but the second Pa's on that mule's back his hands has
a grip on his neck near the jaw, and, b'lieve me, Lucien, that mule
began to turn white in the face. It seemed no time before the beast
was kinder staggerin' around like a drunk man, and the spieler
hollerin' for Pa to let go. 'You win,' he says, 'you win--get off--you
can have everything you want. Dang it, man, you're killing that mule.'

"So Pa's pretty busy keeping his grip, but he says, 'I'm trying a new
hold,' he says, 'and I'll try it on you next, unless you apol-o-gises.'

"So the man begs Pa's pardon, and ours, and Pa got off, and we all went
into the show. It wasn't so bad at that either: any old day any wise
guinea thinks he can put one over my Pa's he's stacking up some trouble
for himself.

"Well, we had another meal then, and we ate so much that even Pete was
nearly satisfied. He got through the rest of the night on three bags
of peanuts, some pop-corn, and some grapes; but that's easy for Pete,
he can eat until he begins to shed buttons off his clothes so fast
you'd think it was raining. Then he'll go to school, or out to play,
for an hour or so, and back he comes ready for more.

"We saw the grand stand show and the fireworks. Well, it's a pretty
good grand stand show this year; but you've seen it, so what's the use
spielin' about it? I'm glad I got off to go with the bunch, for I
cert'nly had one swell time."

CHAPTER XXIV

The day before the marriage of Flo Dearmore and Tommy Watson, the
latter's assistants in his auctioneering rooms signed a formal and
formidable looking agreement, framed by Whimple, and copied in
duplicate by one William Adolphus Turnpike. It was William's first
piece of typewriting for his boss, and he was mighti