" continued
Peter, "there was a feller onct,--an' he's over t'other side yet,--by
ther name o' Mike Donovan. Mike is a old Irish settler, 'bout ther fust
ter come hyar. Ye've heerd o' him, no doubt. Well, he tuck a hot Irish
notion in his thick head ter run things his own way 'bout hyar, but ther
balance o' ther farmers wouldn't have it that way 'tall. They tried
their level best ter git old Mike to join the association, but he got
hard-headed an' said he'd be durned ef he joined any sich association o'
fools as was scattered 'bout this valley; that he'd raise as much
terbacker as he wanted ter hisself accordin' to his own feelin's in
that, an' he'd sell hit ter who he wanted, an' fer what he wanted ter.
Now, Wade, ye know well 'nough that ther farmers cain't go agin sich
hard-headedness as that an' win out, 'course ye do. Any fool'd know
that, so they begged him ter quit his foolishness an' join ther
association like a good feller, an' git more fer his trouble o' raisin'
terbacker; but ye know how a Irisher is on that point. They won't give
in ter nobody fer nuthin'; so he wouldn't come in. Well, in the course
o' time he done like he said he would do, an' raised a big crop o'
terbacker. He had a notion that he'd fool everybody 'round hyar, an' he
did try it. A committee was 'pinted ter call on him once more an' ax him
fer to quit, but he wouldn't. He went on an' raised ther terbacker an'
made open threats that he'd take it ter town on a certain day, in
wagons. He tried it all right. Ther committee, ter give him 'nuther
chance, called on him agin, an' tried ter git him ter keep his terbacker
in his barns fer a little while longer, but he just perlitely told ther
committee that they could go ter 'h,' followed by an 'e' two 'els.' Now,
Wade, that feller loaded nine wagons with good terbacker an' started off
to Hopkinsville with it."

Peter Judson paused again for new breath.

"Did he get there with it?" asked Wade interestedly.

"Git thar, did ye say, Wade, git thar! Ye durn fool, d'ye think them
farmers'd have their plans spoiled by that old hot-headed Irisher? No,
he didn't git thar with it. Do ye mind ther old-fashioned zigzag rail
fences in some parts o' this kintry?"

Wade remembered having seen them.

"Well, at a certain turn in ther road whar ther fence is built out o'
'em, a powerful gang o' good farmers met Mike Donovan an' his fine train
o' terbacker, an' axed him ef he wouldn't please be so kind an' turn