you, is it? I tell you it's sumpthing you'd give a good deal to GET to
do, if you knew what it is."

"Mo!" said Verman firmly. "I mome maw woo!"

Penrod offered arguments.

"Look, Verman!" he said. "Listen here a minute, can't you? How d'you
know you don't want to until you know what it is? A person CAN'T know
they don't want to do a thing even before the other person tells 'em
what they're goin' to get 'em to do, can they? For all you know, this
thing I'm goin' to get you to do might be sumpthing you wouldn't miss
doin' for anything there is! For all you know, Verman, it might be
sumpthing like this: well, f'rinstance, s'pose I was standin' here,
and you were over there, sort of like the way you are now, and I says,
'Hello, Verman!' and then I'd go on and tell you there was sumpthing
I was goin' to get you to do; and you'd say you wouldn't do it, even
before you heard what it was, why where'd be any sense to THAT? For all
you know, I might of been goin' to get you to eat a five-cent bag o'
peanuts."

Verman had listened obdurately until he heard the last few words; but
as they fell upon his ear, he relaxed, and advanced to the stable doors,
smiling and extending his open right hand.

"Aw wi," he said. "Gi'm here."

"Well," Penrod returned, a trifle embarrassed, "I didn't say it WAS
peanuts, did I? Honest, Verman, it's sumpthing you'll like better'n a
few old peanuts that most of 'em'd prob'ly have worms in 'em, anyway.
All I want you to do is--"

But Verman was not favourably impressed; his face hardened again.

"Mo!" he said, and prepared to depart.

"Look here, Verman," Penrod urged. "It isn't goin' to hurt you just to
come in here and see what I got for you, is it? You can do that much,
can't you?"

Surely such an appeal must have appeared reasonable, even to Verman,
especially since its effect was aided by the promising words, "See what
I got for you." Certainly Verman yielded to it, though perhaps a little
suspiciously. He advanced a few cautious steps into the stable.

"Look!" Penrod cried, and he ran to the stuffed and linked stockings,
seized the leading-string, and vigorously illustrated his further
remarks. "How's that for a big, long, ugly-faced horr'ble black ole
snake, Verman? Look at her follow me all round anywhere I feel like
goin'! Look at her wiggle, will you, though? Look how I make her do
anything I tell her to. Lay down, you ole snake, you--See her lay down
when I tell her to, Verman?