Bitts returned. "What you take me for? I could
go get that horn this minute if I wanted to."

"A real one--honest?"

"Well, didn't I say it was a real one?"

"Like in the BAND?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

"I guess you mean one of those little ones," said Penrod.

"No, sir!" Roddy insisted stoutly; "it's a big one! It winds around in a
big circle that would go all the way around a pretty fat man."

"What store is it in?"

"It's not in any store," said Roddy. "It's at my Uncle Ethelbert's. He's
got this horn and three or four pianos and a couple o' harps and--"

"Does he keep a music store?"

"No. These harps and pianos and all such are old ones--awful old."

"Oh," said Sam, "he runs a second-hand store!"

"He does not!" Master Bitts returned angrily. "He doesn't do anything.
He's just got 'em. He's got forty-one guitars."

"Yay!" Sam whooped, and jumped up and down. "Listen to Roddy Bitts
makin' up lies!"

"You look out, Sam Williams!" said Roddy threateningly. "You look out
how you call me names!"

"What name'd I call you?"

"You just the same as said I told lies. That's just as good as callin'
me a liar, isn't it?"

"No," said Sam; "but I got a right to, if I want to. Haven't I, Penrod?"

"How?" Roddy demanded hotly. "How you got a right to?"

"Because you can't prove what you said."

"Well," said Roddy, "you'd be just as much of one if you can't prove
what I said WASN'T true."

"No, sir! You either got to prove it or be a liar. Isn't that so,
Penrod.

"Yes, sir," Penrod ruled, with a little importance, "that's the way it
is, Roddy."

"Well, then," said Roddy, "come on over to my Uncle Ethelbert's, and
I'll show you!"

"No," said Sam. "I wouldn't walk over there just to find out sumpthing
I already know isn't so. Outside of a music store there isn't anybody in
the world got forty-one guitars! I've heard lots o' people TALK, but I
never heard such a big l--"

"You shut up!" shouted Roddy. "You ole--"

Penrod interposed.

"Why'n't you show us the horn, Roddy?" he asked. "You said you could get
it. You show us the horn and we'll believe you. If you show us the horn,
Sam'll haf to take what he said back; won't you, Sam?"

"Yes," said Sam, and added. "He hasn't got any. He went and told a--"

Roddy's eyes were bright with rage; he breathed noisily.

"I haven't?" he cried. "You just wait here, and I'll show you!"

And he ran furiously from the stable.

CHAPTER XXII. THE HORN OF F