hull mortgage."

Again Uncle Peabody rose from his chair with a look in his face which I
have never forgotten. How his voice rang out!

"_No, sir_!" he shouted so loudly that we all jumped to our feet and
Aunt Deel covered her face with her apron and began to cry. It was like
the explosion of a blast. Then the fragments began falling with a loud
crash:

"NO, SIR! YE CAN'T BUY THE NAIL ON MY LITTLE FINGER OR HIS WITH ALL YER
MONEY--DAMN YOU!"

It was like the shout of Israel from the top of the mountains. Shep
bounced into the house with hair on end and the chickens cackled and the
old rooster clapped his wings and crowed with all the power of his
lungs. Every member of that little group stood stock-still and
breathless.

I trembled with a fear I could not have defined. Quick relief came when,
straightway, my uncle went out of the room and stood on the stoop, back
toward us, and blew his nose vigorously with his big red handkerchief.
He stood still looking down and wiping his eyes. Mr. Grimshaw shuffled
out of the door, his cane rapping the floor as if his arm had been
stricken with palsy in a moment.

Mr. Dunkelberg turned to my aunt, his face scarlet, and muttered an
apology for the disturbance and followed the money-lender.

I remember that my own eyes were wet as I went to my aunt and kissed
her. She kissed me--a rare thing for her to do--and whispered brokenly
but with a smile: "We'll go down to the poorhouse together, Bart, but
we'll go honest."

"Come on, Bart," Uncle Peabody called cheerfully, as he walked toward
the barnyard. "Le's go an' git in them but'nuts."

He paid no attention to our visitors--neither did my aunt, who followed
us. The two men talked together a moment, unhitched their horses, got
into their buggies and drove away. The great red rooster had stood on
the fence eying them. As they turned their horses and drove slowly
toward the gate, he clapped his wings and crowed lustily.

"Give it to 'em, ol' Dick," said Uncle Peabody with a clap of his hands.
"Tell 'em what ye think of 'em."

At last the Dunkelbergs had fallen--the legendary, incomparable
Dunkelbergs!

"Wal, I'm surprised at Mr. Horace Dunkelberg tryin' to come it over us
like that--ayes! I be," said Aunt Deel.

"Wal, I ain't," said Uncle Peabody. "Ol' Grimshaw has got him under his
thumb--that's what's the matter. You'll find he's up to his ears in debt
to Grimshaw--prob'ly."

As we followed him toward the house, he pu