Chapter 23 - Page 2

met a group of the pretty girls who had been my
schoolmates. They surrounded me, chattering like magpies.

'There's going to be a dance at our house tonight,' said one of them,
'and you must come.'

'I cannot, I must go home,' I said.

'Of course!' said a red-cheeked saucy miss. 'The stuck-up thing! He
wouldn't go anywhere unless he could have his sister with him.'

Then they went away laughing.

I found Ab Thomas at the rifle range. He was whittling as he
considered a challenge from Tip Taylor to shoot a match. He
turned and 'hefted' the rifle, silently, and then he squinted
over the barrel two or three times.

'Dunno but what I'll try ye once,' he said presently, 'jes t' see.'

Once started they grew red in their faces and shot themselves
weary in a reckless contest of skill and endurance. A great hulking
fellow, half drunk and a bit quarrelsome, came up, presently, and
endeavoured to help Ab hold his rifle. The latter brushed him away
and said nothing for a moment. But every time he tried to take aim
the man jostled him.

An looked up slowly and calmly, his eyebrows tilted for his aim,
and said, 'Go off I tell ye.' Then he set himself and took aim again.

'Le'me hold it,' said the man, reaching for the barrel. 'Shoot better
if I do the aimin'.' A laugh greeted this remark. Ab looked up
again. There was a quick start in his great slouching figure.

'Take yer hand off o' thet,' he said a little louder than before.

The man, aching for more applause, grew more impertinent Ab
quietly handed the rifle to its owner. Then something happened
suddenly. It was so quickly over I am not quite sure of the order of
business, but anyhow he seized the intruder by the shoulders
flinging him down so heavily it knocked the dust out of the grass.

'A fight!' somebody shouted and men and boys came runing from
all sides. We were locked in a pushing crowd before I could turn.
The intruder lay stunned a moment. Then he rose, bare headed, his
back covered with dust, pushed his way out and ran.

Ab turned quietly to the range.

'Hedn't orter t' come an' try t' dew my aimin',' he said mildly, by
way of protest, 'I won't hev it.'

Then he enquired about the score and calmly took aim again. The
stallion show came on that afternoon.

'They can't never beat thet hoss,' Uncle Eb had said to me.

"Fraid they will,' I answered. 'They're better hitched for one thing.'

'But they hain't got the ginger in 'em,' said he, 'er the git up 'n git. If
we can show what's in him the Hawk'll beat 'em easy.'

If we won I was to get the prize but I had small hope of winning.
When I saw one after another prance out, in sparkling silver
harness adorned