U niversity of O regon M onthly
24
man can do so much. A horse, or a dog, never could make
that mud swim. I t’s kind of funny:”
George moulded the mud into a boat, made three cows,
and shipped them across to Jim.
And Jim, in truth, needed the cows. He did not make
them very successfully himself. All that he turned out were
deformed. But he was a goqd hog manufacturer. He could
make anything in the way of swine from the round Poland
CJiina tp the thin-flanked shoat of Arkansas. W hen the boat
reached him he hallooed to George, “How many hogs do you
want for them three cows ?”
“Oh, about ten.”
Jim dried the boat a little and started it out with its cargo
of hogs. W hen it was half across it broke into two pieces
and foundered.
“Well it’s sunk, Jim, and the sharks have got the hogs;
you’ll have to send me some more*” .,,
- All this time John had been making rails, improving hi®
farm, and had no live stock at all. He had a hundred or two
rails left over, however, which die offered to trade to George
io r fifteen cows* ,
George m^de him an offer of ten and it was accepted.
So they played on until they grew tired, and drowsy. .Then
each one laid do wh on his respective farm and wenf_tp sleep*
About this time the guests were arriving pretty fast at
home. Some came in wagons, some on horseback, and those
living clpsest o,n foot. . ’They all came decently'and in prdey.
Pleasant .Valley | community made no .pretentions^ It es
chewed fashion, nevertheless, it had its own idea of what was
circumspect and proper. So when Henry Null drove up and
saw the’other fellows With white handkerchiefs around , their
collars he began tp feel uneasy about the nech-.and tpjd his
mother he hated to wear that blue handkerchief for it wasn’t
stylish.. “Qh, don’t worry, son,” his mother said, “it’s xjle^n.”
Certainly Will had no reason to be ashamed of his clothes.
He had o n a brand new suit. His shoes were five qr six
Sundays old, but .were transformed by polish into regular
looking glasses. His collar was high and as to material was