58 The Partridge Family 



(which was all right), according to his youthful 

 teaching. Next day he solemnly returned the 

 bottle, and described his set-to with it. A pair of 

 very bright eyes at once examined the rubber tube, 

 then a very red face left the room. The old farmer 

 laughed till he cried, then asked his wife, " D'ye 

 believe he done it ? " whereupon that wise old 

 soul wagged her gray head in an ecstasy of bliss, 

 and cackled out: "I'll bet he done it! The 

 joke's on darter ! O dear ! O dear ! " 



There was free shooting on that farm ever 

 after, and the good-will of those worthy old souls 

 helped to secure valuable privileges on adjacent 

 lands. 



The surly farmer and the seldom-met, downright 

 mean one are different propositions, yet they can 

 be manipulated. Once there was a mean farmer 

 — just an ornery cuss — who never shot, didn't 

 love birds, but was just mean on general principles. 

 There was a big thicket at the back of his place, 

 and it was full of quail, and late in the fall there 

 were woodcock there too. In the nearest town 

 was a prosperous grain merchant ; his specialty 

 was barley, and his influence had induced a few 

 farmers, including the mean one, to forbid shoot- 

 ing on their lands, that he might reap the benefit. 

 He had a confidential man whose business it was 

 to keep tabs on the barley crop. This man was 

 ^bout the country a good deal, and he slightly 



