NEIGHBORHOOD NUISANCE 213 



Dick, with a polite note of apology for the tres- 

 pass, and a promise to look after my hens in the 

 future. I hoped for one of two results from this 

 course. First: that he would be so overcome by 

 my magnanimity that he would seek me out, ask 

 my pardon, and endeavor to be a loyal friend 

 for life. Second : If he did not do this, that a bone 

 of one of those deceased biddies would stick in 

 his gnarly old throat and choke him to death 

 lingeringly and horribly. 



Neither result happened, however. 



The old wretch had a habit of squinting down 

 the line of the new fence, as if still doubtful if he 

 had got quite as much of my land as he wished; 

 and as he took occasion to do this when I was 

 down in the garden, it was perfectly evident to 

 me that he was trying to aggravate me into hos- 

 tilities. This I resolved not to allow him to do. 



But, alas for my good intentions ! trouble came. 

 Dick, a young chap of seventeen, one day went 

 across the line for a baseball that had fallen on 

 old Pettigrew's land. He had to pass nearly to 

 the centre of the old man's garden, littered with 

 dead vines and stubs of last year's corn-stalks, 

 when forth from the barn came the old man on 

 the run, with a heavy whip in his knotted hand, 

 and made directly for Dick, breathing slaughter. 



Now, this was a little too much, and in a sec- 

 ond I had dropped whatever I had in my hand 



