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About a week later Scattergood chanced to pass Deacon Pettybone's house, and saw the old gentleman sitting on the front porch, shaping a large piece of wood with a draw-shave. "Afternoon, Deacon," said Scattergood. "Set and rest your legs," said the deacon. "Jest puttin' the finishin' touches on this timber leg of mine." "Sturdy-lookin' leg, Deacon." "Best I ever made.
A similar conversation with Ren Green during the day resulted in a meeting between the horsemen, an argument, loud words, and a heated offer to wager money, which was accepted with like heat. "From Pettybone's to the dam half a mile," shouted Wade. "Suits me to a T," bellowed Ren; "and now you kin step across with me and deposit that there hunderd dollars ag'in' mine with Briggs of the hotel."
"Deacon Pettybone's north mowin' is turned into a baseball grounds, and everybody in town is buyin' buntin' to wrap their harnesses, and Kittleman's fetched in more 'n five bushels of peanuts, and every young un in taown'll be sick with the stummick ache." "Feelin' extry cheerful this mornin', hain't ye? Kind of more hopeful-like than I call to mind seein' you fer some time."
"Jest half a mile from Pettybone's house to the dam," he continued, with apparent irrelevance. "Level road." "And my geldin' kin travel that same road spryer 'n Green's hoss for a hunderd dollars," said Wade, eagerly. "Dunno," said Scattergood. "Hoss races is uncertain. G'-by, Wade. See you later."
Hoss race!... Hoss race!... Ren Green and Wade Lumley's got their bosses up to Deacon Pettybone's and they're goin' to race to the dam. Everybody out. Hoss race!... Hoss race!..." He turned and ran frantically down the stairs, and on his heels followed the voters of Coldriver.
Even when Pettybone's leg was mashed by a log, and he lay between life and death, there was no hint of a reconciliation; and when Pettybone appeared again on Coldriver's streets, hobbling on a peg leg of his own fashioning, the fires of vindictiveness burned higher and hotter than ever. The situation would have been hopeless to anybody not possessed of Scattergood's optimism and resource.
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