Page:Dave Porter and his Classmates.djvu/231

Rh shaky table. "Whoa mit dot hoss! Tidn't I told you he vos baiky?" For the table was growing weaker and weaker.

"Say, dun yo' know dat hoss has got de dumb ager?" demanded Plum. "Wot yo' want to give him is a dose of Plaster of Paris Pills fo' Peevish People. If dat hoss should"

"He's running avay! Call der fire engines and der hoss-pistol vagons!" bawled Dave, and made a movement as if on a runaway coach. Then, as the table settled with a final crash, he whispered to Plum: "Make believe stop the horse and quarrel over it." Then he leaped forward, caught an imaginary horse by the tail and struggled to hold back. Gus was equally quick-witted and leaped to the head of the same imaginary horse and stretched up and down, as if he had hold of the bridle. Then the two boys backed and "shied" all over the stage, overturning the second chair, at which Dave yelled, "Dere goes dot peanut stand alretty!" Then of a sudden the two young actors faced each other.

"Wot's de mattah wid you? Da ain't no hoss heah!"

"Yah, dot's so—he runt avay alretty!"

"Yo' is a fine footman, getting scared at a hoss wot ain't no hoss."

"Veil, of he vosn't no hoss vy you cotch him py der headt, hey?"