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Rh can see her quiver an' quake an' by-'n-by they can hear her top whistlin'."

He spat.

"Yes, sir, they heerd that top whistlin' four days afore she hit th' ground!"

He stopped with a nod and tightening of his lips. Harris rocked with laughter. Taylor, though, was very serious and looked again at the clock. A half hour had passed.

"Four days," repeated Joe, seriously. "An' no wonder! Why, Paul, he figgered out that about a mile 'n half of that air top had frazzeled out on th' way down!

"They went out to look th' thing over atter she was safe down an' up pret' well toward what was left of th' top end they found 'n ear of corn. Pret' sizeable ear, this here was, and it was druv straight into th' ground by th' stalk.

"Paul he scratched his head an' thinks he better git that air ear out. So he goes gits th' mule team 'nd builds a stump puller. He has to build a pret' big stump puller all right. He rigs her up good an' strong an' hooks on th' mules an' pulls on that cob an' when he gits her up he has 'n eighty foot well, all cobbled up with kernels."

Harris leaned against the door and his eyes swam with tears as he laughed.

Joe looked at Taylor and the young man nodded—after he had glanced into the street—toward the court house. At that Black Joe got up and drew a paper of tobacco from his pocket.

"Joe, that's a good yarn," said Harris, drawing a handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

"Yup, Paul was quite a lad. He never let anythin' interfere with his work."