"
"O' course," said one. "Right enough. How's she going to work it?" said
another.
"Well, he's dead set on to buildin' a meetin'-house, and them fellows
down at the Creek that does the prayin' and such don't seem to back him
up!"
"Whar's the kick, Bill?"
"Oh, they don't want to go down into their clothes and put up for it."
"How much?"
"Why, he only asked 'em for seven hundred the hull outfit, and would
give 'em two years, but they bucked--wouldn't look at it."
[Chorus of expletives descriptive of the characters and personal
appearance and belongings of the congregation of Swan Creek.]
"Were you there, Bill? What did you do?"
"Oh," said Bill, modestly, "I didn't do much. Gave 'em a little bluff."
"No! How? What? Go on, Bill."
But Bill remained silent, till under strong pressure, and, as if making
a clean breast of everything, he said:
"Well, I jest told 'em that if you boys made such a fuss about anythin'
like they did about their Gospel outfit, an' I ain't sayin' anythin'
agin it, you'd put up seven hundred without turnin' a hair."
"You're the stuff, Bill! Good man! You're talkin' now! What did they say
to that, eh, Bill?"
"Well," said Bill, slowly, "they CALLED me!"
"No! That so? An' what did you do, Bill?"
"Gave 'em a dead straight bluff!"
[Yells of enthusiastic approval.
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