"Ye couldn’t git that law passed, Abner."
"’Cause them who make the laws ’ud be the first ones to use the pokes. They’d be carryin’ ’em around all the time."
"Ho, ho, I guess ye’r right, Zeb. But come on, an’ let’s git at that job."
For two hours the men worked upon the woodshed, and at the end of that time they had made excellent progress. The walls and the floor had been repaired, the partition put up, and the place thoroughly swept.
"There, I guess that’s some work," Abner remarked, as he critically surveyed the room. "Doesn’t take us long to do a job when we once git at it, eh, Zeb?"
"Let’s finish it, though," was the reply. "We might as well fix up the cots while we’re about it."
"Sure, an’ have everythin’ ready when the folks git back. My, won’t they be surprised. An’ Orphan Home built in two hours! I wonder what them slow-pokes in town would think of that."
They had just begun to carry in the cots, when an auto stopped before the house, and the impatient call of a klaxon sounded forth.
"It’s the same men who went by when we were in the shop," Zeb explained. "Must be them members after ye’r vote, Abner. They want ye to go out. Listen to the noise that thing’s makin’."
"Jerry’ll like that," was the reply. "He must be shiverin’ with delight. Let ’em keep it up."
And keep it up they did for a whole minute, while Zeb and Abner went on with their work.
"Hi there," shouted an impatient voice. "Are you deaf?"
"S’pose we let ’em think we are deaf," he suggested. "I don’t like their gall. Anyway, we might as well have a little fun, so let’s bring down their topsails. They’re carryin’ too much sail fer sich crafts."
"All right, Abner, I’m game," Zeb agreed. "But be careful."
"Oh, I’ll be as keerful as I was with Joe Preston. You jist go on with the work as if ye didn’t hear nuthin’, an’ let me handle this show. But, say, they’re runnin’ the car into the yard. What impudence!"
When a short distance away from the back door the auto was stopped, and the man who had previously spoken asked why in the devil no one had answered when spoken to. Zeb was hard at work, thus leaving Abner to face the irritated man.
"Didn’t you hear what I said?" the stranger roared.
"Hey?" Abner asked, coming close to the car, and putting his left hand up to his ear.