“Smith, you got a great forgitter,” he said sarcastically. “Why don’t you use your head a little? That there is a Bar A. You ought to have knowed that. The Bar A stock run all over the Judith Basin.”
“Don’t you remember I told you that whenever you saw that mark over a letter you should give it the long sound?” explained Dora patiently.
“Like the a in ‘aig,’” elucidated Tubbs.
“Like the a in ‘snake,’” corrected the Schoolmarm.
“Or ’wake,’ or ’skate,’ or ‘break,’” said Smith hopefully.
“Fine!” declared the Schoolmarm.
“I knowed that much myself,” said Tubbs enviously.
“If you’ll pardon me, Mr. Tubbs,” said Dora, in some irritation, “there is no such word as ‘knowed.’”
“Why don’t you talk grammatical, Tubbs?” Smith demanded, with alacrity.
“I talks what I knows,” said Tubbs, going back to his chair.