“All right,” he said, “here’s the question. What’s the best material for footwear?”
“You tell him, razor, you’re sharp,” murmured Shiner.
“You tell him, garter, you’ve got the snap,” remarked Howell.
“You tell him, goldfish, you’ve been round the globe,” put in Fred.
Billy glared at the dispensers of these frivolities.
“You fellows are just trying to gain time to think up an answer,” he remarked cuttingly. “Come across now with the answer and prove that you’re not the dumb-bells I think you are.”
“Why, leather is the best material for footwear I suppose,” hazarded Bobby.
“Wood lasts a long time; lots of people wear nothing but wooden shoes in Holland and other places in Europe,” suggested Skeets.
“How about canvas?” queried Shiner. “I’ve got a pair of tennis shoes that I’ve had for more than two years, and they’re almost as good as ever.”
“All wrong,” pronounced Billy. “You’ll have to do better than that.”