“No, my lad, I’ve hunted ’em all over with a hay-fork.”
“And of course you didn’t find him. If he saw you coming with a two-pronged fork what would he think?”
“But I wasn’t going to job on him with it, Master Syd.”
“How was he to know that, Barney?”
“’Cause I’m allus such a good father to him.”
“And hit him with the rake-handle only this morning.”
“Well, that would only loosen his skin a bit, and give him room to grow. Do him good.”
“Don’t see it, Barney. Wouldn’t do me any good, only make me wild.”
“But you don’t think he’s cut and run, do you, lad?”
“I dare say he has, but he’ll soon come back.”