“'Will he be fool enough to do it?' he asked, as he looked the old counterfeit over.
“'Wait an' see,' I said.
“I said nothin', laid low an' froze an' it wa'n't long befo' Jud come 'round as I 'lowed he'd do. He expected me to kick an' howl; but as I took it all so nice he didn't understand it. Nine times out of ten the best thing to do when the other feller has robbed you is to freeze. The hunter on the plain knows the value of that, an' that he can freeze an' make a deer walk right up to him, to find out what he is. Why, a rabbit will do it, if you jump him quick, an' he gets confused an' don't know jes' what's up; an' so Jud come as I thort he'd do. He couldn't stan' it no longer, an' he wanted to rub it in. He brought his crowd to enjoy the fun.
“'Oh, Mr. Watts,' he said grinnin', 'how do you like a coal black stump-sucker?'
“'Well,' I said indifferent enough—'I've knowed good judges of hosses to make a hones' mistake now an' then, an' sell a hoss to a customer with the heaves thinkin' he's a stump-sucker. But it 'ud turn out to be only the heaves an' easily cured.'
“'Is that so?' said Jud, changing his tone.
“'Yes,' I said, 'an' I've knowed better judges of hosses to sell a nervous hoss for a balker that had been balked onct by a rattle head. But in keerful hands I've seed him git over it,' I said, indifferent like.
“'Indeed?' said Jud.
“'Yes, Jud,' said I, 'I've knowed real hones' hoss traders to make bad breaks of that kind, now and then—honest intentions an' all that, but bad judgment,'—sez I—'an' I'll cut it short by sayin' that I'll just give you two an' a half if you'll match that no-count, wind broken black as you tho'rt, that you swapped me.'
“'Do you mean it?' said Jud, solemn-like.