But all good things as well as bad must have an end. There came a few moments of silence with evidence of close attention above.
“What’s up now, Tim?” The judge drew nearer the ladder to avoid shouting.
“Hush! The boss is talkin’!” The silence was short; presently the people in the court-room began to move excitedly and to clap hands, and once more Tim, who had regained his lost ground, uttered his “Whoopee-ee!”
“One thousan’, Jedge, one thousan’! That’s what she gits! Oh, gee!—oh, gee!” he cried, cupping one hand toward Oglesby, who had ventured back into the danger zone below.
Then a queer sound issued from within, a single sound, a shrill, high-pitched, prolonged note, so totally divorced from the masculine hubbub there that it attracted the attention of everybody. And this time the people within the court-room cheered wildly, joyously, and hilariously, shaking one another by the shoulders and slapping backs. But almost instantly there began to mingle with the cheers certain vocal explosions up and down the whole chromatic scale which, swelling in volume, finally swallowed up all other sounds, and frantic hands were seen through the windows clutching at elusive coat-tail pockets. Tim was holding to the window-sill desperately and swaying violently as he gasped for breath to answer the excited questions hurled up to him. He found it at last.
“Aunt Tildy has snee—snee—sneezed! And scattered er box over ev’ybody! The comin’ sneeze has done come! An’—an’—by gosh!—hit’s—got me—too,—Currasha-h-h-o! Kitty!” The ladder went out from under him, and he hung, sneezing, to the window-sill, while below the women shrieked.
However, no tragedy marred the day. Judge Oglesby galloped out from under the falling ladder, and responsive to the frantic appeals of women, and greatly to the relief of all, the men at the window reeled Tim in by his hair and coat-collar and trousers’ seat, despite his struggles.
“Hurrah for Tim Broggins!” yelled the delighted Oglesby from a safe distance, waving his hat. A ringing shout went up.
“Currasha-h-h-o!” faintly replied the invisible Tim.