"Iry mout's well give up his comishin ez depity sheriff an try ter git
inter some honest trade," remarked Israel.

"Whar does Squire Woodbridge keep hisself these days? I hain't seen
him skurcely this week," said Ezra Phelps.

"Yew don' genally see much of a rooster the week arter another
rooster's gin him a darnation lickin on his own dung hill, an that's
wat's the matter with Squire," replied Abner. Shifting his quid of
tobacco to the other side of the mouth and expectorating across half
the room into the chimney place he continued, reflectively:

"By gosh, I don' blame him, nuther. It muss come kinder tough fer a
feller ez hez lorded it over Stockbridge fer nigh twenty year tew git
put daown afore the hull village the way Perez put him daown Tuesday.
Ef I wuz Squire, I shouldn't never wan ter show myself agin roun'
here."

"I be kinder sorry fer him," said Israel Goodrich. "I declar for't if
I ain't. It muss be kinder tough tew git took daown so, specially fer
sech a dreffle proud man."

"I hain't sot eyes on him on'y once sence Tewsday," said Peleg. "He
looked right straight through me 'z ef he didn' see nothin. He didn'
seem ter notice nobody ez he went along the street."

"By gosh, he'd notice ye quick nuff ef he could put ye in the stocks,"
observed Abner, grimly. "I tell yew he ain't furgut one on us that
went daown ter Barrington, nor one on us ez wuz a serenadin him