"Does he keep a music store?"
"No. These harps and pianos and all such are old ones--awful old."
"Oh," said Sam, "he runs a second-hand store!"
"He does not!" Master Bitts returned angrily. "He doesn't do anything. He's just got 'em. He's got forty-one guitars."
"Yay!" Sam whooped, and jumped up and down. "Listen to Roddy Bitts makin' up lies!"
"You look out, Sam Williams!" said Roddy threateningly. "You look out how you call me names!"
"What name'd I call you?"
"You just the same as said I told lies. That's just as good as callin' me a liar, isn't it?"
"No," said Sam; "but I got a right to, if I want to. Haven't I, Penrod?"
"How?" Roddy demanded hotly. "How you got a right to?"
"Because you can't prove what you said."
"Well," said Roddy, "you'd be just as much of one if you can't prove what I said WASN'T true."
"No, sir! You either got to prove it or be a liar. Isn't that so, Penrod.
"Yes, sir," Penrod ruled, with a little importance. "that's the way it is, Roddy."
"Well, then," said Roddy, "come on over to my Uncle Ethelbert's, and I'll show you!"
"No," said Sam. "I wouldn't walk over there just to find out sumpthing I already know isn't so. Outside of a music store there isn't anybody in the world got forty-one guitars! I've heard lots o' people TALK, but I never heard such a big l--"
"You shut up!" shouted Roddy. "You ole--"
Penrod interposed.
"Why'n't you show us the horn, Roddy?" he asked. "You said you could get it. You show us the horn and we'll believe you. If you show us the horn, Sam'll haf to take what he said back; won't you, Sam?"
"Yes," said Sam, and added. "He hasn't got any. He went and told a--"
Roddy's eyes were bright with rage; he breathed noisily.
"I haven't?" he cried. "You just wait here, and I'll show you!"
And he ran furiously from the stable.