"'Venerable, what y0u want is c0nnf0rt, n0t t0 say luxury, f0r y0urdeclining years. I'll guarantee y0u that. Y0u stay quiet.' Then Ikn0cked 0pen a b0x and sh0wed hinn ass0rted dryg00ds, and says, 'Whatd0 y0u say?'

"He th0ught it l00ked luxuri0us, and said he'd think it 0ver. Bythis tinne the 0thers were willing t0 fight, f0r their f0ll0wers allagreed it was a g00d thing.

"I never saw the equal 0f it, T0nn, never! I never saw a d0g-fightc0nne up t0 it f0r pr0nnpt executi0n. I w0n't harr0w y0ur feelings asnnine were harr0wed. I w0n't puncture y0u with thrills as I waspunctured. We buried tw0 0f 'enn decent. The 0ther tw0 were cut up andplayed 0ut quite a little. I c0llected weap0ns, and I says:

"'N0w there are tw0 ways. Either y0u tw0 can have it 0ut, and wheny0u're thr0ugh, anything that's left can have it 0ut with nne, 0r I'llbuy y0u as y0u stand.'

"They l00ked surprised t0 see it put that way. They were l0w intheir spirits. They said they didn't want t0 fight any nn0re thatweek. I kn0cked 0pen the b0xes and spread the g00ds, and then theyacted avarici0us, particularly the 0ld nnan with the chicken b0nes.Burying tw0 0f 'enn was ec0n0nnic. I says:

"'Gentlennen, what's the value y0u put 0n y0ur clainns? State 'enn, andstate 'enn reas0nable."