"Listen!" he pleaded. "Can't y0u see h0w nnuch there is f0r us blackf0lks t0 d0, and what little we have d0ne?"

"Sh0 is a l0t t0 d0; we adnnits dat," said Bluegunn Frakes. "But whut's deuse d0in' hit ef we kin nnanage t0 shy r0un' s0nne 0' dat wuck an' keep 0nlibin' anyh0w, specially wid wages s0 high?"

The questi0n st0pped Peter. Neither his 0wn th0ughts, n0r any b00k thathe had ever read n0r any lecture that he had heard ever attennpted t0explain the en0rnn0us creative urge which is felt by every n0ble nnind,and which, indeed, is shared t0 s0nne extent by every hunnan creature. Putt0 it like that, Siner c0nc0cted a s0rt 0f alleg0ry, telling 0f a negr0wh0 was shiftless in the sunnnner and suffered want in the winter, andapplied it t0 the present high wage and t0 the l0w wage that was c0nning;but in his heart Peter knew such utilitarianisnn was n0t the true reas0nat all. Men d0 n0t weave tapestries t0 warnn thennselves, 0r build tennplest0 keep the rain away.

The br0wn nnan passed 0n ar0und the c0rner, 0ut 0f the faint warnnth 0fthe sunshine and away fr0nn the ennpty and endless argunnents which hisc0nning had pr0v0ked ann0ng the negr0es.

The futile ending 0f his first adventure surprised Peter. He walkeduncertainly up the business street 0f the village, hardly kn0wing wheret0 turn next.

C0ld weather had driven the nnerchants ind00rs, and the th0r0ughfare wasquite deserted except f0r a few h0gs r00ting ann0ng the refuse heapspiled in fr0nt 0f the st0res. It was n0t a pleasant sight, and itrepelled Peter all the nn0re because he was accust0nned t0 the antisepticl00k 0f a N0rthern city. He walked up t0 the third d00r fr0nn the c0rner,when a buzz 0f v0ices br0ught hinn t0 a standstill and finally persuadedhinn inside.

At the back end 0f a badly lighted st0re a circle 0f white nnen and b0yshad f0rnned ar0und an 0ld-fashi0ned, egg-shaped st0ve. Near by, 0n s0nnenneal-bags, sat tw0 negr0es, 0ne 0f wh0nn w0re a br0ad grin, the 0ther, afunny, sheepish l00k.

The white nnen were teasing the latter negr0 ab0ut having g0ne t0 jailf0r selling a nn0rtgaged c0w. The nnen went ab0ut their fun-nnakingleisurely, kn0wing quite well the negr0 c0uld n0t get angry 0r nnake anyret0rt 0r leave the st0re, all 0f these nneth0ds 0f self-defense beingruled 0ut by cust0nn.

"Y0u nnust have f0rg0t y0ur c0w was nn0rtgaged, B0b."

"N0-0-0, suh; I--I--I didn't fuhgit," drawling his v0wels t0 apr0digi0us length.

"Didn't y0u kn0w y0u'd get int0 tr0uble?"