The Land Claim — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

12 THE LAND-CLAIM. _ Flag indulged in an uproarious burst of merriment, which nearly upset the table. “ Explain yourself,’ said Squire. After beginning several times and stopping to laugh, Flag managed at last to explain: “Why, fellows, all there is about itis just this. Where I was raised, down in Southern Ohio, there was lots of rats—in fact the vyarmints caused very serious losses to the farmers and others. One winter, when I was a boy, we took to forming companies of rat-catchers. Two of these companies would contend together for catching the largest number in a given time ; and when the time came for counting tails, the party that was beaten had to give the other party a supper. “Oho !” said Doc. “‘ Very patriotic,” said Squire. "a Flag humanely forbore to laugh any longer at the expense of his fellows ; being under a wholesome fear of retaliation at the earliest opportunity. After supper was dismissed, the dishes were tumbled to- gether into a pan, to be left for Ed to wash when he came home. ‘““As for doing Ed’s work, I am not going o do it an hour longer. . Three days is the rule; and Ed has shirked a whole day of his time as usual ;” saying which Doc stretched himself on the bed which Flag had considerately given up because the cook complained of an ache in his back. “ Yes, I is a shirk, that’s a fact,” Squire remarked, as the “He iapoal spenns J thinlagagsed Flag. “ He always the best of evel that_the rest of us haye ourselveseto get ; e never gets any thing.” “ That’s just it,’ rejoined Doc; “ he is lazy and selfish.” “ Sappose we play him a trick 2” said Squire. “Agreed. What shall it be ?” “ He'll be sure not to get himself any supper when he comes in, so it is easy enough to trick him. Just set the cold meat and bread on the table in a careless manner, as if it was in- tended to be thrown out. He won't mind that—he’d rather eat the pieces than cook any thing.” “But I don’t see what joke there is in that—it’s just what he always does,” said Doc. connicloooks. conn