"That's all right, what I'd HAVE. I'd have enough!"
"You couldn't get Herman and Verman in your ole show."
"No, and I wouldn't want 'em, either!"
"Well, what WOULD you have?" insisted Penrod derisively. "You'd have to
have SUMPTHING--you couldn't be a show yourself!"
"How do YOU know?" This was but meandering while waiting for ideas, and
evoked another yell.
"You think you could be a show all by yourself?" demanded Penrod.
"How do YOU know I couldn't?"
Two white boys and two black boys shrieked their scorn of the boaster.
"I could, too!" Roderick raised his voice to a sudden howl, obtaining a
hearing.
"Well, why don't you tell us how?"
"Well, _I_ know HOW, all right," said Roderick. "If anybody asks you,
you can just tell him I know HOW, all right."
"Why, you can't DO anything," Sam began argumentatively. "You talk
about being a show all by yourself; what could you try to do? Show us
sumpthing you can do."
"I didn't say I was going to DO anything," returned the badgered one,
still evading.
"Well, then, how'd you BE a show?" Penrod demanded. "WE got a show here,
even if Herman didn't point or Verman didn't talk. Their father stabbed
a man with a pitchfork, I guess, didn't he?"
"How do _I_ know?"
"Well, I guess he's in jail, ain't he?"
"Well, what if their father is in jail? I didn't say he wasn't, did I?"
"Well, YOUR father ain't in jail, is he?"
"Well, I never said he was, did I?"
"Well, then," continued Penrod, "how could you be a----" He stopped
abruptly, staring at Roderick, the birth of an idea plainly visible in
his altered expression.
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