. . _what
do I hear_?' says Pappy.
"'Two thousand!' yells somebody.
"'Na-ow listen, Tom, if you want the little hoss, cut out this triflin'
an' bid for him,' says Pappy. '_What do I hear_?'
"'Five thousand!' some guy hollers.
"'That's just a nice little start . . . _what do I hear_?' says Pappy,
'n' I goes into a trance.
"I don't come to till I hears Pappy sing out:
"'So-o-ld to you for sixteen thousand dollahs, Mr. Humphrey, _an' you
never bought a cheaper one_!'
"It's a wonder I ain't run over gettin' to the depot. I don't know
where I'm at. I just keeps sayin' 'sixteen thousand--sixteen
thousand--' over 'n' over to myself. I beats it out to the hospital
when I gets back, to tell Micky. They're goin' to let him out in a day
or so 'n' Micky's settin' up in a chair with wheels to it.
"'Give a guess what Hamilton brings in the Big Eastern,' I says to him.
"'I dunno,' says he. 'How much?'
"'Sixteen thousand bucks!' I says. 'How does that lay on your
stummick?'
"'Hell!' says Micky. 'That ain't nothin'--look-a-here!'
"He shoves a paper at me he's been holdin' in his mitt. It's a ridin'
contract fur two years with the Ogden stable at ten thousand a year.
"So you see, just like I tells you," Blister wound up, "they lay down
real money fur _class_."
"The man who bought the horse," I said, "certainly got what he paid
for--everybody knows _now_ that Hamilton has class. But how about the
boy?"
"Did you ever see Vincent ride?" Blister looked at me inquiringly.
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