I've heard all about Adolph. He
keeps that harness for pulling out cars, and it always busts. The last
time, though, he only charged six bits to get it mended. Now let me
reason with him."

The young man turned with vicious quickness, and for the first time
Claire heard pidgin German--German as it is spoken between Americans who
have never learned it, and Germans who have forgotten it:

"_Schon sex_ hundred times _Ich hoere_ all about the way you been doing
autos, Zolzac, you _verfluchter Schweinhund_, and I'll set the sheriff
on you----"

"Dot ain'd true, maybe _einmal die Woche kommt_ somebody and _Ich muss
die Arbeit immer lassen und in die Regen ausgehen, und seh' mal_ how
_die_ boots _sint mit_ mud covered, two dollars it don't pay for _die_
boots----"

"Now that's enough-plenty out of you, _seien die_ boots _verdammt_, and
_mach' dass du fort gehst_--muddy boots, hell!--put _mal ein_ egg in
_die_ boots and beat it, _verleicht_ maybe I'll by golly arrest you
myself, _weiss du_! I'm a special deputy sheriff."

The young man stood stockily. He seemed to swell as his somewhat muddy
hand was shaken directly at, under, and about the circumference of,
Adolph Zolzac's hairy nose. The farmer was stronger, but he retreated.
He took up the reins. He whined, "Don't I get nothing I break de
harness?"

"Sure. You get ten--years! And you get out!"

From thirty yards up the road, Zolzac flung back, "You t'ink you're
pretty damn smart!" That was his last serious reprisal.

Clumsily, as one not used to it, the young man lifted his cap to Claire,
showing straight, wiry, rope-colored hair, brushed straight back from a
rather fine forehead. "Gee, I was sorry to have to swear and holler like
that, but it's all Adolph understands. Please don't think there's many
of the folks around here like him. They say he's the meanest man in the
county."

"I'm immensely grateful to you, but--do you know much about motors? How
can I get out of this mud?"

She was surprised to see the youngster blush. His clear skin flooded.
His engaging smile came again, and he hesitated, "Let me pull you out."

She looked from her hulking car to his mechanical flea.

He answered the look: "I can do it all right. I'm used to the
gumbo--regular mud-hen. Just add my power to yours. Have you a
tow-rope?"

"No. I never thought of bringing one."

"I'll get mine."

She walked with him back toward his bug. It lacked not only top and
side-curtains, but