Uncle Sagamore and His Girls

all sweaty over just a little old dab of fish bait—”

Otis held up a hand. “Please! Not another word, Mr. Noonan. Why, the Sheriff would chew us out something awful if he ever heard we just stood around while you got a sunstroke diggin’ like that. He’s always tellin’ us, boys, you help out Sagamore Noonan any way you can. He’s one of our outstandin’ taxpayers.”

Otis took the shovel out of Uncle Sagamore’s hand, and dug up a big scoop of dirt. Uncle Sagamore stepped back out of the way. “Well sir,” he says to Pop, “it’s jest like I was tellin’ you, Sam. You take a lot of them pussel-gutted politicians that’s settlin’ around in the courthouse gettin’ fat off the taxpayers, they could sure take a lesson from these Shurf’s boys. They got the people’s interest at heart ever minute of the day.”

“Sure,” Pop says. “Anybody can see that.”

“And if there’s anything that riles me up,” Uncle Sagamore went on, “it’s ignorant people goin’ around sayin’ a man wouldn’t be in politics with