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Show pulling the eggs which Josh's sister gathered in the big chicken house in the O'Tosh back yard. In these days when most people had given up raising gardens and chickens to survive on frozen TV dinners, the O'Toshs still sold eggs. Even with Mrs. O'Tosh's job at the grocery store, it was a way of meeting hard times for them. And Josh didn't mind delivering the egs. Josh had been surprised to see that his dog somehow knew that wearing the harness meant tending to business. So out on the egg route Chinook passed by barking dogs, hissing cats and passing cars as if they were beneath his dignity to notice. But only in harness. When he dug under the O'Tosh fence to run loose, that was another story. At the park, with the music blaring around him, Josh tied Chinook to a low limb and leaned back against the big sycamore tree. With a sigh the malamute heaved himself down on the grass. An expression of curiousity fell over his black-masked face as he watched the crowd in the park. Half the town had come to see the gold. Josh stretched on tiptoe to see if he could find Cap Mullins or any of his other friends. Maybe they knew enough to stay away from speeches. All he could see was people looking bored as the mayor rose to speak. Josh wondered if there might be free popcorn or watermelon. He knew Cap Mullins would certainly be here if they did. He never missed an event where there was a chance of free food. But the big celebration, with the governor coming to collect the gold bar and all, was Saturday. Then there would be free watermelon. |