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Show on a rope, Avery, so it's okay. What do you care?" Avery glowered at the dog, keeping his distance. "They say he's a troublemaker, that's all." Josh took a deep breath. "That's no skin off your nose, is it?" "Haaraphl" Avery turned away, then back over his shoulder, said, "I think I'll just warn Mr. Keebler anyway." Josh watched Avery minee his way through the crowd. Dang it, why did he have to act that way? Chinook was behaving himself perfectly, lying there with his chin resting on his paws. One of the egg customers, Mr. Hodson, came by then and to save Josh a trip picked up the two dozen eggs he had coming. That's when the gasp went up from the crowd. Josh turned, stretched, and couldn't see over all the heads. Stepping up on the to wagon, he shinnied up/the first limb of the tree. He could see the mayor gesture proudly at a table covered with black velvet. On the table, lying on a velvet cushion, was the large gold bar, looking very much like a/yellow brick. But it shone with a soft elegance, a subdued powerful luster that spoke its importance. Josh had expected it to be shinier, brighter. Perched in the tree, he brushed the hair from his eyes again and squinted in admiration. The portly mayor, meanwhile, pointed grandly at the gold. "And just so nobody gets any wrong ideas about this gold here- which belongs to the whole town of Jericho, mind you-we remind you that this bullion is well-guarded." He motioned to the town's two uniformed polieemen who stood at each side of the table. Then with a smug look Mayor Okleberry nodded to two men in sport coats behind the table. |