Bone Of Contention
The crowd in the car was packed suffocatingly close. The timid passenger
thought of pickpockets, and thrust his hand into his pocket
protectingly. He was startled to encounter the fist of a fat
fellow-passenger.
"I caught you that time!" the fat man hissed.
"Thief yourself!" snorted the timid passenger. "Leggo!"
"Scoundrel!" shouted the fat man.
"Help
hand from the other's clasp. As the car halted, the tall man next the
two disputants spoke sharply:
"I want to get off here, if you dubs will be good enough to take your
hands out of my pocket."
* * *
During the Civil War, an old negro was deeply interested in the
conflict, but showed no sign of wishing to take part in it. A white man
questioned him one day:
"The men of the North and South are killing one another on your account.
Why don't you pitch in and fight yourself?"
"Has you-all ever seen two dogs fightin' over a bone?" the negro
demanded.
"Many times, of course," was the answer.
The old negro chuckled as he said:
"Did you ever see de bone fight?"
"Well!--no!"
"Dat's all! I'se de bone."
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