“There’s no question but what sheep has deranged his mind.”
“Sheep?” asks Magpie. “Did you say ‘sheep’?”
“Yes, of course; but never mind, you are among friends at last.”
“Sheep,” says Magpie, sort of soft-like. “Sheep?”
“Your children are to blame,” says the doctor soothing-like. “They stole
sheep; don’t you remember?”
“Oh,” says Magpie, and then after a long silence. “They did, eh?”
“And got put in jail, but they broke out,” explains the doctor.
“My——!” chokes Magpie. “Your mind is in a—— of a shape, old-timer. You
ain’t fit to judge your feller men. I ain’t got no children. I ain’t
even got a wife.”
“Try and be calm,” says the doctor. “Don’t try to think—please. Just
leave it all to me and your sister and we’ll see that nothing harms
you.”
Comes the sound of footsteps and Magpie staggers into the kitchen. He
looks at me and Chuck and then back at the door.
“——’s delight!” he whispers. “Somebody’s loco and—and——”
Comes a noise in front and somebody tramps into the front door.
“I’m the sheriff,” squeaks a voice, and we recognizes “Scenery” Sims,
the sheriff. He’s a little periwinkle with a voice like a rusty hinge.
“I see,” says the doctor. “I—er—Perhaps you—uh—are needed. Did they
break out of jail?”
“Who?” squeaks Scenery.
“The sheep-thieves. They deserve incarceration, I assure you.”
“The —— they do,” shrills Scenery. “What are you talkin’ about anyway?”
“Don’t you understand?” wails the doctor. “They——”
“There are more imbeciles to the square inch around here than any other
place in the world,” states mama, cuttin’ in on the conversation.
“Imbeciles?” squeaks Scenery. “Never heard of any. Telescope told me——”
“There is one of them sheep-thieves!” explodes the doctor.