"One hunner and twenty!" cried half-a-dozen voices.
"And a half," corrected Job, thrusting the hammer into my hand,
and grinning.
"Can 'ee beat that?" inquired Black George again.
"Ay, can 'ee beat that?" echoed the crowd.
"It was a marvellous throw!" said I, shaking my head. And
indeed, in my heart I knew I could never hope to equal, much less
beat, such a mighty cast. I therefore decided on strategy, and,
with this in mind, proceeded, in a leisurely fashion, once more
to mark out the circle, which was obliterated in places, to
flatten the surface underfoot, to roll up my sleeves, and tighten
my belt; in fine, I observed all such precautions as a man might
be expected to take before some supreme effort.
At length, having done everything I could think of to impress
this idea upon the onlookers, I took up the hammer.
"Means to do it this time!" cried the man with the rake; knocking
off Job's hat in his excitement, as, with a tremendous swing, I
made my second throw. There was a moment's breathless silence as
the hammer hurtled through the air, then, like an echo to its
fall, came a shout of laughter, for the distance was palpably far
short of the giant smith's last. A moment later Job came pacing
up, and announced: "Eighty-seven!" Hereupon arose a very babel of voices: "You've got un beat a'ready, Jarge!"
"Well, I knowed it from the start!"
"Let un alone," cried Simon, "'e've got another chance yet."
"Much good it'll do 'im!"
"Ah! might as well give in now, and take 'is thrashin' and ha'
done wi' it."
That my ruse had succeeded with the crowd was evident; they--to a
man--believed I had done my best, and already regarded me as
hopelessly beaten. My chance of winning depended upon whether
the smith, deluded into a like belief, should content himself
with just beating my last throw, for, should he again exert his
mighty strength to the uttermost, I felt that my case was indeed
hopeless.
It was with a beating heart, therefore, that I watched him take
his place for the last throw. His face wore a confident smile,
but nevertheless he took up the hammer with such a businesslike
air that my heart sank, and, feeling a touch upon my arm, I was
glad to turn away. "I be goin' to fetch a sponge and water,"
said Simon.
"A sponge and water!"