Free Amish Country Arson by Fay Risner Page A

auctioneer to get through the
items on the table and start along the row of cages. Of course, he
started on the opposite end from the poultry with the small animals
and worked toward the chickens.
    When the auctioneer's helper held up the
rooster Hal liked, she bid and rebid every time the auctioneer
looked her way. Finally, he looked at her for one last time. “Sold
to the woman in the third row. What is your number?”
    Hal held up the card she got from the office
with the number fifty six on it.
    When the auctioneer moved on, Emma said,
“Gute job, Hallie. You now have a new rooster.”
    “ And a nice looking one at that,” Nora
said, readjusting wiggling Redbird on her lap.
    “ I think he's very pretty, dear,” Aunt
Tootie agreed.
    “ What a relief to get that over with. I
didn't understand a word that auctioneer said. He talked too fast,”
Hal declared, struggling to get Beth to sit still.
    The others laughed at her.
    “ John's sure to ask me what the rooster
cost. Did I bid too much?” Hal worried.
    “ Not if you really want that rooster,
dear,” Aunt Tootie said diplomatically.
    Hal frowned at her aunt and looked
questioningly at her mother.
    Nora said innocently, “Don't ask me, Hallie.
I don't know what's too much to give for a chicken.”
    Hal turned to Emma for her response.
    Emma answered honestly, “To be on the safe
side, pray that Daed does not ask.”
    Hal didn't like the sound of that answer. She
groaned.
    Noah and Daniel didn't have any trouble
finding boys their age hanging around outside. The rumspringa crowd
lingered near the lean-to sales booths along the outside the
salebarn.
    Albert Jostle stuck his hands in his pockets
and sauntered toward Noah and Daniel, giving off a take me or leave
me attitude. “Look who showed up will you, boys?”
    Following behind Albert, his brothers, Will
and Sam was Mark Bender, Rueban Rogies and Matthew Stoll. They all
greeted the boys.
    “ Did you decided to come to the party
Friday night on Bender Creek Road? Anyone is welcome. We could fix
you both up with a girl if you want. You know the kind that don't
mind taking a walk in the underbrush.” Albert gave an exaggerated
wink.
    “ We are not sure yet what we will do
Friday night,” Noah said, blushing as he kicked a rock with the toe
of his shoe. “Recht now Daniel and I are going to look in the
concession stands to see what is for sale.”
    “ Same old junk,” Matthew Stoll said as
the boys walked along the stands with the Lapp brothers.
    One booth counter was piled with stacks of
quilts of various sizes and designs, all in black, blue and purple
colors. Another held bake goods like doughnuts, cookies and bread.
The next one had small jars of jams, jellies, molasses and
honey.
    Daniel said, “We can get any of these things
at home for free.”
    Noah nodded and stopped at a stand that had
battery operated calculators and radios on the counter beside
different sizes and colors of flashlights. Next was a handy display
of batteries to fit all the sale items.
    Rueban Rogies pointed to a small transistor
radio with a little carry strap. “I bought one of these and the
batteries about a month ago. It has AM and FM channels and comes
with an earplug so no one but me can hear the radio play.”
    “ Deacon Rogies lets you keep it?”
Daniel asked in surprise.
    “ He does not know I have it. The radio
fit in my pocket until I got home. I keep it on a rafter in the hay
loft.”
    “ What do you listen to?” Noah
asked.
    Rueban said, “Country western music and
baseball games mostly.”
    Noah picked the radio up and looked it over.
He was very tempted. He hesitated. His father wouldn't like him to
own the radio. Still if Deacon Rogies hadn't found Rueban's yet,
chances were he might be able to hide a radio on a rafter and get
away with it. Noah reached into his trouser pocket for his
money.
    Daniel grabbed his arm. “You should think
about this. Buying that radio will get you in trouble with Daed
sure