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			 Well, ol’ Delbert zipped into the Mule Barn truck stop the other 
			day, plopped down at the empty Round Table, and motioned for those 
			of us at the philosophy counter to join him. We did. 
 “Boys,” he said, when we were seated and sipping, “I want to bounce 
			an idea off you and see how it goes.”
 
 He almost whispered, “Two words … knife sharpening!”
 
 “Sure,” said Dud, pulling a diamond steel from a holster on his 
			belt. “I’ll sharpen it for you, Delbert.”
 
 “No, I don’t mean I need a knife sharpened,” he said, “I mean … a 
			knife-sharpening contest. Actually, a knife-sharpening fiesta!”
 
 His face beamed, he spread his arms, his hands palms up toward 
			Heaven as the sheer Divine magnitude of the idea settled in. Doc 
			reached for another sugar packet.
 
 
			 
			“Just think of it, guys,” Delbert said, “A veritable bevy of blade 
			bevellers descending on our community, spending money in our 
			restaurants, buying the latest in knife gear from the hardware 
			store, filling the rooms at the motel.”
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			 He looked around. Steve’s coffee made him 
			cough. Doc chuckled into his hand. Dud put his diamond steel away.
 “Sounds like a sharp idea to me, Del,” said Doc. “I like the way you 
			came right to the point.”
 
 “An edgy proposition,” Dud said, “but one that whets the appetite.”
 
 Steve recovered from his coughing fit. “You could hold it out in the 
			pasture and call it ‘Hone on the Range.’”
 
 Delbert ignored the groaning and smiled. “That’s it, boys. Think on 
			it. Let’s come up with some good angles.”
 
 And Doc said, “I hear 10 to 15 degrees is best for a really sharp 
			blade.”
 
 Cracker packets flew.
 [Text from file received from 
			Slim Randles] 
			 
			
			Brought to you by "Home Country" (the book). See it at
			
			http://nmsantos.com/Books/Home/Home.html. |