watched as the wheels spun on the high gear and then how they slowed down when it shifted to low. "Let's take her for a run," he said and they let it down off the blocks and backed out of the garage.

It was just beyond belief. He'd only been going to go down to the end of their lane and back, but he just had to see how it pulled Jorgenson hill in Ruckstell low. Of course, they didn't have all the weight in there they would with Freida and the girls, but it came all the way to the top on the high gear and came up the hill faster than he'd ever come up it in a Ford before!! When they got to the top of the hill he pulled over and stopped and let Einar take it back down to the bottom of the hill and back up. Even the brakes were better. When you put it in Ruckstell low, it had more brakes as well as more power. "A Hell of a Deal," he thought, "Just a Hell of a Deal."

"You know, boys," he said, "I'll bet if you ordered these from Monkey Ward you could make a pretty good dollar on a Saturday putting one in and it wouldn't be long before you'd have money enough to buy yourself a Ford of your own." "The Norwegian Sheepherder's Ball will be coming up again the end of May and I think I know a boy who would like to have a Ford of his own to take a certain girl home from the dance." "I'll talk to mama and see what she thinks but it wouldn't take much to throw up a little garage for you to work in and with what tools I've got and what you might get for a birthday or something you might do alright." "Everybody in the country has a Ford and they all need a Ruckstell like this one." "You might do a little more too, there's always some way to improve a Ford, whether to make it run better or look better." "Torvald could even paint a sign that said 'Yustermierson Brothers--Ford Repairs' after you got going a little." We'd better take mama and the girls to town tomorrow and get the girls new coats and shoes and show mama how nice our Ford runs with our Ruckstell. Then I'll talk to her and see if it wouldn't be all right to put up a little garage and spend a little something for a Ford book or two and get you going on this.

The little Ford never missed a beat on the way home. Herman let Torvald drive, he still had a little trouble with the gas but by the time they got home he was shifting the Ruckstell like he'd been driving one for years. The lights shone bright on the edges of the road where the grass was just starting to turn green and in the moonlight they could see the fields where there would be grain growing again before long. "By the time school's out," he said to the boys as they headed for the house, "We'll have the best Ford shop in the county." Just don't say anything to mama until after we go to town tomorrow. She'll be in a good mood when we get home and I'll talk to her after the little ones are in bed and see what she thinks about all of this." He pulled Torvald's cap off and ruffled his hair. "Better wash the grease off your face before you go to bed," he said, "There'll be lots of girls in town tomorrow and you want to look you best for them." He winked at Einar as they went in the door. He'd sleep good tonight.

Stan Howe
4433 Red Fox Dr.
Helena, Mt 59602
406-443-5658