Whilst laying on his skimpy cot, he wipes the sleepers from his eyes and recalls the auction bill he'd seen during the previous day's foray into the local village. It is necessary for B'wana to venture into the village for supplies and while there he keeps a keen eye because he's sharp of mind and he's always looking for an auction.

He knows that here, in the wild, there aren't that many natives who wish to trade good baubles for wampum at yard sales. He feels that finding good trinkets at yard sales around the local camps and villages is a fable; much like the Unicorn. So, instead, he hunts for auctions. In fact, B'Wana will carve a wide path to steer clear of yard sales yet he'll travel long distances for an auction; he does this because he knows those natives have plenty good baubles to trade for wampum.

On this day B'Wana made his way through the darkened alleys of the village and paused occasionally along the many trails to watch the antics of the locals. Soon, he spied a notice tacked onto a tent pole. Cautiously, ever so cautiously, B'Wana approached the notice and as he drew nearer, his eagle-like eyes focused on the large, black letters spelling AUCTION!

Smiling, he looked around greedily to make sure others weren't lurking about and trying to horn in on his action. He stripped the notice from the pole and slinked back into the relative safety of the darkened alley to savor it for himself. His attention settled on "Shop Tools and Misc" because he knows that the best baubles are always found there and on this day he is rewarded. Someone wishes to trade wampum for a Unisaw and other trinkets. B'Wana, relieved, turns and retraces his route out of the village.

...fully awake now, he rises from his cot and chances a look outside his hovel. As he expected, it's the same jungle but it's a glorious new day for battle.

B'Wana prepares himself and chooses his finest weapon - a leather-coated checkbook - and slips into the outside world with only a wisp of a breeze trailing behind him. He travels light because he must move fast in order to get to the distant village and the site of the auction before the other natives do.

B'Wana despises finding other natives there before him - he feels it leaves bad karma that lingers and soon begins to smell very much badly.

Arriving at the site, B'Wana sashays past the myriad of wagons that are covered with what will soon become clutter in someone's hooch and makes his way directly to the shop. Long before reaching it, his keen eye spots the reason for his traveling to this far off village. Almost angelic-like does the bell end of the motor stick out from the side of the Unisaw's cabinet - a good signal that this Unisaw may be a keeper.

B'Wana becomes mildly excited.

He checks the serial number and can reasonably date it to the mid-40's - another good signal! Mild caressing of the top proves that the wings are perfectly smooth with the center section. Standing back to look over the front, he bends over to fondle the controls - they move effortlessly. B'Wana is now very much pleased and a broad smile forms on his up-until-recently passive face. Still stooped over, his attention is drawn to something else sitting right next to the Unisaw - that something has a cover draped over it. B'Wana moves over and cautiously lifts the cover to peer under it.

"By the Gods," He exclaimed, "I must be in Heaven!"

Under the cover was a "sleeper" - in auction speak, a sleeper is something not mentioned on the auction bill, but nevertheless is to be auctioned off. This sleeper was a Delta shaper! A quick inspection tells B'Wana that it's a twin to the Unisaw! The old man must have purchased both of these machines at nearly the same time frame!

"Allah, be praised," whispers B'Wana.

B'Wana is really excited now and begins to dance around the two pieces of machines, and all the while whooping and yelling like the Banshee. For good measure he threatens some of the other natives by poking his spear in their general directions and proceeds to mark this territory for his own - he marks it in the usual manner. Casting another look, he rushes off to register for the auction. On the way back from the trailer he stops by a wagon loaded with other goods claimed from the shop. He sees there are good baubles here, too, and begins to sift through them. Coming to a suspicious box, he looks inside and his heart begins to beat wildly. B'Wana pinches himself to make sure he's awake - inside the box are many assorted cutters and extra spindles for the shaper! Whooping like a warrior, he shakes his auction ticket into the air.

Yes, it's definitely a good day for battle!

A quick look at the Sun tells B'Wana that the auction is about to begin but his inner sense tells him that he must return to the shop to once again check his claim. Arriving there he sees others have trampled onto his territory - they're fondling his claims! Wielding his spear, B'Wana slashes at the air, "Back, back you heathens, you savages, you hyenas! Get back I say or I'll slay you where you stand!" Knowing adversity when they see it, they sense death is near. And so it came to pass that they retreated back from whence they came, back to the wagons of clutter and pestilence. That is, all but one...

As the crowd dispersed only one remained. "He," much like the young, defiant lion who wishes to test his mettle but is not quite sure, continued to stand and watch B'Wana. He is leery and thinks he knows, but B'Wana knows, too. The defiant one senses he will soon confront B'Wana in battle.

"That one," B'Wana breathed, "Must be watched, but not feared."

B'Wana begins to hear some incoherent babbling and decides the ceremony has begun. He scurries off to stand before the Chieftain and the wagon loaded with good baubles knowing that battle is close at hand. He is amazed at how foolish these natives are; much wampum is being traded for trinkets worth nothing while good baubles are passed by without a second's thought.

B'Wana wishes the trend continues.

The next item on the block is the box of cutters for the shaper. B'Wana not being stupid, had strategically replaced that box, not where he originally found it, but in just the right spot so that it would come up quick on the block. B'Wana readies his auction ticket as the Chieftain babbles. B'Wana waved his ticket - more babbling. In the distance he sees that another ticket is being waved. It is He, the defiant one! B'Wana is furious and stabs his spear violently in the air! He listens to the Chieftain's babbling and once again flashes his ticket. And such it was that back and forth, to and fro the battle waged, and it came to pass that B'Wana was victorious and found himself trading 40 wampum for the box. The defiant one appeared to steady himself as if to pounce, but thought differently of it and sought cover amongst the natives.

B'Wana scooped up the box and hurried off to stow his spoils. Upon his return he stopped at the shop to guard his previous claims because there were no other worthy baubles on the wagon. B'Wana calculated that it wouldn't be long before the Chieftain arrived and decided to remark his territory in the usual manner - the coffee helped.

The babbling drew closer, and B'Wana reasoned that The Chieftain was near! Soon, some of the natives appeared in the doorway, followed by the Chieftain. B'Wana drew himself up to appear more threatening while he listened to more babble - as near as he could tell, someone just traded 1450 wampum for an antique safe. Presently the Chieftain stood in front of the Unisaw and B'Wana checked for the fiftieth time that his ticket is still in his hand and more babbling commenced.

B'Wana held up two digits, signaling 200 wampum to start the bid. Someone behind takes the half, B'Wana took 300 and turned to see who is doing battle with him - it is He, the defiant one! He tries to scare B'Wana off by taking the quarter. B'Wana jumped the bid increment and signaled for $375.

"Try that one on for size!" B'Wana prodded.

He hedged and reluctantly took 400. B'Wana shrilled a whoop knowing he's beaten the defiant one and waved his ticket at 425 then turned to give a big slobbery raspberry to his bitter enemy.

"Keep going, Numbnuts," B'Wana said, "I've got all day and a leather-coated checkbook to boot!"

By this time the crowd had parted to give the fighters plenty of room and were glad of the fact none of them were involved in the fracas. The Chieftain, not hearing anything further from B'wana's adversary, turned, pointed at B'wana and said those four glorious words all auction goers love to hear.

"You bought it, Number?"

B'Wana proudly waved his ticket then danced around his saw singing, "Numbnuts choked, Numbnuts choked!" in that all too familiar school-yard singsong voice. Turning serious once again, he stabbed at the air savagely with his spear. "Don't even THINK about touching this," He sneered at the crowd, "Lest I sever your hands at your armpits!"

The Chieftain, now standing in front of the shaper, begins to babble and someone started the bid at 200. B'Wana takes 250 and then 300 comes from behind him again. "No!" B'Wana says, "It can't be?" He counters with 350 and turns to look - sure enough it is the Defiant One - he signals with 400.

"Ah, ha!" Says B'Wana. "You're still licking your wounds from the last go 'roun but yet you're back?" He signaled 450, "Take that, Gutless!"

Numbie, ignores me and goes for 500.

"What a boob!" B'wana screams. "You don't bring a pittance in cash to a leather-coated-checkbook fight!"

B'Wana casually waved his ticket for 550 and noticed Numbie developed a tiny bead of sweat on the bridge of his nose. Numbie's time is near.

He takes 600 - B'Wana countered with 650 - He feigned with 700.

"That's all you've got, isn't it Numbie?" B'Wana yelled, "You should'a brought more wampum!" He then exercised an old auction goer's trick by laying up and signaling for the quarter and turned to look deep into Numbie's eyes with a cold, dark stare.

Numbie, who finally realized his defeat, backed away and took his place in the circle of onlookers. With the tide turned, B'Wana gathered up his baubles and returned to his village.

On the following Monday B'wana called Delta with the serial numbers and tallied the score.

Delta Unisaw - December, 1946 - $425
Delta Shaper - August, 1945 - $725
Lg. box of assorted shaper cutters, spindles, etc. - $40

It was a good day for battle.

It's still a jungle out there.