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88 UNCLE TOM'S CABIN OR
Marks and I have taken up the catchin' trade, jest to 'commodate gentlemen like you, and get nothin' for ourselves ? — Not by a long chalk! we '11 have the gal out and out, and you keep quiet, or, ye see, we 11 have both, what's to hinder ? Han't you show'd us the game ? It's as free to us as you, I hope. If you or Shelby wants to chase us, look where the partridges was last year; if you find them or us, you 're quite welcome."
" Oh, wal, certainly, jest let it go at that," said Haley, alarmed ; " you catch the boy for the job; you allers did trade far with me, Tom, and was up to yer word."
" Ye know that," said Tom; " I don't pretend none of your sniveling ways, but I won't lie in my 'counts with the devil himself. What I ses I '11 do, I will do,— you know that, Dan Haley."
" Jes so, jes so, — I said so, Tom," said Haley, " and if you 'd only promise to have the boy for me in a week, at any point you '11 name, that's all I want."
" But it an't all I want, by a long jump," said Tom. " Ye don't think I did business with you down in Natchez, for nothing, Haley ; I 've learned to hold an eel, when I catch him. You 've got to fork over fifty dollars, flat down, or this child don't start a peg. I know yer."
" Why, when you have a job in hand which may bring" a clean profit of somewhere about a thousand or sixteen hundred, why, Tom, you're onreasonable," said Haley.
" Yes, and has n't we business booked for five weeks to come, — all we can do ? And suppose we leaves all* and goes to bushwhacking round arter yer young un, and finally does n't catch the gal, — and gals allers is the devil to catch, — what's then ? would you pay us a cent, — would you ? I think I see you a-doin' it, — ugh ! No, no ; flap down your fifty. If we get the job, and it pays, I 11 hand it back ; if we don't, it's for our trouble, — that's far, an't it, Marks?."
" Certainly, certainly," said Marks, with a conciliatory tone ; " it's only a retaining fee, you see, — he ! he ! heI |
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