'^Q^Q'] Kate Osborne. 



227 



After a brief silence, the stranger resumed the colloquy, by sayincr 

 "I rejkin' yeoii don't know no person, hereabeouts wantin to hire a ^ood 

 hand, dew yeou, Squire?" 



Now, to farmer Osborne the title of ' esquire ' was extremely odious 

 inasmuch as it seemed to rank him among lawyers, the class of his par' 

 ticular abomination. But, ever mindful of the ' main chance ' in busi 

 ness, he could not run the risk of losing the opportunity for securincr 

 good hand in the present hurry of his work, on account of an offiinslve 

 title, which, after all, signified nothing; so he simply asked the stran-er 

 to walk in out of the sun. He complied ; and seating himself with his 

 stick and bundle at his side, in the cool, pleasant porch of Mr. Osborne'a 

 handsome residence, the farmer said, " I am desirous of getting a good 

 hand — how much a month do you ask ? " 



^ MYal, neow, I guess a feller ought tew git ra-al good pay. this tim<> 

 year • the sun is all-fired hot, and the work is all-fired hard: heow 

 much dew yeou give ? " 



"Fix your own price." said the farmer, " if reasonable. Til give it- 

 if not, I wont. So its all right." 



" Jist so," replied the stranger ; " then T guess yeou could afford to give 

 me about $45 a month, with vittels and clothes, and board and washin' " 



-^^ hew ! " whistled the farmer- '' why, you charge like a lawyer-- 

 won t give any such price ! " 



" Wal, come neow, don't git riled ; what will yeou give 9 " 

 " Oh, I presume we shan't agree, for I can't afford to give more than 

 $1^ a month, with board and washing." 



" ^)^'' ";™; 1»* tere ; jeox, see, I'm pesky fond o' good jokes, and so 

 on -they kinder make the work go reound lively; and I allers make it 

 a reule to take as good as I send in that line ; now if yeou'll let it be 

 put in the artiekle that we may bamboozle eaeh other, as muc-h as we're 

 a mmd tew and not git mad about it, I sniggers I'll go it for $12 a 

 month. W hat do you say to that, kurnel ? " 



Now, while farmer Osborne disdained the civic title of squire the 

 cavab^r blood of the -Old Dominion ' rendered his pride especLlyvu,! 

 nerable to the approaches of military titles. The rank of • Colonel ' 

 therefore, so dazzling to all Virginians, united with his overweening con- 

 fidenc^ ,n his attainments in the science of • bamboozlement,' led him at 

 once to accept the yankce's offer, to which he promptly replied, "Very 

 well, It s a bargam ; that's all right. What's your name ? '' 



" «^l.>".y name's Eichard Quirkham ; but, on account of my tricks, 



and bambonzlement of 'em, the boys allers called me 'Dick q^rV.' tor 



Short, you see. ' 



