SIMPSON, MYSELF AND THE PERSONAGE. 107 



When the hour was done, Rudder said, " Now 

 colonel, you settle with the Czar ! " 



"I — how you say a? / paya ze gamo? No, 

 senor, no ! You win, you paya ! I lose ze gamo. 

 You lose ze oro — how you say a ? — ze monee ! " 



" No, ye don't," cried Rudder. " Bio wed if 

 ye do ! " 



" Si, senor. How you say ? — yes, sirra ! " 



" Blast ye ? " bawled Rudder. " Pay down that 

 cash or I'll make old rags out o' yer rainbow togs. 

 Blowed if I don't ! Hear that, Dago ? " 



Now, as a matter of solemn fact, the Personage 

 had not so much as a piastre in his wallet. He 

 had already spent his last copper for augadente in 

 the pulparee. 



Rudder was not uncommonly quick of percep- 

 tion. It was a moment before he fully grasped 

 the enormity of the outrage the Personage had 

 perpetrated upon him. When he saw through 

 the scheme, he boiled with wrath. Before he 

 had time to lay into the Personage, the round- 

 shouldered proprietor stuck his sallow visage 

 through the door of his lair, and seeing what was 

 up, made haste to insure himself against fraud. 



He expostulated fiercely with Rudder and 

 the Personage, demanding four times the usual 

 fee. 



