268 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



" Well, 'Squire," continued the intruder, " I have 

 got a ease for jon, and I want jestess, if it costs the best 

 load of produce that ever come from In-di-an." 



The man of the law asked what was the difBculty. 



" It's this, 'Squire ; I'm bound for Orleans, and put 

 in here for coffee and other little fixins ; a chap with a 

 face whiskered up like a prairie dog, says, says he, 



• ' Stranger, I see you've got cocks on board of your 

 boat — bring one ashore, and I'll pit one against him 

 that'll lick his legs off in less time than you could gaff 

 him.' Well, 'Squire, / 7iever take a dar. Says I, 

 ' Stranger, I'm thar at wunce ;' and in twenty minutes the 

 cocks were on the levee, like parfect saints, 



" We chucked them together, and my bird, 'Squire, 

 now mind, 'Squire, my bird never struck a lick, not a 

 single blow, but tuck to his heels and run, and by thun- 

 ders, threw up his feed, actewelly vomited. The stake- 

 holder gave up the money agin me, and now I want 

 jestess ; as sure as fogs, my bird was physicked, or he'd 

 stood up to his business like a wild cat." 



The lawyer heard the story with patience, but flatly 

 refused to have any thing to do with the matter. 



" Prehaps," said the boatman, drawing out a corpu- 

 lent pocket-book, " prehaps you think I can't pay — here's 

 the money ; help yourself — give me jestess, and draw on 

 my purse like an ox team." 



To the astonishment of the flatboatman, the lawyer 

 still refused, but unlike many of his profession, gave his 



