The Wild-Fowlers 137 



things on a Friday er walkin' under a 

 yeller ladder on Wednesday, but I jes' 

 wan* teh keep clear o' th' make-believe 

 spor'sman es I would o' a red snake on 

 th* san' beach or a rattler in th* bush. 

 Th' right stuff beant in 'em, an* no man 

 ken put it in 'em." 



"Well, by my true word, Weib 

 Grieb," said Doctor Corbin, correcting 

 his confusion in the bayman's name, 

 " you 're a rare philosopher." 



" No, no, Doctor Corbin, I ain't on'y 

 jes' a plain follower o' th' bay; but I 

 s'pose I hev my likes an' unlikes jes' 

 likes t'other folks, but all th' other men 

 down here feels th' same way. How 'd 

 this here Mister Fieldin' larn so much 

 'bout th' machine an' th' hull bay ef he 

 hain't been in th' box afore ? I never 

 seed another man es knowed es much 

 'bout birds an' gunnin' es him. He tol' 

 me more 'n I ever knowed afore w'en 

 we was a-sittin' on deck las' night 

 not a-braggin' like, genelmen no, no, 



