268 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 
“Well, Squire,” continued the intruder, “I have 
got a case for you, 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 difficulty. 
“Tt’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 im less time than you could gaff 
him.’ Well, ‘Squire, I never take a dar. Says I, 
‘Stranger, ’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 
