TWO SPOurS; OR, OUT FOR A LARK. 239 



" Fifty cents ! That's outrageous ! Awful ! " 



" Dots a pigger brofit den ve make on segars," Hans 

 puts in. 



" Can't help it, that's my price. If you don't want 

 to give it, all right." 



" What do you say, Hans, shall we pay it ? " asked 

 Jim. 



" Guess you pedder. Shim. Maype its casting pread 

 on der vatter, und vill after many days redurn. He 

 seems a nice young man, und I am glat to help him 

 cud." 



They pay the boy, take the ducks, and the boy ' 

 departs. 



" Hans," said Jim, " How much money did you bring 

 along ? " 



" Tri toUars," replies Hans. 



"I had five, that makes eight. Do you know what I 

 would have done rather than let that boy get away ? " 



" Yes, I do," replied Hans, "und it vould half penn 

 all right, und I vould half paid you der eggstry toUar 

 ven ve got home." " Shiminy Gristmus ! But I vas 

 scairt ven you let dot poy valk off, I vas zo oxzited dot 

 I vas almost afraid to sbeak. If you hat ledt him off 

 mit dose dugs gegangen, you vould neffer my forgive- 

 ness had. Neffer, neffer, neffer." 



" What did you take me for ? " asked Jim, " I didn't 

 intend he should get away. Nice note it would have 

 been, to have gone home without ducks, wouldn't it ? 

 Why, man, we never would have heard the last of it. 

 We would have been the laughing stock of the whole 

 town." 



" Dots vats der madder," said Hans, " but I vas 

 afraidt dot maype ve hadn't money genough, und ve 



