“Didn’t you like her?” said Jules.
“No, I didn’t relish her much, thet’s a fact. Ye see she had a tongue of her own, and a mighty sharp tongue it were too—the wust you ever see. She never stopped her clack from mornin’ tell night. I wouldn’t hev minded it so much ef she had only taken a rest onc’t in a while, but she didn’t. It seems to me now, thet the durned critter thought ef she let her tongue rest a minnit, she couldn’t start it ag’in.”
“What did you do?”
“Do! What any man orter do when he kain’t save himself no other way.”
“What was that?”
“Heeled it ez hard ez I c’u’d go. I reckon that was pooty lively too.”
“Vat vas your vrow’s name?” said Jan.
“Does ye want her, Jan? Ef ye do, take her, with my blessin’. The truth is, yer gettin’ too fat, and ef ye hed to stand her jaw only a month ye’d git worked down to yer fitin’-weight pooty sudden, that’s all.”
“I don’t vant her,” said Jan.
“Don’t refuse on account of any feelin’ on my part,” said Ben. “Don’t be bashful nuther. Or, ef it suits ye better, I’ll sell her to ye. I’ll sell her cheap too. Give me thet huntin’-knife of yourn an’ she’s yer own. Thet’s fair, I’m sure.”