“I guess not, professor; he only nipped off ther heel of yer shoe. Great haystacks! but that was a narrar escape, though! I didn’t know you was so ’tarnal heavy.”
As soon as the half-drowned man found that he was not injured, he got mad, and shaking his fist under Haypole’s nose, said:
“Martin, if you ever let such a thing as that occur again, I’ll discharge you on the spot!”
“Now, don’t git mad, old man; you won’t discharge me, you know you won’t. Why, thunderation! You couldn’t git along without me.”
“It makes no difference; the whole thing was your fault. If you had not made such an ass of yourself by pushing the boat so hard against the bank, I would not have fallen overboard at all. Then the idea of your standing here laughing at me when the alligator was coming after me with all his might. You think you are very funny, Martin Haypole; and I’ll tell you what I have a great notion of doing.”
“What?” asked the Yankee, showing just a slight tinge of passion.
“I have a great mind of thrashing you.”
“You had better not try it, professor. I never seen that man yet as could do that in a square rough and tumble.”
Whack!
The enraged professor struck his employee a smart blow on the face with his open hand.