"Well, that's, that's—how much is that, Mas' Gammon?" the farmer asked in a bellow.
Master Gammon was laboriously and steadily engaged in tightening himself with dumpling. He relaxed his exertions sufficiently to take this new burden on his brain, and immediately cast it off.
"Ah never thinks when I feeds—Ah was al'ays a bad hand at 'counts.
Gi'es it up."
"Why, you're like a horse that never was rode! Try again, old man," said the farmer.
"If I drags a cart," Master Gammon replied, "that ain't no reason why I should leap a gate."
The farmer felt that he was worsted as regarded the illustration, and with a bit of the boy's fear of the pedagogue, he fought Anthony off by still pressing the arithmetical problem upon Master Gammon; until the old man, goaded to exasperation, rolled out thunderingly,—
"If I works fer ye, that ain't no reason why I should think fer ye," which caused him to be left in peace.
"Eh, Robert?" the farmer transferred the question; "Come! what is it?"
Robert begged a minute's delay, while Anthony watched him with hawk eyes.
"I tell you what it is—it's pounds," said Robert.