Creech burst into a fit of laughing.
"Hear him!" he cried. "Hearken at the avaricious young fellow. He wants it, the precious boy! And so he does. And will his nursey give him the pretty things for a plaything till he falls asleep? Oh, Dicky, Dicky, stab me but you'll be my death of bursting!" And he rolled upon the ground in merriment that came in good part of the sack.
"Come, Dan," says I, as pleasant as you like; "you won't deny me, old friend—not you. Let us shake hands on it."
But this set Creech yelling with laughter. "Why, curse me," said he, "here's a queer game, hearties! Here's a poor young man with but a crown to his pocket, and a soul a-soaring in the sky!"
But then, without further ado, I whipped the coin out of my pocket and spun it in the air. "Come, Danny," says I, affably; "I will toss against you, with the precious gems for stakes. Put 'em down atween us, and by God I'll nick 'em."
Creech stopped in his laughing and set the box in front of him, piling upon it two heavy pistols and a naked sword. "There, Dick Ryder," says he, grinning, "come and fetch 'em. There's none as can charge meanness upon me. Take 'em, cocky; stab me, Dick Ryder, where's your grit?" and over he rolls upon his side, shrieking with laughter, in which t'others joined him.
Now he had, as it were, laid the job fairly before me, and for the moment I was in the mind to take him at his word; but the next second I had abandoned the purpose, for though I had little doubt that I could manage the three with them in a drunken condition, I was not for spilling blood, at anyrate at that stage. So what does I do but merely stick forth my foot and kick the weapons into the air. That fetched Creech to his legs mighty sudden, and scowling at me he says, "Is this serious, Dick?"
"You'd best guard 'em well," says I, "for I mean ill by them."
"Look 'ee, Dick," said Creech slowly, "if you want 'em you can take 'em. D'ye see? I'm not a man to botch my words. Curse me, I've given you your chances afore now."
"Well," says I, "I'll fight you for 'em."