“What’s the use of r’arin’, pap?” interrupted Sam. “You never offered to go halvers with me, did you? That’s all I was waitin’ for. You’ll get it now, so what’s the use of gettin’ mad about it?”
“You’re right I’ll have it now,” said Matt, as he proceeded to tie Sam’s hands behind his back. “You was kalkerlatin’ to show me where the money was soon’s I offered to go halvers with you, was you? Then what did you try to jump outen your jacket for when I grabbed you?”
“’Cause I was afeared you’d lick me like you did Jake before I got a chance to talk to you. Don’t draw them ropes so tight. What you tyin’ me for, anyway?”
“So’t you can’t run away an’ leave me,” replied Matt. “I’ve seed the day when I could ketch you before you’d went ten foot, but I ain’t as young as I was then. You ain’t done fair by me. You’ve fooled me all along, you an’ Jakey have, ’an you might take it into your head to show me the wrong place. If you do, I won’t have to go fur to find you. Now tell me true: Did Jake hide the money in that there hole where he said he did?”
Sam replied that Jake had told a straight story. He did hide the valises under the roots of the fallen poplar, but he (Sam) had taken them out and concealed them in another place.
“There you be, tied hard an’ fast with one end of the rope, an’ I’ll jest hold the other end in my hand an’ be ready to jerk you flat if you try to run,” said Matt, when he had finished his task of confining Sam’s hands behind his back. “Now put out at your best licks, and go straight to the place where you hid them grip-sacks. What had you made up your decision to do with them six thousand?”
“I was goin’ halvers with you an’ mam an’ Jake,” began Sam.
“Aw! Shucks!” exclaimed Matt.
“An’ then I was goin’ to buy some good clothes an’ things for myself. Now, pap, you’re goin’ to go halvers with me, ain’t you? An’ after you get it, you won’t lick me like you done Jake, will you?”
“That’s a p’int that will take a heap of studyin’ before I can say what I’m goin’ to do,” replied Matt cautiously. “I ain’t seen the money yet. Show me that first, an’ then I’ll talk to you. I don’t reckon that you’ve disremembered where you put it, have you? ’Cause if you have—”