"Johnston, what can I do?" said he.
"Settle; settle, of course; and you now have but one minute to do it in, and I'm not certain but it will be your last minute on earth if you don't."
"Well, Johnston, suppose I settle with you, will you agree not to let my other creditors know it?"
"No sir, I'll not agree to anything of the kind; on the contrary, I shall tell every one just how I brought you to terms, and you have but a half minute left."
He then produced a leather pocket-book filled with bills of large denomination, and counted me out ten ten-dollar bills.
I thanked him, and told him I'd just keep the extra dollar for interest, and then wrote him a receipt in full. He said he intended to pay me, anyhow. I told him I intended he should, and asked how he liked my system.
He looked foolish, and said he thought I'd come out winner, if I didn't get killed some day in trying to collect. He further said that he'd bet I'd run across some one some day who would give me a good trouncing.
I told him I had it all figured out that I could afford to take one good threshing for every five dead beats, provided I could collect from the other four.
