“And then, Earth, you might have just cause to think of wedlock as you do now.”
“Oh! I don't know; its well enough in its way. I shall never marry; I don't like your small gals no how you can fix it, and if I was to choose one for myself,—and you know I wouldn't let any body choose for me,—I should have a mighty heavy team; for, besides going for good looks, I should like a very large wife.”
“Then your taste is fortunate, Earth, and you will be the less apt to be plagued by rivals.—They are troublesome things.”
“I don't care what my taste is,” said Earth, “I will never have a rival; for, if I was to see a lady and love her, and any body else was loving her before me, I would back out. But if I was to see her first, and take notice of her, I should regard her just as I would a 'coon which I had treed:—I suppose you know, Rolfe, what I would do with a man if he was to trouble a 'coon which old Jupe had treed?”
“I think I can imagine, Earth; but come, let us be serious, and talk of something else.”
“Rolfe,” said Earth, “I never saw a good reason for a man being serious when he could be cheerful.—Now, if you want to be serious, I'll tell you a story:—I'll tell you one that made me serious once for a whole day.”
“Then give it to us,” said Rolfe.
“Very well,” said Earth, “be all attention, and you shall hear it.”
“I am,” said Rolfe.
“Well,” began Earth, “I was living, when it happened, upon that piece of land I bought of the 'squire, and a hard bargain it was,—I think he gouged me in that trade; but that's neither here nor there;—as I said before, I was living on it. I had been hard at work, for several weeks, killing a parcel of trees, and trying to get ready a small clearing for my next year's crop, when I thought I would step over to one of my neighbours, swap a lie or two, and hear what was going on. He lived about ten miles off, by the near way, but much further to go round by the swamp. So, taking the near path, I went over one evening, and, what I hardly ever did before, I forgot to take my gun along. I found the old fellow at home, and as soon as I got seated, I went hard to work and talked him full. After a while he got a chance, and come at me, and he made up for lost time;—he talked me all over and about in spots, until I was tired. Then he was just getting under way, so I turned in and the next morning, rising up very early, I started back.”