"We'll do neither the one nor the other," said Janko; "we'll buy him off. D—n it! let's be gentlemen! What are you most in need of, my lad? I see your clothes are in rags. You'd better have it out in good stout cloth."
With that he lifted up one of the bales of goods and opened it. It contained scarlet cloth.
He began to measure it with his arm.
"There you have five ells of cloth for your coat and vest. Hafran, you measure him as much from your share for his hose, and you, Bajus, give him of yours for a mantle."
They fell to cursing, and curses fell as thick as hailstones; but Janko left them no peace till Hafran had clipped him off five ells of green Turkish cloth for his hose, and Bajus had contributed just as much blue English cloth for his mantle.
"But now he must give back the twelve dollars," remarked Bajus; "if his leg is not to be broken, he won't require money for mending it."
"Not so," said Janko; "when a gentlemen has given a musician money he does not ask it back again."
"Well, all right; but at any rate you must also give him six dollars as we have done."
But Janko could not be made to see this at all.
"Why should I give him money when you've given him some already?