"It comes 'bout by his wife, who was one a-the finest girls in this burg when he married her. So yu'n see, when he pr'ceeds t' git drunk, 'n' drunk right, understand, 'n' then gets t' squabblin' wi' some other no count nigga, 'n' gets run in, who's affected?"
The other winced.
"It's the same wi' dozens of the others. I'd let them stay in there 'n' rot, so fo' 's they is concerned; but t' me comes a cry'n wife, 'n' a-string-a hongry kids, so I goes 'n' bails the devil out." He paused a moment now to breathe a spell. "'Cassionally," he resumed, "I c'n, with some 'nfluence I have with the judge, get some out without payin' a fine; but th' lawyer must have his, anyhow, 'n' a nigga, 's I done already said, would'n' pay the Lo'd Jesus when he's out; but promises to bring eve' dime he makes t' you when he's in.
"So, the're my bu'den, come day, go day. Over theah, fo' 'nuther instance, stands a nigga—see him? The one that's so drunk 'n' noisy? I got him out las' week, when he had received two hund'd days on th' gang, 'n' t'day I got his brother out who was locked up Friday."
"Why can they not keep out of so much trouble?" said Wyeth seriously.
"Whiskey. The minute they get the' pay, the first thing they wants is whiskey, 'n' then a crap game."
"And women," said Wyeth.
"Yes," said the other; "but they won't spend any money on them; no, that would in one sense, be too much like right."
"What per cent of them, do you think, who, after giving their word as a bond, would stand to it, a promise, you understand?"
"I'm 'shame t' admit it, I'm 'shame t' admit it; but, honestly, I wouldn't estimate that more than two out of ten could be trusted to keep their word, other than t' buy a pint a whiskey, or shoot dice until they did'n' have a dime."