“Yes—dat ar is fact, Massa Cody, but nobody pays debts nowadays, sah. De gemmen are all failin’, sah, an’ goin’ into solvency, and I don’t t’ink I can pay more’n twenty cents on de dollar on dat debt, sah.”
“Very good, Joe,” said the captain, “but suppose we should raise a purse for you of a hundred dollars. How then?”
“Well, sah, dat is anudder p’int of view. I’ll ’volve it a little. Maybe dar is nobody dar. Den you’ll gib it to me all de same?”
“Certainly.”
“And some day I’ll git up airly and run away. But maybe dey kill me?”
“I don’t believe they would, Joe.”
“Nor I, too—not ef I go polite, sah. But ef dey should, den my wife——”
“She shall have the money—oh, yes.”
“I’ll do it, sah. Jiminy, but I will! A hull hundred dollars earned in half an hour! It’s more’n I could save in t’ree years. Golly! I never saved anyt’ing yet. I ain’t afraid. I’ve seen Injuns afore now. I’ll go.”