"'Yes, old elephant,' says Hancock, 'you did, and ever'body else around you, with terbaccer jest as good and some of hit better'n yourn, got six. What did the Trust's buyer promise you this year, ef you'd stand ag'in the Equity, and keek hit all you could as you've been a doin',—eighteen cents, er twenty?'
"'Exercise more jedgement in disposin' of your crop, ef you want to git my prices,' the fat man let out, mighty impudent, 'I'm a man of jedgement!'
"'We're men o' jedgement too,' Hancock says, 'but hit don't let us honestly git livin' prices fer our terbaccer.'
"'Ef you've got grievances ag'in the buyers, why don't you take 'em to the Courts?'
"'The Courts!' Hancock says,—'how long would hit be afore we'd git a Court decision? Of course the Courts might decide in time to do our great grandchildren jestice, but thar hain't no Methusalah strain in none our blood jest at present. We'd have to eat while we wuz a waitin' fer the cases to be settled in Court!
"'I reckon you want us to keep on eatin' corn bread and greens ever' day, and let you keep that hide of yours plumped out with pound cake, turkey and ice cream, do you?'
"'You can eat timothy fer all I keer!' he says, 'twon't cut no figger in my terbaccer raisin'!'
"'Naw, but these will!' Hancock says, throwin' his bundle o' apple tree switches on the ground,—he'd had 'em hid—'these will! Ketch him, boys!'
"Hit tuck six o' the boys to pull him offen the verandy and git him roped, he clawed and fit so. They never give him but feefteen licks! No, sir. He give in uncommon quick,—his meat bein' some softer than his temper. I'd jedge though, hit wuz the sight o' that thar bundle o' hedge tree switches one the boys fetched and laid down in front o' him that brung him to reason so soon.
"He 'lowed when he ketched sight o' them, he wouldn't raise nary stalk o' terbaccer, and he wouldn't keek the Equity nary 'nother keek, no sir! And he meant hit too. Yes, sir, he wuz ez humble ez a toad when they ontied him and give him a match and a ca'tridge and told him these wuz souvernears o' the occasion.