“That animal,” said I, “must have dropped from the clouds. If he is young and sound, and he moves as if he were both, he is worth six hundred dollars. I must have him; can you give him a passage till we meet one of our large coal ships coming from Pictou?”
“Certainly,” said he.
“Jerry,” sais I, when he returned, “what in the world do you keep such a fly-away devil as that for? why don’t you sell him and buy cattle? Can’t you sell him at Halifax?”
“Oh”, said he, “I can’t go there now no more, Mr Slick. The boys call after me and say: Jerry, when did you see land last? My name is Jerry Boudrot, where am I? Jerry, I thought you was lost at sea! Jerry, has your colt got any slippares on yet (shoes)? Jerry, what does 44—40 mean? Oh! I can’t stand it!”
“Why don’t you send him by a neighbour?”
“Oh! none o’ my neighbours can ride him. We can’t break him. We are fishermen, not horsemen.”
“Where did he come from?”
“The priest brought a mare from Canada with him, and this is her colt. He gave it to me when I returned from being lost at sea, he was so glad to see me. I wish you would buy him, Mr Slick; you will have him cheap; I can’t do noting with him, and no fence shall stop him.”
“What the plague,” sais I, “do you suppose I want of a horse on board of a ship? do you want me to be lost at sea too? and besides, if I did try to oblige you,” said I, “and offered you five pounds for that devil nobody can ride, and no fence stop, you’d ask seven pound ten right off. Now, that turkey was not worth a dollar here, and you asked at once seven and sixpence. Nobody can trade with you, you are so everlasting sharp. If you was lost at sea, you know your way by land, at all events.”
“Well,” sais he, “say seven pounds ten, and you will have him.”