“While we was drinkin’ ’long a Ransom, one of my hands come in en whispered softly in my ear, all unbeknown to the rest, that somebody hed ben tryin’ to cut my starn-cable, and then he sneaked back to watch for the marorder.
“I got off pretty soon after, en went aboard a leetle riled. But I didn’t tell the boys who I thought was the rascal, thoar I told em to keep a sharp watch, en fire to kill, when they did shoot. But tha’ warn’t nobody come, Joe knew better than to play with the old fox in his den—Joe did.
“Nex’ mornin’ we were just castin’ off, when Joe come down to the wharf-boat, en sez he:
“ ‘You ain’t goin’ off mad, ar you?’
“ ‘No,’ sez I.
“ ‘Wal,’ sez he, ‘less take a partin’ smile.’
“I didn’t like the idea, but Ransom he said:
“ ‘Come in, Ben!’ en in I went and drinkt.
“ ‘What d’you say to a buffalo-juggin?’ said Joe, arter we’d lickered.
“ ‘It’s too airly in the season,’ sez I; ‘b’sides I’m off for Orleans.’