Sam he said "he thought that about the fair thing; it should never be
said that the _Bugle_ was a hard paper to deal with." There was,
however, some delay in raising the money; the candidates for the local
offices had not disposed of their autumn hogs yet, and were in financial
straits. Some of them contributed a pig each, one gave twenty bushels of
corn, another a flock of chickens; and the man who aspired to the
distinction of County Judge paid his assessment with a wagon. These
things had to be converted into cash at a ruinous sacrifice, and in the
meantime Sam kept pouring an incessant stream of hot shot into our
political camp. Nothing I could say would make him stay his hand; he
invariably replied that it was no bargain until he had the money. The
committeemen were furious; it required all my eloquence to prevent their
declaring the contract null and void; but at last a new, clean one
thousand-dollar note was passed over to me, which in hot haste I
transferred to Sam at his residence.

That evening there was a meeting of the committee: all seemed in high
spirits again, except Hooker of Jayhawk. This old wretch sat back and
shook his head during the entire session, and just before adjournment
said, as he took his hat to go, that p'r'aps'twas orl right and on the
squar'; maybe thar war'n't any shenannigan, but _he_ war dubersome--yes,
he war dubersome. The old curmudgeon repeated this until I was
exasperated beyond restraint.

"Mr. Hooker," said I, "I've known Sam Henly ever since he was _so_ high,
and there isn't an honester man in old Missouri. Sam Henly's word is as
good as his note! What's more, if any gentleman thinks he would enjoy a
first-class funeral, and if he will supply the sable accessories, I'll
supply the corpse. And he can take it home with him from this meeting."