"What'll you take for your right and title--cash down--no questions
asked?"

"Wall, I dunnow," said Mose, opening his jackknife and picking up a
chip. "Prudence is a pretty nice gal, as you said, curnil."

"As _you_ said, Mr. Jenkins."

"Wall, it's all the same. The critter's very fond of me and so be I of
her. I had plaguy hard work, I tell you, to get her consent."

"Come, come," said the colonel, "you want to drive a hard bargain with
me. I'm willing to give you a fair price, say twenty thousand; but I
don't want to be swindled."

"Say twenty-five thousand and take her, curnil."

"No--twenty."

"Cash down?"

"Cash down."

"Done."

"The money's ready whenever Prudence is."

In a few days another ship from Boston came in, and Prudence was among
the first to land. Mose met her with very little ardor, the colonel
remaining in the background. After some little conversation, the young