"Then you're extravagant."

"No I ain't. I ain't no chance to be. My cousin, Paul Bickford, is
gettin' fifteen dollars, and he ain't no better worker'n I am."

"Fifteen dollars!" ejaculated, the squire, as if he were naming
some extraordinary sum. "I never heerd of such a thing."

"I'll work for twelve'n a half," said Abner, "and I won't work for
no less."

"It's too much," said the squire. "Besides, you agreed to come for
ten."

"I know I did; but this is a new engagement."

Finally Abner reduced his terms to twelve dollars, an advance of
two dollars a month, to which the squire was forced to agree, though
very reluctantly. He thought, with an inward groan, that but for
his hasty dismissal of Abner the night before, on the supposition
that he could obtain Harry in his place, he would not have been
compelled to raise Abner's wages. This again resulted indirectly
from selling the cow, which had put the new plan into his head.
When the squire reckoned up this item, amounting in six months to
twelve dollars, he began to doubt whether his cow trade had been
quite so good after all.

"I'll get it out of Hiram Walton some way," he muttered. "He's a
great fool to let that boy have his own way. I thought to be sure
he'd oblige me arter the favor I done him in sellin' him the cow.