o' taxes," said Abner.

"Taxes is mosly fer payin interest ontew the money what govment
borrowed tew kerry on the war. Naow, I says, an I ain't the on'y one
in the caounty as says it, nuther, ez debts orter run daown same ez
bills does, reglar, so much a month, till they ain't nuthin leff,"
said Ezra Phelps, setting down his mug with an emphatic thud. "S'poosn
I borrers money of yew, Abner, an built a haouse, that haouse is boun
tew run daown in vally, I callate, 'long from year tew year. An it
seems kinder rees'nable that the debt sh'd run daown's fass as the
haouse, so's wen the haouse gits wored aout, the debt 'll be, tew.
Them things ez govment bought with the money it borrered, is wore
aout, an it seems kinder rees'nable that the debts should be run daown
tew. A leetle orter a been took orf the debt every year, instead o'
payin interes ontew it."

"I guess like's not ye hev the rights on't, Ezry. I wuzn't a thinkin
on't that air way, ezzactly. I wuz a thinkin that if govment paid one
kine o' debts 't orter pay t'other kine. I fetched my knapsack full o'
govment bills hum from the war. I callate them bills wuz all on em
debts what the govment owed tew me fur a fightin. Ef govment ain't a
goin tew pay me them bills, an 'tain't, 'it don' seem fair tew tax me
so's it kin pay debts it owes tew other folks. Leastways seems's
though them bills govment owes me orter be caounted agin the taxes
instead o' bein good fer nothin. It don't seem ez if 'twas right,
nohaow."

"Leastways," said Peleg, "if the Gineral Court hain't a goin ter print
more bills 't orter pass a lor, seein thar ain't no money in the
kentry, so 'z a feller's prop'ty could be tuk by a fair valiation fer