their noses, an kin dew wot they likes with em caze ef they don' stan
raoun' they kin shove em right intew jug ye see."

"You don't mean to say there's much of that sort of slavery,"
ejaculated Perez.

"I'd now baout slavery ezzackly, but thar's plenty o' that sort o'
thing fer sartin. Credtors mosly'd ruther dew that way, caze they kin
git suthin aout a feller, an ef they sen em tew jail it's a dead loss.
They makes em work aout ther debt and reckons ther work tew baout wat
they pleases. They is some queer kinder talk baout wat kind er things
they makes em stan sometimes rather'n go ter jail. Wal, all I says is
that a feller ez hez got a good lookin gal hed better not git a owin
much in these ere times. I hain't said nothin, hev I, Zeke?" and that
worthy answered his wink with a salacious chuckle.

"Have you any debtors from Stockbridge?" asked Perez, suddenly.

"A hull slew on em," replied Bement. "I've got one more'n I shall hev
much longer, tew."

"Who be that?" asked Zeke.

"Wal, I callate George Fennell won't hole out much longer."

"Fennell; George Fennell! George Fennell is not in this jail," cried
Perez.

"Wal, naow," said Bement, imperturbably, "perhaps ye know better'n I
dew."