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No, young 'un, I'm not from no such high-toned place as Boston. I'm a Yank though, and no mistake. Vermont." "Is that in America?" "In Meriky? Something's wrong with your geography, young man. It's one of the U. S. and no slouch, neither." He spoke in a curious mixture of English and of Spanish that he adapted as freely as he did his native tongue. The boys stared at him, fascinated.
Only now me got on Sout 'Meriky, which me know is not far from Nord 'Meriky, an' me bin here before wid me moder, so kin show you how to go and speak Spanish too me moder speak dat, you sees; but mesilf larn English aboord two tree ships, an', so, speak him fust rate now."
"The Saints luv yer honor, but do they be afther havin' bad landlords in Meriky too, that evicted yer honor from yer house, sor? I thought here nigh every poor body owned their own bit, ground and roof, sor, let alone a foine man loike yerself that shows the breedin' down to his tin toes, sor. Sure, hev ye the cow below ud let me down a drap o' milk?"
They demand to eat at your table, and to sit in your company; and if you refuse to listen to their dishonest and extravagant claims, they tell you that "they are free; that no contract signed in the old country is binding in 'Meriky'; that you may look out for another person to fill their place as soon as you like; and that you may get the money expended in their passage and outfit in the best manner you can."
Now we thought that we might just as well give your boat a turn and have your son and yourself to work it. I suppose she is fit to go that distance?" "Fit! whoy she be fit to go to 'Meriky! The Downs ain't more'n hunder and twenty mile. With a good breeze she would do it in a day. By to-morrow afternoon we'd be ready to make a start if the wind slackens." "To-morrow afternoon!
Says he, `Bryan, will ye go? Says I, `Av coorse; 'an 'shure enough I wint, an' got over the say to 'Meriky. But I could niver settle down, so, wan way or another, I came at last to Montreal and jined the Company; an' afther knockin' about in the Columbia and Mackenzie's River for some years, I was sint to Moose, an' here I am, Losh, yer sarvant to command."
I can't talk Spanish, and the herder says that he no savvy 'Meriky' and it's up to me to sort and claim. "But they are a fine lot of fellows, these Rawlins operators, once they understand that you are on the square. I visit with them every spring when I sell my fur and pelts.
Dat is what all de gentlemen and ladies says dat wisit here, Marm: 'What a lubly beautiful woman Miss Lunn is, dey say, 'dere is so much 'finement in her, and her table is de best in all Meriky. "'What a fool you is, Uncle Sorrow, she say, and den she larf again; and when missus larf den I know she was pleased.
It was full of love and respict to his poor parents, an' he longin' to see them in 'Meriky; but he said he had written by stealth, for he was very unhappy intirely, that his uncle thrated him hardly, becaze he would not be a praste, an' wanted to lave him, to work for himsel'; an' he refused to buy him a farm wid the money his grandfather left him, which he was bound by the will to do, as Mike was now of age, an' his own masther.
Four times a year the spell's put on me, sor, and gin I shlape it over, I'm a good man in between, sor, but that one time, sor, Mulqueen was sint to Lunnon, sor, and I missed me shlape fer mischief. "Well, thinks I, I'll go to Meriky and see me Johnny, me youngest; most loike they're more used to the shlapin' spells out there where all is free; but they wasn't!
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