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"Why not leave it altogether, then, John? You've no occasion to continue a light-keeper now that you've laid by so much, and Tommy is so well off and able to help us, an' willin' too God bless him!" "Amen to that, Martha. I have just bin thinkin' over the matter, and I've made up my mind that this is to be my last trip off to the Rock. I spoke to the superintendent last week, and it's all settled.
Of course I knows quite well that it'll be a mighty poor look-out for the strongest of us, and a dreadful bad time for the poor women-folk, to be obliged to take to a raft; but I expect they'd rather do that and take their chance of bein' picked up than go down with the ship; and if you're willin' to face the job, I am too, sir, and there's my hand on it."
There ain't much hope o' gettin' them mended, with Penel behindhand on the rent, an' the firin' an' the land knows what else. I don't see why Penel ain't more forehanded. I tell her ef I wuz ez young an' ez spry ez she be, I guess I'd hev things different, but, la! that's Penel's way. She's terrible sot in her own way, Penel is. She's not willin' ter take my advice.
That's why I've come down hyar into the water to show I'm willin' to bear what you send. Amen, O Lord God! In Jesus' name, Amen." And he rose quietly, came out of the creek, wiped his dripping limbs with his hand as well as he could, let down his night-shirt, and prepared to climb the bank.
But it's like starting a funny story and being choked off before you get to the laugh in it. We've got to have that storm, I tell you!" His eyes challenged them harshly to dispute his statement. "Well, darn it, have your storm, then. I'm willin'," Big Medicine bellowed with ill-timed facetiousness.
It's wonderful, Molly, what men can afford when they're willing to spend. Why, I've known a man myself who was so uncommon willin' to spend that he ruined his baker an' butcher an' greengrocer before he had done spendin'. If that's so with them as hasn't got money to spend, surely it's for a man like me to do so who's rollin' in four thousand a year, more or less.
"Once they gits ye, they likes ye to stop. 'Taint like the fash'nable quality what says to their friends: 'Do-ee come an' stay wi' me, loveys! wishin' all the while as they wouldn't. Portland takes ye willin', whether ye likes it or not, an' keeps ye so fond that ye can't git away nohow. Oncommon 'ospitable Portland be!" And he broke into a harsh laugh.
"It was kind of queer, his havin' the child with him, an' takin' most the care of her himself; and so, as I say, Mis' Bolton and me we took him in, as much to stop folks' mouths as anything, till they got kinder used to it. But we didn't take him into your part, as I say; and as I say, I'm willin' to pay you whatever you say for the use of the old Judge's study.
"Divil a one, Honor; damnho to the one; I won't differ wid you in that." "You won't differ wid me! the divil thank you for that. You won't indeed! but could you, I say, if you wor willin'?" "I tell you I could not." "Now there's sinse an' kindness in that. Very well, you say you're gatherin' up all the money you can for him."
"Quite right, my boy, quite right; though I must say I would like to wait till a real munister comes out; for although Mr Sutherland iss a fery goot man, an' an elder too, he iss not chust exactly a munister, you know, as I have said before. But have it your own way, Tan. If my little lass is willin', old Tuncan McKay won't stand in your way."
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