United States or Moldova ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Twenty-four thousand," said Porportuk. He grinned viciously, for the certitude of his bidding had at last shaken the king. The latter moved over close to El-Soo. He studied her carefully for a long while. "And five hundred," he said at last. "Twenty-five thousand," came Porportuk's raise. The king looked for a long space, and shook his head.
You will not deny that you belong to me." "I belong to you," El-Soo said steadily. "I own you." "You own me." Porportuk's voice rose slightly and triumphantly. "As a dog, I own you." "As a dog you own me," El-Soo continued calmly. "But, Porportuk, you forget the thing I told you. Had any other man bought me, I should have been that man's wife. I should have been a good wife to that man.
The crowd had eyes for naught but Akoon, and the rifle of Porportuk's man lay across the hollow of his arm, the muzzle directed at Akoon a yard away, the man's thumb on the hammer. But Akoon did nothing. "Make out the bill of sale," Porportuk said grimly. And Tommy made out the till of sale, wherein all right and title in the woman El-Soo was vested in the man Porportuk.
Klakee-Nah, with his own hands, filled the glass with fervent spirits. "Drink!" he cried. "Is it not good?" And Porportuk's eyes watered as he nodded his head and smacked his lips. "When, in your own house, have you had such drink?" Klakee-Nah demanded. "I will not deny that the drink is good to this old throat of mine," Porportuk made answer, and hesitated for the speech to complete the thought.
It was slow work, and, while the weighing went on, Akoon was closely watched by all. "He but waits till the money is paid," one said; and the word went around and was accepted, and they waited for what Akoon should do when the money was paid. And Porportuk's man with the rifle waited and watched Akoon. The weighing was finished, and the gold-dust lay on the table in three dark-yellow heaps.
"Is it true talk?" he asked each of Porportuk's six young men. And each answered that it was true. "Is it true talk?" he asked El-Soo, and she answered, "It is true." "But Porportuk has not told that he is an old man," Akoon said, "and that he has daughters older than El-Soo." "It is true, Porportuk is an old man," said El-Soo.
Also, at Porportuk's back, walked another man with a rifle, who had eyes only for Akoon. "Here are the notes and mortgages," said Porportuk, "for fifteen thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents." El-Soo received them into her hands and said to Tommy, "Let them be reckoned as sixteen thousand." "There remains ten thousand dollars to be paid in gold," Tommy said.
Word Of The Day