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The captain's last remark that evening was made to Edwards, whom he met just outside the door of his bedroom. "Commodore," he said, "a barn full of rats is a nuisance, ain't it?" "Sir?" stammered the astonished butler. "I say a barn full of rats is a nuisance." "Why why, yes, sir. I should think it might be, sir." "Yup. Well, I know a worse one. It's a house full of mysteries. By, by, Son.
"Yup, it's the best of the lot," he said; "it teaches you about honor. Do you know the two things about scouts I like best?" he asked me. "No, I don't," I said. "It's that first law and the belt-axe that they wear." "Never you mind about the belt-axe," I said. "Yes, but you want me to tell you honest, don't you?" he blurted out.
Somebody ought to keep a watch on me, and when they see me beginnin' to get hot, set me on the back of the stove or somewheres; I'm always liable to bile over and scald the wrong critter. I've done that all my life. I'm sorry, Zoeth, you know I didn't mean " "I know, I know. Ah hum! Poor Marcellus! Here's the first break in the old firm, Shadrach." "Yup.
As tokens of his esteem, See Yup presented the party with gaudy plumes made of gold tinsel and trimmed with peacocks' feathers. We ate chow-chow with chop-sticks in the celestial restaurants; our comrade chided the moon-eyed damsels in front of the houses for their want of feminine reserve; we received protecting Josh-lights from our hosts and "dickered" for a pagan God or two.
But I'll sell you wood which I cut at my pleasure." "Cord-wood?" Seth shook his head. "Guess we want timbers. Kind o' buildin' a corral around the farm." "Making a fort of it?" Nevil's blue eyes followed the upward curling wreath of smoke which dawdled on the still air above the fire. "Yup." "Fancy the Injuns are on the racket?" "Wal, 'tain't what they're doin' now.
"It's so cal'lated to be," replied Gabe, with dignity. "Hum! Does he work nights?" "Work nights? No, course he don't!" "Oh, all right! Then you can wake him up with a clear conscience. I didn't know but he needed the sleep. What's his record?" "Record?" "Yup; his trottin' record. Anybody can see he's built for speed, narrow in the beam and sharp fore and aft. Shall I get aboard the barouche?"
Her persecutor answered the question. "You bet your life he knows me!" he snarled. "He knows me mighty well! Pard, you keep your nose out of this, d'you see! You mind your own business. I wan't goin' to hurt her any." The captain paid no attention to him. "Yup, I know him," he said grimly.
Seems she'd been over to the Cattle Show at Ostable one year, and she was loaded to the gunwale with some more or less facts that a fortune-tellin' specimen by the name of the 'Marvelous Oriental Seer' had handed her in exchange for a quarter. "'Yup, says she, bobbin' her head so emphatic that the sky-blue ribbon pennants on her black hair flapped like a loose tops'l in a gale of wind.
As there was no more expense attending this than in stone-breaking or rag-picking, and the feeding of the coolies, which was ridiculously cheap, there was no doubt that See Yup was reaping a fair weekly return from it; but, as he sent his receipts to San Francisco through coolie managers, after the Chinese custom, and did not use the regular Express Company, there was no way of ascertaining the amount.
But the settlement had become more prosperous and law-abiding; there were one or two Eastern families and some foreign capital already there, and its jealousy and indignation were restricted to severe investigation and legal criticism. Fortunately for See Yup, it was an old-established mining law that an abandoned claim and its tailings became the property of whoever chose to work it.
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