down."
"What"s the price, Tom?"
"How much you got, Peter?"
"Ah, well, I can afford a stiffish price, Tom. Anything you say in reason will suit me. You name the price, Tom. I"ll pay."
"Ay, ye crab!" says Tom. "I"m namin" prices now. Look out, Peter!
You"re seventy-three. I"m fifty-three. Will you grant that I"d live t" be as old as you?"
"I"ll grant it, Tom."
"I"m not sayin" I would," says Tom. "You mark that."
"Ah, well, I"ll grant it, anyhow."
"I been an industrious man all my life, Skipper Peter. None knows it better than you. Will you grant that I"d earn a hundred and fifty dollars a year if I lived?"
"Ay, Tom."
Down come a gust of wind. "Have done!" says one of the lads. "Here"s the gale come down with the dark. Us"ll all be cast away."
"Rodney"s mine, isn"t she?" says Tom.
Well, she was. n.o.body could say nothing to that. And n.o.body did.
"That"s three thousand dollars, Peter," says Tom.
"Three--thousand--dollars!"
"Ay," says Peter, "she calculates that way. But you"ve forgot t"
deduct your livin" from the total. Not that I minds," says he. ""Tis just a business detail."
"Damme," says Tom. "I"ll not be harsh!"
"Another thing, Tom," says Peter. "You"re askin" me t" pay for twenty years o" life when I can use but a few. G.o.d knows how many!"
"I got you where I wants you," says Tom, "but I isn"t got the heart t"
grind you. Will you pay two thousand dollars for my seat in the boat?"
"If you is fool enough t" take it, Tom."
"There"s something t" boot," says Tom. "I wants t" die out o" debt."
"You does, Tom."
"An" my father"s bill is squared?"
"Ay."
""Tis a bargain!" says Tom. "G.o.d witness!"
"Lads," says Pinch-a-Penny to the others in the rodney, "I calls you t" witness that I didn"t ask Tom Lane for his seat in the boat. I isn"t no coward. I"ve asked no man t" give up his life for me. This here bargain is a straight business deal. Business is business. "Tis not my proposition. An" I calls you t" witness that I"m willin" t" pay what he asks. He"ve something for sale. I wants it. I"ve the money t"
buy it. The price is his. I"ll pay it." Then he turned to Tom. "You wants this money paid t" your wife, Tom?"
"Ay," says Tom, "t" Mary. She"ll know why."
"Very good," says Pinch-a-Penny. "You"ve my word that I"ll do it....
Wind"s jumpin" up, Tom."
"I wants your oath. The wind will bide for that. Hold up your right hand."
Pinch-a-Penny shivered in a blast of the gale. "I swears," says he.
"Lads," says Tom, "you"ll shame this man to his grave if he fails t"
pay!"
"Gettin" dark, Tom," says Peter.
"Ay," says Tom; ""tis growin" wonderful cold an" dark out here. I knows it well. Put me ash.o.r.e on the ice, lads."
They landed Tom, then, on a near-by pan. He would have it so.
"Leave me have my way!" says he. "I"ve done a good stroke o"
business."
Presently they took old Pinch-a-Penny aboard in Tom"s stead; and just for a minute they hung off Tom"s pan to say good-by.
"I sends my love t" Mary an" the children," says he. "You"ll not fail t" remember. She"ll know why I done this thing. Tell her "twas a grand chance an" I took it."
"Ay, Tom."
"Fetch in here close," says Tom. "I want"s t" talk t" the ol"
skinflint you got aboard there. I"ll have my say, ecod, at last! Ye crab!" says he, shaking his fist in Pinch-a-Penny"s face, when the rodney got alongside. "Ye robber! Ye pinch-a-penny! Ye liar! Ye thief!
I done ye! Hear me? I done ye! I vowed I"d even scores with ye afore I died. An" I"ve done it--I"ve done it! What did ye buy? Twenty years o"
my life! What will ye pay for? Twenty years o" my life!" And he laughed. And then he cut a caper, and come close to the edge of the pan, and shook his fist in Pinch-a-Penny"s face again. "Know what I done in St. John"s last fall?" says he. "I seen a doctor, ye crab!
Know what he told me? No, ye don"t! Twenty years o" my life this here ol" skinflint will pay for!" he crowed. "Two thousand dollars he"ll put in the hands o" my poor wife!"
Well, well! The rodney was moving away. And a swirl of snow shrouded poor Tom Lane. But they heard un laugh once more.
"My heart is givin" "way, anyhow!" he yelled. "I didn"t have three months t" live!"
Old Pinch-a-Penny Peter done what he said he would do. He laid the money in poor Mary Lane"s hands. But a queer thing happened next day.
Up went the price of pork at Pinch-a-Penny"s shop! And up went the price of tea and mola.s.ses! And up went the price of flour!