Part 20 (2/2)

Horble tipped the bottle into his own glass A second ! One could see what the fellow drank

”Here's luck,” said Gregory

”Drink hearty,” said Horble

”Joe Horble,” said Gregory, leaning both elbows on the table, ”there's soe loves ory

Horble helped hiin, and then sloiped hisshe's ive you a thousand pounds for her, cash and bills,” said Gregory

”You can't sell white women,” said Horble ”She ain't labor”

”A thousand pounds!” repeated Gregory

”I won't sell my wife to no man,” said Horble

The pair looked at each other Horble's hand felt for the gin again His speech had grown a little thick He was angry and flustered, and a dull resento the schooner,” cried Gregory ”The _Northern Light_ as she lies there thison her bottom, with two hundred pounds of specie in her safe Lock, stock, and barrel, she's yours!”

Horble shook his head

”Madge ain't for sale,” he said

”Please yourself,” said Gregory ”You'll end by losing her for nothing”

”Captain Cole,” said Horble, ”Madge has told o between you and her, and how, if you hadn't cleared out so sudden the way you did, she would have married you in spite of old Blanchard But when you went away like that you left the field clear, and youstepped in and taken your leavings What's done's done, and it's a sorry game to come back too late and insult a ory

”If you choose,” continued Horble in his tone of wounded reasonableness, ”you can e I don't think it co that calls hienelman like yourself, e all respeck and look up to Captain Cole, if you've lost Madge, you know you can only blaory

”Captain Cole,” said Horble, calmly but with a quiver of his lip, ”we'll take another drink and then we'll say good-by”

”I'an to treory

”Decide what?” demanded Horble in a husky stutter

”Between you and ory