Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/207

 understood every human lingo. Delightedly Old Reliable gabbled on:—"Yas suh, mister. But dat ain't Cunnel's way o' tradin'. Cunnel walks into de sto' an' say, 'John, gimme a hat; you knows what kin' I wants.' De clerk pulls out de same kin' o' hat what Cunnel's been wearin' sence de s'render. Ev'ybody in Vicksburg, white an' black, is well 'quainted wid dat hat. Den de Cunnel say, 'Joe,'—dat's de nigger porter what works in de sto'—'here, Joe, take dis ole hat. It'll keep off de sun when you goes a-fishin'. Cunnel claps dat new hat on his head an' marches out. He don't never know what he pay fer nothin', till de bill comes roun'."

The steward lifted a warning finger, "Ach! But it must not be so in this land; he will at once pay the large price already."

"Yas, suh, yas, suh, dat's 'zackly what I keeps a-tellin' him. Cunnel say, 'Shucks, life's too short an' full o' blisters fer me to be fussin' 'bout a nickel." Zack glanced at the planter, who was absorbed in his letters. Then drew breath for more extensive conversation with the steward.

"Me an' de Cunnel went over dar to—how you speak de name o' dat landin' on tother side de river?"

"Omdurman."

"Sholy, sholy—dat's what I said. Me an' de