Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/36

 "That Delia lady you're worrying about—I seen her cleaning a nice blue-barrelled pistol last night, and trying the hang of it."

"She was!" Mrs. Mahna cried in amazement. "Oh, goody! I was afraid! I've seen so many girls dropping down that didn't know what they needed to have, first of all!"

"Oh, well! You dropped down, and I dropped down, and there's lots of others dropped down"

"And more died than lived, after they passed the jumping-off place!" Mrs. Mahna declared with asperity.

"I guess so," Mrs. Haney admitted. "It takes some roughing to get to be an old river lady, eh, Mrs. Mahna?"

"You bet," Mrs. Mahna chuckled. "When you-all going to drop down, Mrs. Haney?"

"I ain't got to think yet, but in a day or two, I expect. I just got to tar my roof again; that canvas is worn bad, and then I want to get to stop in Memphis where Jess's goin' into the Government boats."

"Then you ain't going to Arkansaw Old Mouth?"

"Not directly. No. I don't like that lower river"

"Shucks! If you just take care of yourself, that lower river's just as good as up around here, and I don't know but what it's better!" Mrs. Mahna