[Nick of the Woods by Robert M. Bird]@TWC D-Link book
Nick of the Woods

CHAPTER XXXII
18/20

No, captain, here's the case; you takes my gal Telie, and Braxley takes the t'other; and so it's all settled fair between you." "Hark you, rascal!" cried Roland, giving way to his feelings; "if you would deserve a reward, you must win it, not by saving _me_, but my cousin.

My own life I would buy at the price of half the lands which that will makes me master of--for the rescue of Edith from the vile Braxley I would give _all_.

Save her--save her from Braxley--and then ask me what you will." "Well," said Atkinson, "and you'll marry my gal ?" "Death and furies! are you besotted?
I will enrich her--ay, with the best of my estate--with all--she shall have it all." "And you won't have her, then ?" cried the renegade, starting up in anger: "you don't think her good enough for you, because you're of a great quality stock, and she's come of nothing but me, John Atkinson, a plain back-woods feller?
Or mayhap," he added, more temperately, "you're agin taking her because of my being sich a d--d notorious rascal?
Well, now, I reckon that's a thing nobody will know of in Virginny, unless you should tell it yourself.

You can jist call her Telie Jones, or Telie Small, or any nickname of that natur', and nobody'll be the wiser; and I shall jist say nothing about it myself--I won't, captain, d--n me; for it's the gal's good I'm hunting after, and none of my own." "You are mad, I tell you," cried the soldier.

"Fix your own terms for her: I will execute any instrument, I will give you any bond--" "None of your cussed bonds for me," said Doe, with great contempt; "I knows the worth of 'em, and I'm jist lawyer enough to see how you could git out of 'em, by swearing they were written under compulsion, or whatsomever you call it.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books