Yes, sir, if I got big money's wuth out o' that box it was mostly a matter of feelin'; but as fur 's that old plugamore of a hoss was concerned, I got it both ways, for I got my fust real start out of his old carkiss." "Yes ?" said John encouragingly.
"Yes, sir," affirmed David, "I cleaned him up, an' fed him up, an' almost got 'im so'st he c'd see enough out of his left eye to shy at a load of hay close by; an' fin'ly traded him off fer another record-breaker an' fifteen dollars to boot." "Were you as enthusiastic over the next one as the first ?" asked John, laughing.
"Wa'al," replied David, relighting his temporarily abandoned cigar against a protest and proffer of a fresh one--"wa'al, he didn't lay holt on my affections to quite the same extent.

I done my duty by him, but I didn't set up with him nights.

You see," he added with a grin, "I'd got some used to bein' a hoss owner, an' the edge had wore off some." He smoked for a minute or two in silence, with as much apparent relish as if the cigar had not been stale.
"Aren't you going on ?" asked John at last "Wa'al," he replied, pleased with his audience, "I c'd go on, I s'pose, fast enough an' fur enough, but I don't want to tire ye out.

I reckon you never had much to do with canals ?" "No," said John, smiling, "I can't say that I have, but I know something about the subject in a general way, and there is no fear of your tiring me out." "All right," proceeded David.

"As I was sayin', I got another equine wonder an' fifteen dollars to boot fer my old plug, an' it wa'n't a great while before I was in the hoss bus'nis to stay.