I don't think you have acted
honestly by me.'
"'Parker,' said I, 'don't you use words that you don't know the
meanin' of, and for goodness gracious sake don't come to me to teach
you manners, I beseech you, for I am a rough schoolmaster, I tell you.
I answered every question you asked me, candidly, fair and square, and
above board.'
"'Didn't you know,' said he, 'that no living man could git that horse
across a bridge, let him do his darndest?'
"'I did,' said I, 'know it to my cost, for he nearly killed me in a
fight we had at the Salem Pike.'
"'How could you then tell me, Sir, your sole reason for parting with
him was, that you wanted to leave Boston and go to Charleston?'
"'Because, Sir,' I replied, 'it was the literal truth. Boston, you
know as well as I do, is almost an island, and go which way you will,
you must cross a bridge to get out of it. I said I wanted to quit the
city, and was compelled to leave my horse behind. How could I ever
quit the place with that tormented beast? And warn't I compelled to
leave him when Old Scratch himself couldn't make him obey orders? If I
had a waited to leave town till he would cross a bridge, I should have
had to have waited till doomsday.'
"He scratched his head and looked foolish. 'What a devil of a sell,'
said he. 'That will be a standing joke agin me as long as I live.'
"'I don't see that,' said I, 'if you had been deceived, you might have
called it a sell, but you bought him with your eyes and ears open, and
a full knowledge of the truth.
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