I to come in for a share of the profits?" said
Haley.

"An't it enough we catch the boy for ye?" said Loker. "What do ye want?"

"Wal," said Haley, "if I gives you the job, it's worth something,--say
ten per cent. on the profits, expenses paid."

"Now," said Loker, with a tremendous oath, and striking the table with
his heavy fist, "don't I know _you_, Dan Haley? Don't you think to come
it over me! Suppose Marks and I have taken up the catchin' trade, jest
to 'commodate gentlemen like you, and get nothin' for ourselves?--Not by
a long chalk! we'll have the gal out and out, and you keep quiet, or, ye
see, we'll have both,--what's to hinder? Han't you show'd us the game?
It's as free to us as you, I hope. If you or Shelby wants to chase us,
look where the partridges was last year; if you find them or us, you're
quite welcome."

"O, wal, certainly, jest let it go at that," said Haley, alarmed; "you
catch the boy for the job;--you allers did trade _far_ with me, Tom, and
was up to yer word."

"Ye know that," said Tom; "I don't pretend none of your snivelling ways,
but I won't lie in my 'counts with the devil himself. What I ses I'll
do, I will do,--you know _that_, Dan Haley."

"Jes so, jes so,--I said so, Tom," said Haley; "and if you'd only
promise to have the boy for me in a week, at any point you'll name,
that's all I want."

"But it an't all I want, by a long jump," said Tom. "Ye don't think I
did business with you, down in Natchez, for nothing, Haley; I've learned
to hold an eel, when I catch him. You've got to fork over fifty dollars,
flat down, or this child don't start a peg. I know yer."

"Why, when you have a job in hand that may bring a clean profit
of somewhere about a thousand or sixteen hundred, why, Tom, you're
onreasonable," said Haley.

"Yes, and hasn't we business booked for five weeks to come,--all we can
do? And suppose we leaves all, and goes to bush-whacking round arter yer
young uns, and finally doesn't catch the gal,--and gals allers is the
devil _to_ catch,--what's then? would you pay us a cent--would you? I
think I see you a doin' it--ugh! No, no; flap down your fifty. If we
get the job, and it pays, I'll hand it back; if we don't, it's for our
trouble,--that's _far_, an't it, Marks?"

"Certainly, certainly," said Marks, with a conciliatory tone; "it's only
a retaining fee, you see,--he! he! he!--we lawyers, you know. Wal, we
must all keep good-natured,--keep easy, yer know. Tom'll ha