angry.

"'I'll hain't be able,' I'll say.

"Jus' den Alphonsine she come 'long, an' she's laugh so she can't
hardly hold on wis me to de hannle. I was laugh good some more. When
de old villain see us have fun, he's yell: 'I'll learn you bose one
lesson for this. Pull me ashore!'

"'Oh! you's learn, us bose one lesson, M'sieu Savarin, eh?' Alphonsine
she's say. 'Well, den, us bose will learn M'sieu Savarin one lesson
first. Pull him up a little,' she's say to me.

"So we pull him up, an' den Alphonsine she's say to me: 'Let out de
hannle, quick'--and he's under de water some more. When we stop de
net, he's got hees head up pretty quick.

"'_Monjee!_ I'll be drown' if you don't pull me out,' he's mos' _cry_.

"'Ver' well--if you's drown, your family be ver' glad,' Alphonsine
she's say. 'Den they's got all your money for spend quick, quick.'

"M'sieu, dat scare him offle. He's begin for cry like one baby.

"'Save me out,' he's say. 'I'll give you anything I've got.'

"'How much?' Alphonsine she's say.

"He's tink, and he's say, 'Quarter dollar.'

"Alphonsine an' me is laugh, laugh.

"'Save me,' he's cry some more. 'I hain't fit for die dis mawny.'

"'You hain' fit for live no mawny,' Alphonsine she's say. 'One quarter
dollar, eh? Where's my sturgeon?'

"'He's got away when, I fall in,' he's say.

"'How much you goin' give me for lose my big sturgeon?' she's ask.

"'How much you'll want, Alphonsine?'

"'Two dollare.'

"'Dat's too much for one sturgeon,' he's say. For all he was not feel
fit for die, he was more 'fraid for pay out his money.

"'Let him down some more,' Alphonsine she's say.

"'Oh. _misere, misere_! I'll pay de two dollare,' he's say when his
head come up some more.

"'Ver' well, den,' Alphonsine she's say; 'I'll be willin' for save
you, _me_. But you hain't scooped by _me_. You's in Marie's net. I'll
only come for help Marie. You's her sturgeon;' an' Alphonsine she's
laugh an' laugh.

"'I didn't lose no sturgeon for Marie,' he's say.

"'No, eh?" I'll say mysef. 'But you's steal my fader's platform. You's
take his fishin' place. You's got him fined two times. You's make my
moder pay his bill wis _my_ weddin' money. What you goin' pay for all
dat? You tink I'll be goin' for mos' kill mysef pullin' you out for
noting? When you ever do someting for anybody for noting, eh, M'sieu
Savarin?'

"'How much you want?' he's say.

"'Ten dollare for de platform, dat's all.'

"'Never--dat'