in the Bible 'at it says
some folks is bawn troublesome, and some goes round huntin' for trouble,
and some has trouble jammed up ag'inst 'em?"

"You can't prove it by me," Tom laughed. "I believe Shakespeare said
something like that about greatness."

"Well, nev' mind; whoa, Saladin, boy, we'll git round to you ag'in,
bime-by. As I was sayin', this here furss with Jim Bledsoe jest
natchelly couldn't be holped, nohow. Hit was thisaway: 'long late in the
fall I swapped Jim a piebald that was jest erbout the no-accountest
hawss 'at ever had a bit in his mouth. I done told Jim all his meanness;
but Jim, he 'lowed I was lyin' and made the trade anyhow. Inside of a
week he was back here, callin' me names. I turned him first one cheek
and then t'other, like the Good Book says, till they was jest plum' wo'
out; and then I says, says I: 'Lookee here, Jim, you've done smack' me
on both sides o' the jaw, and that ther's your priv'lege--me bein' a
chu'ch-member in good and reg'lar standin', and no low-down,
in-fergotten, turkey-trodden hypocrite like you. But right here the
torections erbout what I'm bounden to do sort o' peter out. I got as
many cheeks to turn as any of 'em, but that ain't sayin' that the
stock's immortil' With that he ups and allows a heap mo' things about my
morils; and me havin' turned both cheeks till my neck ached, and not
havin' any mo' _toe_ turn, what-all could I do--what-all would you 'a'
done, Tom-Jeff?"

"Don't ask me. I'm one of the hair-hung and breeze-shaken majority. I
should most probably have punched his head."

"Well, that's jest what I did. I says, says I, 'Jim, whom the Lord
loveth He chasteneth, and jest at this time present, I'm the
instru_ment_.' And when the dust got settled down, Jim he druv' home
with that ther' piebald, allowin' he wasn't such an all-fired bad hawss
after all. But lookee here, Tom-Jeff, this ain't sellin' you the finest
saddle-hawss in the valley. What do ye say about Saladin?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Tom. "I don't love horses very much. You know
what the Bible says: _A horse is a vain thing for safety_. Is this bay
going to make me lose my temper and knock his pinhead brains out the
first time I put a leg over him?"

"No-o-o, suh! Why, he's as kind and gentle and lovin as a woman. You
jest natchelly _couldn't_ whup this here bay, Tom-Jeff!"

"All right, Japhe; I was only deviling you a little. Take him up to the
Woodlawn stables and tell William Henry Harrison