'Yes, that I will, with pleasure, sir.' 'That's like a man, there's no boy about that--ah, Jim, I knew your father well, and a likelier man never came to this place; but what he came _here_ for was more than I could ever see--it seems to me there's a cus on it; the men are bad enough, but the boys are the old Nick's property altogether. I tell you what, if we don't have a preacher, or something of that kind, along here pretty soon, we're a gone case; there'll be another sort of bellows blowin' than my old groaner, I tell you. Ah, Jim, that feels good, I won't touch a hammer agin' to day; if Grizzle wants his old plough mended, he may come and sweat away at it himself, it will do his old dry carcass good, won't it Sam? It won't hurt him, will it?' And the old man went off into a good hearty laugh, his whole body shaking like a lump of jelly--the idea of sweating Grizzle amused him so much, that he forgot about the heat, and taking his hat clapped it on his head. 'And now, boys, what are you up to? going crabbing down to the mill, I know; for my boys have been there this hul blessed morning.' 'Oh, no sir,' said Jim, 'we were not thinking about that this morning; but are wishing to find out who would be willing to engage some beans and potatoes for the fall.' 'Beans and potatoes? why, you blessed child, are you crazy? You ain't grown up here, not to know better than to try to sell sich things in this place. You must go to Grizzle with them, and he won't take them only for jist what you owe him.' 'Ah, but we don't want to sell, but to buy.' 'Want to buy!--you're wus off than I thought you was. Why, didn't you plant any? How did you think you was goin' to live? like Bill Moore and his brother down the lane here? eh?' 'Oh, no sir, we have plenty for our use; but we can sell quite a quantity of these articles, more than we shall have.' 'And pray tell me what you call a quantity, mister.' 'Why, we want two or three hundred bushels.' '_Two or three hundred bushels!_' And the old man took off his hat and began to fan himself again very fast. '_Two or three hundred bushels!_--you boys wasn't neither on you brought up to lie, but I don't know but you've taken up the trade; it's pretty easy larnt, to be sure.' 'It's true, Uncle Sam, what Jim tells you; _true_ as we stand here.' 'Sam Oakum, them eyes o' yourn warn't made to help a lyin' tongue; so don't stand there looking so honest, and telling me sich stuff as that.' 'It is true, Mr. Cutter, just as Sam says; we are telling you the truth, and no joke about it.' But the old man kept shaking his head and fanning himself; so that Jim felt called upon to tell their whole story. 'Now boys, _is_ this _true_, you're tellin' me? Sam, you're a smilin'; there's some catch about it, ain't there, you rogue?' 'No, there ain't, Uncle Sam, upon my honor.'