"He's rether techy any time, but he'd bin a braggin' on this ere field o'rye, how he was goin' to beat the hull town on it, and to have that old ram a nibblin' and trottin' threw it, and a spilin on't, sot his dander up. I was willin' to a' paid him suthin' for damages, but his charges was tew hot for me. Told him I'd see him darned afore I'd be imposed upon in that shape. Wal, he said he'd sue me, and sure enuff he did. "We kept a lawin' on it considerable of a spell. Fust the court gin him his damages; then I 'pealed, and the case kept a gettin' put over somehow or other, till the 'all wool _suit_,' as the lawyers got to callin' it, come to be a standin' joke, and I was heartily sick on't. Wal, finally we contrived to settle it, and arter payin' Bliss about what he fust asked, I had my costs to see tu, and I went to Squire Sharp, my lawyer, to see what _he_ was a goin' to charge me for his _sarvices_, as he called it. He was jest as smilin' and clever as a baskit o' chips. "'Take a seat, Mr. L.' says he, 'I'll find your little account in a minit. Pleasant mornin', sir, good growin' weather.' "Wal, I set down and found out purty soon that I'd got 'bout fifty dollars to pay for his _sarvices_,--blame 'em! "'Now,' says I, 'Squire, that air's a good deal o' money for a man like me tu pay, and I don't blieve I can raise it all tu wonst. P'raps you'd take part out in _pro_duce, jest ter 'commodate.' "'Oh, yes,' says he, 'Mr. L., I'll take anything you've a mind to bring.' "'So,' thinks I, 'I'll git red of one plague by the means;' and I went home and got the old ram and carried him up to the Squire's house. "'Good mornin', Squire,' says I, 'I've brought the fust instalment on my little account.' "'The deuce you have,' says he, 'what do you suppose I'm going to do with that old buck?' "'Donno, Squire,' says I, 'all I know is that you said you'd take anything I was a mind ter bring, and this ere ram is _legal tender_, anyhow.' "Wal, he saw he was kinder stuck, so he 'greed to take it, and 'low me five dollars. "I heerd arterwards that the Squire put the ram into an empty hog-pen, to keep him until he could sell him, but the darned critter went over the top on't, and tackled Miss Sharp, the Squire's wife, that happened to be a stoopin' down, weedin' her posies in the gardin, upsot her, and then put arter little Jim, one of her boys, and floored him, and ended off with knockin' down a crazy old well-curb, pitchin' into the well, and breakin' his neck, or drowndin' himself, I donno which. "That's the end of my experience in law. The old ram cost me, fust and last, about a hundred dollars."