HE BIDED HIS TIME.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11825, 23 November 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

HE BIDED HIS TIME.

' Wull, I wus down at the tavern one night where we men osed to mout, and a feller name of Henderson ciuie tilong in and says ' Hullo, Roger?.' 1 Hallo/ says 1. - ' Well,' says he, ' its a good night for a swop. Them country fellers if tumble for swopping. 4 Yes,' says I, ' if yon've got anything to swop.' " • Well/ says he^/flf swop yx>U my srold chain for yours. It's a gd6d one,' ißn tit V ' • \. m * ' Yes,* says'-!, • paid* twelve pounds for it. 'Well, I lookej at his chain/, and it seemed good enoagb, and I took it ( ove< to the landlord and he says it was a good' one — tbat they was both good chain". So we' swopped- ; • Well, a conple of days after I was'i up in town for the day, and I woat in- ] to a jew.ellery shop where I knew the man. Well,, says, he, ' Hullo, Rogers, how are you? . - ' 'ilnllo/ says I. ' Well, we was a-talfciog about the weather and one thing and> apufcher, anUrtben I palled pat the chain And 1 says to him, '• What's that worfcb,' just aa though I didn't care nothing 'about : it. . / • ' ' Woll, he looked at it, and then he 'took-' lt- to the' window, arid put a' glass up fo hiff eye, an J then he looked at is again, >: and says ho, ' 'Tain'tno good. . ' 'Taint no good!' says I. ' No/ says be,,, '-worth eight or ten shillings, just a tittle* bit plated. ' Well, says f set I took it back'/Tve mk'h* a bob on it, a'nyHoW.' ' , ' Well,'- f went' back home from town, and when night come I went down to the tavern, aa I I says, ' Look here, Henderson, tlrat eiu'c no square swop g|' Why- not ?' says ha. ' Taint no good/ says I. ' Ob/ says be. ' Yes/ says I. ' I never holler/ says he. • Oil !' says I. ' Well, I went home, and a few days after, as I was ti-corning along the road I see the parson sitting on a fence and he calls out, ' Hallo, Rogers. • Hallo/ says I, « Well, I see that he was looking sorter down in tbe mouth, ao I says, * Paraon, you don't seem to be in very good spirits this morning. • v - ; 1 Well/ says he, ' you know that hoss of mine V " • Yes/ says I, ' as good a horse as there is in the country. 'Well/ say 3 he,, 1 it'B dead. ' Dead/ says 1. . ' Yep/ says he. ' Parson/ says I* will yoa give me that horse ?' • Wiiy/ says he, "what do you want with that horse/ ' ' Oh/ sayd I, « I'll bury him.' - ' ' Well Rogers/ says be, ' you never done anything to me, so yoa can hay<? the hops.' ' All right/says I ; and I went down to the tavefir and waited till Henderooa eamo in. 1 Hullo, Rogers/ says Henderson. ' Hullo/ says I, ' Good day for a swop. ' Yes/ says he, 'if you've got anything to swop. • Well/ says I, * you know that horse i of tbe parson's ?' , ] 1 Yes.' cays he. 4 Wei 1 , it is mine/ says I. • Yours/ said he, > 'Yes/says I." ' Well/ say he. • Wait/ says I, ' till I tell yon about ! that horee.' ' 1 • Oh' says he, ' yon can tell mo ; nothing about that" horse, I kuow all j abvttt him. • Wall/ says I, * what will you give mo for him. • Why/ says he, ' I'll give that hosa, waggon, and harness I have got out there. 1 ' Well I went outside and I felt of the horse, waggon, and harness, and 1 says all right. ' So we took the horse, and pat. him in the stable, and hung up the harness, j and left the waggon standing outside. , • Then I says to him, ' Now, Hon- 1 dereon, you go up to the, parson'p and tell him to give you the horse. : • * Well, he went along, add I took

the horse out of the stable and harnessed him to the waggon and drove home. I was satisfied. Well, the next day after | that I come into the tavern, and Henderson calls oat * Hullo, Rogers. « Hullo,' says I. 1 Now,' say 3 he, * that wasn't co fair swop. 'No? Why not? says I. * Why, 1 says be, • the horse is dead. ' D^ad !' says I. ' Yes,' says he. ♦ Well,' says I, • I didn't say be,wa3 alive. I was going to tell you about tbat horse, but yoa said you kne* ail about him. ' Oh, well,* says he, ' it aiu't square nohow. • Oh,' says I, ' I never holler. ' Well, to this day when there's any horse swopping going on np at houae they always ask, ' Is he alive ?'