Assured that it was all right, Jim turned his eyes severely on Yates, and said: "Sam Yates, do ye s'pose ye've any idee what it is to be licked by Jim Fenton?
Do ye know what ye're sw'arin' to?
Do ye reelize that I wouldn't leave enough on ye to pay for havin' a funeral ?" Yates laughed, and said that he believed he understood the nature of an oath.
"Then sign yer Happy David," said Jim.
Yates wrote his name, and passed the paper into Jim's hands.
"Now," said Jim, with an expression of triumph on his face, "I s'pose ye don't know that ye've be'n settin' on a Bible; but it's right under ye, in that chest, an' it's hearn and seen the whole thing.

If ye don't stand by yer Happy David, there'll be somethin' worse nor Jim Fenton arter ye, an' when that comes, ye can jest shet yer eyes, and gi'en it up." This was too much for both Yates and Benedict.

They looked into each other's eyes, and burst into a laugh.

But Jim was in earnest, and not a smile crossed his rough face.
"Now," said he, "I want to do a little sw'arin' myself, and I want ye to write it." Yates resumed his pen, and declared himself to be in readiness.
"I solem-ny sw'ar," Jim began, "s'welp me! that I will lick Sam Yates--as is a lawyer--with the privlidge of self-defense--if he ever blows on Benedict--as is not a pauper--no more nor Jim Fenton is--an' I solem-ny sw'ar, s'welp me! that I'll foller 'im till I find 'im, an' lick 'im--with the privlidge of self-defense." Jim would have been glad to work in the last phrase again, but he seemed to have covered the whole ground, and so inquired whether Yates had got it all down.
Yates replied that he had.
"I'm a goin' to sign that, an' ye can take it along with ye.

Swap seats." Yates rose, and Jim seated himself upon the chest.
"I'm a goin' to sign this, settin' over the Bible.