Thar's not an old woman in the country that don't say her prayers back'ards when she thinks of Jared Bunce.

Thar's his tin-wares and his wood-wares--his coffeepots and kettles, all put together with saft sodder--that jest go to pieces, as ef they had nothing else to do.

And he kin blarney you so--and he's so quick at a mortal lie--and he's got jest a good reason for everything--and he's so sharp at a 'scuse [excuse] that it's onpossible to say where he's gwine to have you, and what you're a gwine to lose, and how you'll get off at last, and in what way he'll cheat you another time.

He's been at this business, in these diggings, now about three years.

The regilators have swore a hundred times to square off with him; but he's always got off tell now; sometimes by new inventions--sometimes by bible oaths--and last year, by regilarly _cutting dirt_ [flight].