'That wad's got a hunderd an' twenty-five into it, an' if you'd sooner have your hoss an' halter than the wad,' I says, 'why, I'll bid ye good-day.' "'You're offerin' one-twenty-five fer the hoss an' halter ?' he says.
"'That's what I'm doin',' I says.
"'You've made a trade,' he says, puttin' out his hand fer the money an' handin' the halter over to me." "An' didn't ye suspicion nuthin' when he took ye up like that ?" asked Mrs.Bixbee.
"I did smell woolen some," said David, "but I had the _hoss_ an' they had the _money_, an', as fur 's I c'd see, the critter was all right.
Howsomever, I says to 'em: 'This here's all right, fur 's it's gone, but you've talked putty strong 'bout this hoss.

I don't know who you fellers be, but I c'n find out,' I says.

Then the fust feller that done the talkin' 'bout the hoss put in an' says, 'The' hain't ben one word said to you about this hoss that wa'n't gospel truth, not one word.' An' when I come to think on't afterward," said David with a half laugh, "it mebbe wa'n't _gospel_ truth, but it was good enough _jury_ truth.

I guess this ain't over 'n' above interestin' to ye, is it ?" he asked after a pause, looking doubtfully at his sister.
"Yes, 'tis," she asserted.

"I'm lookin' forrered to where the deakin comes in, but you jest tell it your own way." "I'll git there all in good time," said David, "but some of the point of the story'll be lost if I don't tell ye what come fust." "I allow to stan' it 's long 's you can," she said encouragingly, "seein' what work I had gettin' ye started.