Читать книгу The Boy Miners; Or, The Enchanted Island, A Tale of the Yellowstone Country онлайн

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“Why, what I’ve got to say.”

“How did I know you had anything to say?”

“’Caus you did know it—dat’s de reason. I’s been an’ seen Captain Romaine—mighty glad to see me. ‘How are you, Jim?—how’s all de folks?—how’s George an’ Ned getting ’long? Why don’t dey come down an’ see me?’ Couldn’t do much, stuffed one so full, I liked to cracked open from my chin down to my heels.”

“That’s very pleasant, but had you your important business with him?”

“’Course I had—very ’portant, but you don’t seem to care much about it, so I won’t take the trouble to tell you.”

If the curiosity of Inwood had not been already aroused, he would have left the African alone, knowing that he would burst, if compelled to hold his secret a half hour longer. So he asked him:

“What was it, Jim? don’t keep us waiting.”

“Wal, the way ob it, you see, was dis way: Arter the Captain had axed about my healfh, free, four times, I tells him what had happened, an’ how we wanted to go to Californy. ‘Is dat so?’ he axed me, in a great flurry; ‘how lucky dat are. Old Mr. Inwood was allers a good friend ob mine, an’ I’m mighty glad I can do sumfin’ for his children. I’s Captain ob dis steamer, Jim,’ said he, ‘an’ we’re going to sail on Saturday. Tell George, an’ Ned, an’ yourself to git ready an’ sail wid me. I’ll land you on de Isthmus, (don’t know whar dat am) an’ give you a ticket cl’ar to San Francisco’—dat’s what he said, George—cl’ar he did.”