about it, and so says I, plum, 'A
hundred dollars, and there was some expenses besides.'--'Well, well,'
says he, 'that seems like a good deal, just for bringin' a little gal
from school. It couldn't have took you more'n a couple of hours.'--'I
don't charge for time,' says I, 'it's for the risks and the science of
the thing. There's mighty few men in this town could have brought your
daughter home as neat as I did.'--'Well, well,' says he, rubbin' his
hands, 'I expect I'll have to pay for the whole term of the school,
whether she's there or not, and the business will come heavy on me.
Don't you think sixty dollars would pay you?' Now, I know when you deal
with this sort of a man there's always a good deal of difference
splittin'; and so, says I, 'No, it won't. I might take ninety dollars,
but that's the very lowest peg.'--'The very lowest?' says he, gettin' up
and walkin' about a little; and then I thought I heard the door-bell
ring again, and I was dreadful afraid somebody would come and call off
the old man before he finished the bargain. 'Well,' says I, 'we'll call
it eighty-five and expenses, and there I'll stop.'

"Groppeltacker, now he set down ag'in and looked hard at me. 'I didn't
ask you to bring my daughter back,' says he, speakin' gruff, and very
different from the way he spoke before, 'and what's more, I didn't want
her back, and what's more yet, I'm not goin' to pay you a red
cent.'--'Now, look a-here,' says I, mighty sharp, 'none o' that, old
man; fork over the money or I'll lay you out stiff as a poker, and help
myself. I'm not a fellow to be fooled with, and there's nobody in this
house can stop me.' Old Groppeltacker, he didn't turn a hair, but just
sot there, and says he, 'Before you blow any more, suppose you take my
little gold mouse out of your pocket and hand it to me.' I must say I
was took back at this, but I spoke back, as bold as brass, and said I
never seed his gold mouse. 'O, ho!' says he, 'what you didn't see was
the electric button under the table cover which rung a bell when the
mouse was picked up. That's what I call my mouse-trap.'

"At this I jist b'iled over. 'Now,' says I, 'just you hand out every
cent you've got, and your watch, too; not another word.' And I jumped up
and clapped my hand on my pistol in my hip-pocket, and just at that
minute there was a click and the nippers were on me, and there was a big
policeman with his hand on my shoulder. I couldn't speak, I was so
b'ilin' an