was about to enter,
thinking of my new wagon and the complete equipage of emigration now
shown to be mine by the bills of sale and deeds in my pocket, and
occasionally putting my fingers to my nose to catch the good smell of
the horse which soap and water had not quite removed. This scent I had
acquired by currying and combing my mares for hours, clipping their
manes and fetlocks, and handling them all over to see if they were free
from blemishes. The lawyer, Jackway, my guardian _ad litem_, came into
the tavern in a high and mighty and popular way, saying "How de do,
ward?" in a way I didn't like, went to the bar and throwing down a big
piece of money began drinking one glass after another.

As he drank he grew boastful. He bragged to the men about him of his
ability. Nobody ever hired Jackway to care for his interests, said he,
without having his interests taken care of.

"You can go out," said he to a peaceful-looking man who stood watching
him, "into the street there, and stab the first man you meet, and
Jackway'll get you clear. I'm a living whirlwind! And," looking at me as
I sat in the chair by the wall, "you can steal a woman's estate and I'll
get it away from her heirs for you."

I wondered if he meant me. I hardly believed that he could; for all the
while he had made a great to-do about protecting my interests; and I now
remembered that he had taken an oath to do so. But he kept sneering at
me all the evening, and just as I was leaving to go to bed, he called
the crowd up to drink with him.

"This is on the estate," he hiccoughed--for he was very drunk by this
time--"and I'll give you a toast."

They all lined up, slapping him on the back; and as I stood in the door,
they all lifted their glasses, and Jackway gave them what he called his
"toast," which ran as follows:

"Sold again
And got the tin,
And sucked another Dutchman in!"

He paid out of a fat pocketbook, staggering, and pointing at me and
looking like a tipsy imp of some sort; and finally he started over
toward me, saying, "Hey, Dutchman! Wait a minute an' I'll tell you how
you got sucked in!"

I grew suddenly very angry; and slammed the door in his face to prevent
myself from doing him harm. I had not yet seen why I ought to do him
harm; and along the road to Iowa, I was all the time wondering why I got
madder and madder at Jackway; and that rhyme kept running through my
mind, oftener and oftener, as I drew nearer and neare