Fact is, they surprised me.
They must have some ancestral ideas of their own, so it comes natural
to 'em to pay for their weather. Tell 'em they've got to bribe an
earthquake, and they say, 'All right.' Queer, ain't it? 'Well, I
says, 'tell you what I'll do. I'll arrange it with the Don.' You've
no notion how they liked the idea, they're that scared of him. I
guess they'll put up various amounts. They didn't understand a
percentage. Maybe the details will be complicated. Let's go see the
Don."
The keeper was in his lantern story, looking out over the sea very
lonesome. Craney attacked the subject like a drummer selling a bill
of goods, but the keeper didn't seem to understand. "Why," says
Craney, "you see, these people have a sort of mysterious reverence
for you. Maybe you have an idea of the reason." The keeper said it
was probable that the peasantry were not unaware of his rank.
"Now, your ancestors employed agents, didn't they? Yes. Maybe they
got about half the proceeds and the agents stole the rest." The
keeper looked surprised, but thought that was probable too.
"Exactly. Now, we're offering, as a business proposition, to collect
on the same antique terms, only we give you an itemized account this
time.
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