It was the same as when one small boy
says to another, "You give me your jackknife and I won't tell anybody
to lick you." That gives him a sense of good morals that's
comfortable inside him.
I carried up maybe thirty pounds of lead pipe in eighth-inch
sections, and emptied out two of the bags, and shovelled in the lead
pipe. I put in enough sticky coin on top to cover it well, and the
rest I put some in the other two bags, but most in a leather satchel
under some clothes. Then I tied up the bags and shoved them under the
bunk, with the lead pipe ones in front. Eighth inch sections of lead
pipe aren't so different from gold coin, so long as they're in a meal
bag with the proper deceptiveness on top. Then I turned in and went
to sleep.
In the morning I went to Monson and said, as glum as I could, that I
guessed he'd do as he liked, and as to the negroes dropping me
overboard he was probably right. Then he acted shy and timid. He
followed me back to my cabin, and stood around like he was part
ashamed and part confused, kicking his heels together nervous, and
smoothing his hair.
"Why," he said, "you see, it's this way. I think I'll take 'em now."
Then he fished out the two front bags, opened them, squinted in,
tied them up, and walked off.
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