Laura Brayton — page 79: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

70 | LAURA BRAYTON. “Hat and drink, and while you are doing it listen to me,” said Sharp, putting the food and drink on the Fella: Joe nodded his shaggv head, threw off his old cap, and went at the bottle first, emptying a full . glass of the raw liquor before he touched the food. Then he ate with a verocity more beast-like than human. “Bartram says you will do anything for nine" said Sharp, eying the man closely. “Well, let him say so. I’m not goin’ to make him - out a liar,” said Joe, half-choked with a huge chunk of beef. “There is a man and a woman in my way—I want them out of it.” “Good! How much for the man?” “A hundred dollars,” said Sharp, hesitatingly. “Then he isn’t much in your way. You must bid higher when I’ve got enough to eat and drink afore me. If you’d took me when I was hungry and dry, Td have cut your throat for half the money !” And Joe looked as if he was half sorry he had not done it. “Thank you. I’m glad you are getting fed. When I die, I don’t care about its being with a throat dis- _ ease.” And Enoch Sharp ‘made a ghastly attempt to smile at his own pleasantry. “Hemp is as good as steel, and you wouldn’t be the first lawyer that crossed the black river on a rope,” said Joe, grinning. “T’ll give you one hundred dollars down, to en- courage you, and five hundred more when both the persons are out of my way—dead, I mean.” “Good! Hand over the hundred.” SS) Eomicboo com”