“Dat inquire some deflexum.  Let me see:  I don’t know about de day, at all.  If he see you coming, he make off, probumbly, and den de job is lost, and de fire is in de fat.  De night is de best time, I guess, to ketch dis kind ob fish.”

But this opinion did not suit the notions of the constable.

“It won’t be half so pleasant,” he said.  “It’s plaguy cold at night; and if it keeps on at this rate, the river will soon freeze up.  I expect we can git him easier, too, in the day-time than at night.”

For some reason Primus seemed to entertain a decidedly contrary opinion.

“You suspec’,” cried he, “de ole man let you put you hand an him as easy as Frisky wink (looking at a little mongrel, that at the mention of his name jumped into his master’s lap).  Ketch a weasel asleep!  De old man beard too long for dat.”

“Why, I can’t see,” said Basset, “what objections you can have if I take the risk.  You can’t deny it’s a great deal pleasanter in the day time than to go along shivering at night, and, perhaps, catch a tarnation cold.  So, Prime, what say to going down to-morrow in the forenoon or afternoon, I don’t care much which?  It’s all one to me.”

“It’s all no use,” persisted Primus.  “You just hab to pay for de boat and my sarvices, and git noting.  Dat is what I call a berry bad spec, Missa Basset.”

“Well, what’s that to you, I tell you?  If I choose to run the risk, that’s enough, and you ought to be satisfied.  You git your pay, and what more do you want?”

“Dere is someting more I want,” exclaimed the General, “I want de satisfacshum ob victory.  I want de satisfacshum here,” he repeated, laying his hand on his breast.  “Do you tink, sar, dat a genlmn, dat fight in de Resolutionary war, and gib one leg, dat you may stand on two free leg, hab no feeling ob honor?  Beside, dis old soger don’t want no bread he don’t arn.”

“Well, I’ll make a bargain with you, that if we don’t catch Holden, you shan’t have anything.  That horse is soon curried.”

“Ah, dat won’t do.  My time is precious, and de hire is wordy ob de laborer.  No, Missa Basset, if you want to go in de day time, you can go.  Dere is nobody will hender you.  But dis child you will please ’scuse.  Beside, dere is a good reason I say noting about ’cause I don’t want to hurt you feelings.”

“What’s that?” said Basset.  “Don’t be afeared, spit it out.”

“Well, seeing as how you is so pressing you see I tink someting ob my ’spectability.”

“Your what?” exclaimed the constable, utterly at a loss to imagine the meaning of the other.

“My ’spectability,” repeated Primus, gravely.  “You see, when I was a young man I sociate wid da best company in de country.  I members de time when General Wayne (dey called him Mad Antony cause he fight so like de dibble) say afore de whole army dat haansome fellow—­meaning me—­look like anoder Anibal (Anibal I guess was a French General).  Ah,” sighed Primus, “dey made more ’count ob colored pussons den, dan dey does now.”