"What do you want, men? You ought not to break into people's houses!
You musn't disgrace the hemlock."
"Tha's all mighty fine, Cap'n," said Meshech Little, "but we want
suthin tew drink."
"Why don't you get it at the tavern?"
"The widder won't treat no more, an she's kinder got Abner bewitched
like, so's he backs her up, an we can't git nothin thar 'thout fightin
Abner, darn him."
"I say Cap'n 'tain't fa'r fer yew ter be a interferin with all our
fun," spoke up another.
"That's so," said others. "Cap'n," remarked Meshech, "yew jess let us
'lone, we hain't a techin yew, an we're baoun tew hev a time ter
night."
Perez knew well enough that to attempt to wholly thwart the intentions
of this excited and drunken crowd, would be beyond his power, or at
least involve a bloody riot, and so he replied, good-naturedly:
"That's all right, boys, you shall have your time, but it won't do to
break into houses. Go over to the guardhouse and tell Abe Konkapot
that I say you may have a couple of gallons of the town rum we seized
the other night." This compromise was tumultuously accepted, the
entire crowd starting on a run toward the Fennell house, each hoping
to get the first advantage of the largess.
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