It will be six or seven years at least before I shall know whether the book is good and life-worthy or not and yet need drives me to publish it at once.

Chapter viii. On the Trail!

Curiously enough, I soon noticed that the rake-off鈥� had had the secondary result of giving us an infer-ior quality of meat; whenever the butcher was left with a roast he could not sell, he used to send it to us confident that Payne wouldn鈥檛 quarrel about it. The negro cook declared that the meat now was far better; all that could be desired in fact, and our customers too were not slow to show their appreciation.

no Southerner would be in doubt for a moment. You must leave her at once, please!鈥�