"
"Yes, I s'pose so, myself; but, you see, I don't expect that's the
name that belongs to me. But the fellers call me so, an' so does
Uncle Dan'l."
"Who is Uncle Daniel?" was the next question. In the absence of
other customers the man seemed disposed to get as much amusement
out of the boy as possible.
"He hain't my uncle at all; I only call him so because all the boys
do, an' I live with him."
"Where's your father and mother?"
"I don't know," said Toby, rather carelessly. "I don't know much
about 'em, an' Uncle Dan'l says they don't know much about me.
Here's another bad nut; goin' to give me two more?"
The two nuts were given him, and he said, as he put them in his
pocket and turned over and over again those which he held in his
hand: "I shouldn't wonder if all of these was bad. S'posen you
give me two for each one of 'em before I crack 'em, an' then they
won't be spoiled so you can't sell 'em again."
As this offer of barter was made, the man looked amused, and he
asked, as he counted out the number which Toby desired, "If I give
you these, I suppose you'll want me to give you two more for each
one, and you'll keep that kind of a trade going until you get my
whole stock?"
"I won't open my head if every one of em's bad."
"All right; you can keep what you've got, and I'll give you these
besides; but I don't want you to buy any more, for I don't want to
do that kind of business.
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