He
then went up to his room and thrust the hanks, unobserved, one by
one among the straw which, covered by an army blanket,
constituted his bed. To-morrow, no doubt, Dan would supply him
somehow with a turn-screw. On going down to the gate next day
he found that the negro had changed his commodity, and that this
time his basket contained very large and fine cucumbers. These
were selling briskly, and Vincent saw that Dan was looking round
anxiously, and that an expression of relief came over his face as he
perceived him. He had, indeed, but eight or ten cucumbers left.
"Cucumbers to-day, sah? Berry fine cucumbers--first-rate
cucumbers dese."
"They look rather over-ripe," Vincent said.
"Not a bit, sah; dey just ripe. Dis berry fine one-ten cents dis."
"You are putting up your prices, darkey, and are making a fortune
out of us," Vincent said as he took the cucumber, which was a very
large and straight one. He had no difficulty with this, as with the
melon; a sharp twist broke it in two as he reached the corner he
had used the day previously. It had been cut in half, one end had
been scooped out for the reception of the handle of the turn-screw,
and the metal been driven in to the head in the other half.
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