Ye haven't sunk to `low life' because ye're low yourself, but ye'll never git a damned one o'
the respectable to believe it.There's a few others like ye in the wide world, and I've seen one or two of 'em.I've been all over, steeple-chasin', sailorman, soldier, pedler, and in the PO-lice; I've pulled the Grand National in Paris, and I've been handcuffed in Hong-Kong; I've seen all the few kinds of women there is on earth and the many kinds of men.Yer own kind is the one I've seen the fewest of, but I knew ye belonged to it the first time I laid eyes on ye!" He paused, then continued with conviction: "Ye'll come to no good, either, fer yerself, yet no one can say ye haven't the talents.Ye've helped many of the boys out of a bad hole with a word of advice around the courts and the jail.Who knows but ye'd be a great lawyer if ye kept on?"Young people usually like to discuss themselves under any conditions--hence the rewards of palmistry,--but Joe's comment on this harangue was not so responsive as might have been expected.
"I've got seven dollars," he said, "and I'll leave the clothes I've got on.Can you fix me up with something different?""Aha!" cried the red-bearded man."Then ye ARE in trouble! I thought it 'd come to ye some day! Have ye been dinnymitin' Martin Pike?""See what you can do," said Joe."I want to wait here until daybreak.""Lie down, then," interrupted the other."And fergit the hullabaloo in the throne-room beyond.""I can easily do that"--Joe stretched himself upon the bed,--"I've got so many other things to remember""I'll have the things fer ye, and I'll let ye know I have no use fer seven dollars," returned the red-bearded man, crossly."What are ye sniffin' fer?""I'm thinking of the poor fellow that got the mate to this," said Joe, touching the bandage.