The Indian stood
shyly aside, but he did not fail to help with significant grunts
and glances.
"There, now," said Warren, as the row of martens were laid out
side by side, " thirty martens -- a leetle pale -- worth three
dollars and fifty cents each, or, to be generous, we'll say four
dollars." Rolf glanced at Quonab, who, unseen by the trader shook
his head, held his right hand out, open hollow up, then raised it
with a jerk for two inches.
Quickly Rolf caught the idea and said; "No, I don't reckon them
pale. I call them prime dark, every one of them." Quonab spread
his hand with all five fingers pointed up, and Rolf continued,
"They are worth five dollars each, if they're worth a copper."
"Phew!" said the trader. "you forget fur is an awful risky thing;
what with mildew, moth, mice, and markets, we have a lot of risk.
But I want to please you, so let her go; five each. There's a
fine black fox; that's worth forty dollars."
"I should think it is," said Rolf, as Quonab, by throwing to his
right an imaginary pinch of sand, made the sign "refuse."
They had talked over the value of that fox skin and Rolf said,
"Why, I know of a black fox that sold for two hundred dollars.
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