Won't that be fine?"
He paused again, looking keenly at Asa.
"Come, come!" said the Wolf. "I do not like to be kept waiting.
You saw what I did to the little man down the street. I stabbed
him. I am not afraid to tell you. I shall not stab you. Oh,
no! You are a nice boy; you are going to tell me all about
everything. That little man is dead now, quite dead. You would
not like to be like that, would you? Well, you are going to get
a lot of money, and go free, so you can have a nice time spending
it. Come," he said in a level, patient tone. "Speak!"
Asa's pale, terrified eyes were fixed on his tormentor, but still
he was silent. The Wolf took a twenty-dollar gold piece from his
pocket and laid it on the table before the boy.
"Twenty dollars in gold," he said. He took other pieces like it
from his pocket and piled them up. "Wealth!"' he almost
whispered. "Did you ever have as much money as that?"
Asa shook his head.
The Wolf leaned confidentially forward.
"Now tell me all about everything," he said coaxingly. He
studied Asa.
Asa studied him in return. Like a fascinated bird staring at a
snake, he looked at the cold, glittering eyes, the browned face,
the sear on the cheek.
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