For a long time I couldn't make up my mind which of them to take, and they
kep' coming and coming, and I
kep' worrying.
"It is your own fault for being a terrier; I do not require a licence, and neither does
Kep, the Collie dog."
'Em'ly,' said he, 'arter you left her, ma'am - and I never heerd her saying of her prayers at night, t'other side the canvas screen, when we was settled in the Bush, but what I heerd your name - and arter she and me lost sight of Mas'r Davy, that theer shining sundown - was that low, at first, that, if she had know'd then what Mas'r Davy
kep from us so kind and thowtful, 'tis my opinion she'd have drooped away.
I wasn't brought up like a younger brother, but was always encouraged to be extravagant and
kep idle.
'Mrs Higden said so, sir, when she
kep it from her, hoping as Our Johnny would work round.'
You see, ef I
kep' on tryin' to git away afoot, de dogs 'ud track me; ef I stole a skift to cross over, dey'd miss dat skift, you see, en dey'd know 'bout whah I'd lan' on de yuther side, en whah to pick up my track.
I've
kep' her here a whole year: it's somebody else's turn now."
'Pears like he just grew crosser, every day;
kep me up nights till I got farly beat out, and couldn't keep awake no longer; and cause I got to sleep, one night, Lors, he talk so orful to me, and he tell me he'd sell me to just the hardest master he could find; and he'd promised me my freedom, too, when he died."
Would I find out that boy that had fed him and
kep his secret, and give him them two one pound notes?
"I thought a course they was all dead, but, laws, they
kep' a-comin' back last night until it seems, after all, we didn't lose but a few.
Riach; we'll have to come as near in about the end of Mull as we can take her, sir; and even then we'll have the land to
kep the wind off us, and that stoneyard on our lee.
No man never see a dead donkey 'cept the gen'l'm'n in the black silk smalls as know'd the young 'ooman as
kep' a goat; and that wos a French donkey, so wery likely he warn't wun o' the reg'lar breed.'