284 THE LAND OF PLUCK

let me have yours, Ill give you ten dollars apiece for
them.”

“For my eyes!” exclaimed Hal, astonished almost out
of his wits.

“Yes,” resumed Uncle Ben, quietly, “for your eyes. I
promise not to hurt you a particle. Only you could n’t
see out of them any more. Come, sir! ten dollars apiece,
cash down. What do you say ?”

“Give you my eyes, Uncle! Why, I’d be blind!” cried
Hal, looking wild at the very thought. “For two ten dol-
lars? I think not!” and the startled little fellow shook his
head defiantly.

“Well, thirty ;— forty;—fifty;—-a hundred dollars,
then?” but Hal shook his head at every offer.

“No, sir! I would n’t let you for a thousand dollars.
Why, what could I do without my eyes? I could n’t see
Mother, nor the baby, nor the flowers, nor the horses, nor
anything,” added Hal, waxing warmer.

“T’ll give you five thousand!” urged Uncle Ben, taking
avoll of bank-notes out of his pocket. Poor little Hal,
standing at a respectful distance, shouted that he never
would do any such thing.

“Very well,” continued his uncle, with a serious, busi-
nesslike air, at the same time writing down something in
his note-book, “I can’t afford to give you more than five
thousand dollars, Hal; so I shall have to do without the
eyes; but,’ he added, “I ‘Il tell you what I will do: T’ll
give you twenty dollars if you will let me put a few drops
out of this bottle into your ears. It will not hurt, but it
will make you deaf. I want to try some experiments with