"Why, I think that their minds have been turned by this gold hunt, Rufus. They're crazy."
The negro laughed aloud.
"Das jus whar you all is puffickly right. Dey's as crazy as two pertater bugs wid de prickly heat. But Lawd bress you, you can't tell dem so. No sah! Dey thinks dat ebberybody else am nutty but themselves. Dat's dere collusion."
"So we discovered."
"Wa'al, dey ain't no manner on ob use argyfyin' wid such folks."
"No. The only thing is to agree with them," said Tom with a sigh, but he was glad to see that the black appeared to be friendly.
"Ah specs dat work agrees with dem better dan it does wid you alls, howsomever," said the grinning negro, showing all his teeth in appreciation of his own joke.
"Naturally," said Jack, "it's not what we'd choose, you can be sure, even were there gold down here, which I'm quite sure there isn't."
"Don' you go fo' to tell eiber ob dem dat," cried the negro. "Dey liable as not to rile up an' polish you off. Dey tink dat befo' long we all gwine ter be millionaires."
"I'd hate to have to wait till that event comes off," said Tom with feeling.