Primus fairly caught his breath at Tom's display of learning, who rose considerably higher also in Basset's estimation. After somewhat recovering from his astonishment, and as if he had been reflecting on the subject, the General said—
"Larning is a great ting, and perhaps you is right and perhaps you isn't, but I hear anoder way to 'count for it."
"Out with it then," cried Tom.
"White folks," said Primus, "hab one way to 'count for tings, and colored pussons hab anoder way. Now I hear a colored pussun, who come all de way from Africa, where dey onderstands dese tings, say it was de jumbee."
"The jumbee! What in natur's that!" inquired Basset, who had not before mingled in the conversation.
"Now, none of your tricks, Prime," cried Tom, suspecting the negro of an intention to mystify them with a jargon like that he had palmed off; "jumbee ain't Latin."
"Nobody say it was," returned Primus, "I guess de old fellow nebber hab much chance to study Latin. He better 'quainted wid de shovel and de hoe. Dat mean in de Congo language, sperit."
"Colored people are curus folks," ejaculated Basset
"I don't see fairly what you're driving at yet," said Gladding.
"Suppose jumbee does mean sperit, what then?"
"I mean dat de hand turn into a sperit. Don't you see, Missa Basset," exclaimed Primus, suddenly poking his wooden leg at the constable, "de sperit ob my leg?"