"You did what?"
"Eh? . . . Oh, I shut the cat up with it. I guess likely that's the end of the yarn, ain't it?"
"Pretty nearly, I should say. What did you do to the cat?"
"Hum. . . . Why, I let him go. He's a good enough cat, 'cordin' to his lights, I guess. It must have been a treat to him; I doubt if he gets much steak at home. . . . Well, do you want to give Isaiah a whirl on that decision you say you've got to make?"
Charles gave him a quick glance. "I didn't say I had one to make," he replied. "I asked how you settled such a question, that's all."
"Um. . . . I see. . . . I see. Well, the prophet's at your disposal. Help yourself."
The young fellow shook his head. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be very satisfactory," he said. "He might say no when I wanted him to say yes, you see."
"Um-hm. . . . He's liable to do that. When he does it to me I keep on spinnin' him till we agree, that's all."
Phillips made no comment on this illuminating statement and there was another interval of silence, broken only by the hum and rasp of the turning lathe. Then he spoke again.
"Jed," he said, "seriously now, when a big question comes up to you, and you've got to answer it one way or the other, how do you settle with yourself which way to answer?"