"Well, no, not so much with Mathy as with his brother Bill; but I know him like a book; fact I might say like several books."
"Like several books, eh?" echoed Chester in a sarcastic tone; "but how well may you be acquainted with the books? What's the meaning of pathology?"
"The science of road making of course, sir; enny fool could answer such a question as that."
"Could he, indeed? Well you've made a miss, for your answer is wide of the mark."
"How wide is the Atlantic ocean?" asked Herbert.
"'Bout a thousand miles."
"Another miss; it's three thousand."
"I know it useter to be, years ago, but they've got to crossin' it so quick now that you needn't tell me it's more'n a thousand."
"In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?" asked Harold.
"Wall now, I don't jist remember," returned the applicant, thrusting both hands deep into his pockets and gazing down meditatively at the carpet, "somewheres 'bout 1860, wuzn't it? no, come to think, I guess 'twas '63."