They was still a minute--thinking; then the king says, kind of absent-minded like:

     "Mf! And we reckoned the NIGGERS stole it!"

     That made me squirm!

     "Yes," says the duke, kinder slow and deliberate and sarcastic, "WE did."

     After about a half a minute the king drawls out:

     "Leastways, I did."

     The duke says, the same way:

     "On the contrary, I did."

     The king kind of ruffles up, and says:

     "Looky here, Bilgewater, what'r you referrin' to?"

     The duke says, pretty brisk:

     "When it comes to that, maybe you'll let me ask, what was YOU referring to?"

     "Shucks!" says the king, very sarcastic; "but I don't know--maybe you was asleep, and didn't know what you was about."