poor lame come-off, and he knowed it. He
said there warn't nothing foreign that warn't taxed but just that one,
and so they couldn't be consistent without taxing it, and to be
consistent was the first law of politics. So he stuck to it that they'd
left it out unintentional and would be certain to do their best to fix it
before they got caught and laughed at.

But I didn't feel no more interest in such things, as long as we couldn't
git our sand through, and it made me low-spirited, and Jim the same. Tom
he tried to cheer us up by saying he would think up another speculation
for us that would be just as good as this one and better, but it didn't
do no good, we didn't believe there was any as big as this. It was mighty
hard; such a little while ago we was so rich, and could 'a' bought a
country and started a kingdom and been celebrated and happy, and now we
was so poor and ornery again, and had our sand left on our hands. The
sand was looking so lovely before, just like gold and di'monds, and the
feel of it was so soft and so silky and nice, but now I couldn't bear the
sight of it, it made me sick to look at it, and I knowed I wouldn't ever
feel comfortable again till we got shut of it, and I didn't have it there
no more to remind us of what we had been and what we had got degraded
down to. The others was feeling the same way about it that I was. I
knowed it, because they cheered up so, the minute I says le's throw this
truck overboard.

Well, it was going to be work, you know, and pretty solid work, too; so
Tom he divided it up according to fairness and strength. He said me and
him would clear out a fifth apiece of the sand, and Jim three-fifths. Jim
he didn't quite like that arrangement. He says:

"Course I's de stronges', en I's willin' to do a share accordin', but by
jings you's kinder pilin' it onto ole Jim, Mars Tom, hain't you?"

"Well, I didn't think so, Jim, but you try your hand at fixing it, and
let's see."

So Jim reckoned it wouldn't be no more than fair if me and Tom done a
TENTH apiece. Tom he turned his back to git room and be private, and then
he smole a smile that spread around and covered the whole Sahara to the
westward, back to the Atlantic edge of it where we come from. Then he
turned around again and said it was a good enough arrangement, and we was
satisfied if Jim was. Jim said he was.

So then Tom measured off our two-tenths in the bow and left the rest for
Jim, and it surprised Jim a good