and his brothers were plowing corn right here about three years ago.
Bob's my tenant's nigger, and he ain't no fool either, even if he is
colored; but then, to tell the truth, he ain't much colored. Well, I
was sitting under a tree right here smoking and keeping an eye on
the niggers unbeknownst to them when one of them Government fellows
stopped his horse as Bob was turning the end, and says he to Bob:

"'Your corn seems to be looking mighty yellow?'

"'Yes, suh,' says Bob. 'Yes, suh, we done planted yellow corn.'

"'Well, I mean it looks as though you won't get more than half a
crop,' says he.

"'I reckon not,' says Bob. 'The landlord, he done gets the other
half.'

"With that the fellow says to Bob:

"'It seems to me you're mighty near a fool.'

"'Yes, suh,' says Bob, 'and I'm mighty feared I'll catch it if I
don't get a goin'.'

"The fellow just gave his horse a cut and drove on, but I liked to
died. He'd been here two or three times pestering me with questions
about raising tobacco. Say, you ain't one of them Government
fellows, are you? They were travelling all around over this county
three years ago, learning how we raised tobacco and all kinds of
crops. They had augers and said they were investigating soils, but I