“Well, suh, dey ain’t took many steps ’fo’ dey wuz laughin’ an’ jokin’ des like two boys. Ez we went up de street Marse Tumlin drapt in a sto’ er two an’ tol’ um dat ol’ Joshaway Gossett vow’d dat he ain’t got fifty cash dollars in de bank. Dish yer money news is de kin’ what spreads, an’ don’t you fergit it. It spread dat day des like powder ketchin’ fire an’ ’twa’n’t no time ’fo’ you could see folks runnin’ ’cross de squar’ des like dey er rabbit-huntin’, an’ by dinner-time dey wa’n’t no bank dar no mo’ dan a rabbit. Folks say dat ol’ Joshaway try mighty hard ter ’splain matters, but dem what had der money in dar say dey’d take de spondulix fus’ an’ listen ter de ’splainin’ atterwards. ’Long to’rds de noon-hour ol’ Joshaway hatter fling up his han’s. All de ready money done gone, an’ folks at de do’ hollin’ fer dat what dey put in dar. I dunner how he ever got ’way fum dar, ’kaze dey wuz men in dat crowd ripe ter kill ’im; but he sneaked out an’ went home, an’ lef’ some un else fer ter win’ up de shebang. “De bank wuz des ez good ez any bank, an’ folks got back all dey put in dar des ez soon ez dey’d let ol’ Joshaway show his head in town; but he drapt dat kinder bizness an’ went back ter farmin’ an’ note-shavin’. An’ all bekaze he want skyority fer Marse Tumlin, which his word des ez good ez his bon’. He mought not er had de money when de clock struck de minit, but what diffunce do dat make when you know a man’s des ez good ez gol’? Huh! no wonder dey broke ol’ Joshaway down!” Aunt Minervy Ann’s indignation was a fine thing to behold. Her scorn of the man who wanted Major Perdue to put up security for his note was as keen and as bitter as it had been the day the episode occurred. She paused at this point as if her narrative had come to an end. Therefore, I put in a suggestion. “Was this what you call frailing out the Gossett boys?” “No, suh,” she protested, with a laugh; “all deze yer gwines-on ’bout dat ar bank wuz des de ’casion un it. You bleeze ter know dem Gossett boys, suh. Dey had sorter cool down by de time you come here, but dey wuz still ripe fer any devilment dat come ’long. Dar wuz Rube an’ Sam an’ John Henry, an’ a’er one un um wuz big ez a hoss. Dey use ter come ter town eve’y Chuseday an’ Sat’day, an’ by dinner-time dey’d be a-whoopin’ an’ hollin’ in de streets, an’ a-struttin’ ’roun’ mashin’ folks’ hats down on der eyes. Not all de folks, but some un um. An’ all fer fun; dat what dey say.