"'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 never heard nothing of 'em since. Have you got an auger to investigate soils with?" Percy was compelled to admit that he had an auger and that he was trying to learn all he could about the soil. He had driven to Mr. Jones' farm because his land happened to be situated in a large area of Leonardtown loam, and he felt free to stop and talk with him because he had found him leaning against the fence, smoking a cob pipe, apparently trying to decide what to do with some small shocks of corn scattered over a field of about fifteen acres. Percy stepped to the buggy and drew out his soil auger, then returned to the corn field and begun to bore a hole near where Mr. Jones was standing. "That's the thing," said he, "the same kind of an auger them fellows had three years ago. Still boring holes, are you? Want to bore around over my farm again, do you?" Percy replied that he would be glad to make borings in several places in order that he might see about what the soil and subsoil were like in that kind of land. "That's all right, Young Man. Just bore as many holes as you please. I suppose you'd rather do that than work; but you'll have to excuse me. I've got a lot to do today, and it's already getting late. I can't take time again to tell you fellows how to raise tobacco. Good day." CHAPTER XXVI ANOTHER LESSON ON TOBACCO THE old man had stuck his cob pipe in a pocket and filled his mouth with a chew of tobacco. He walked by Percy's buggy with the tobacco juice drizzling from the corners of his mouth, and turned down the road toward the house. Percy finished boring the hole and then returned to the buggy. "Christ, that old man eats tobacco like a beast!" exclaimed the driver as Percy approached. "Are you speaking to me?" asked Percy. "Why, certainly." "That is not my name, please," admonished Percy, "but I can tell you that I know Him well and that He is my best friend." "What, old Al Jones?" "No,--Christ," replied Percy, with a grieved expression plainly discernible. "Oh," said the driver.