said it was so; and the king told him to shut up, and said, “Oh, yes, it's _mighty_ likely!” and shook me up again, and said he reckoned he'd drownd me.  But the duke says: “Leggo the boy, you old idiot!  Would _you_ a done any different?  Did you inquire around for _him_ when you got loose?  I don't remember it.” So the king let go of me, and begun to cuss that town and everybody in it. But the duke says: “You better a blame' sight give _yourself_ a good cussing, for you're the one that's entitled to it most.  You hain't done a thing from the start that had any sense in it, except coming out so cool and cheeky with that imaginary blue-arrow mark.  That _was_ bright--it was right down bully; and it was the thing that saved us.  For if it hadn't been for that they'd a jailed us till them Englishmen's baggage come--and then--the penitentiary, you bet! But that trick took 'em to the graveyard, and the gold done us a still bigger kindness; for if the excited fools hadn't let go all holts and made that rush to get a look we'd a slept in our cravats to-night--cravats warranted to _wear_, too--longer than _we'd_ need 'em.” 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.” The duke bristles up now, and says: “Oh, let _up_ on this cussed nonsense; do you take me for a blame' fool? Don't you reckon I know who hid that money in that coffin?” “_Yes_, s