not pouring in very fast, Uncle Matt," Rupert answered him
once. "Perhaps it would be better for us if they did. They bring _some_
money, at any rate. There are only one or two of them, and one is a claim
agent."

"Dat's jest what I wants ter know," said Matt. "What's dey layin' claim
to? What right dey got ter claim anythin'? Gawd knows dar ain't much ter
claim."

Rupert laughed and gave him a friendly, boyish slap on the back.

"They are not claiming things _from_ people, but _for_ them. They look up
claims against the Government and try to get indemnity for them. They
prove claims to back pay, and for damages and losses, and try to make the
Government refund."

Uncle Matt rubbed his head a minute, then he looked up eagerly.

"Cun'l De Willoughby, now," he said; "doan' you s'pose dar's some back
pay owin' to him for de damage dat yaller fever done him wot he done
cotch from de army?"

Rupert laughed a little bitterly.

"No," he said, "I'm afraid not."

"What dey gwine to refun', den?" said Matt. "Dat's what I'd like ter fin'
out. Dis hyer idee of refun'in' please me mightily. I'd be pow'fle glad
to come bang up agin' some refun'in' myself."

From that time his interest in Milton January, Claim Agent, increased
week by week. He used to loiter about talking groups if he caught the
sound of his name, in the hope of gathering information. He was quite
shrewd enough to realise his own entire ignorance of many subjects, and
he had the pride which prevented his being willing to commit himself.

"I ain't nothin' but a ole nigger," he used to say. "I ain't had no
eddication like some er dese yere smarties what kin read an' cipher an'
do de double shuffle in de copy-book. Matt ain't never rub his back 'gin
no college wall. Bes' thing he knows is dat he doan' know nothin'. Dat's
a pow'fle useful piece o' l'arnin' to help a man, black or white, from
makin' a fool er hesself bigger dan what de good Lawd 'tended him fer ter
be. Matt he gradyuated in dat 'ar knowledge an' got he stiffikit. When de
good Lawd turn a man out a fool, he got ter _be_ a fool, but he needn'
ter be a bigger fool den what he _gotter_."

So he listened in the market, where he went every morning to bargain for
his bit of beefsteak, or fish, or butter, and where the men and women who
kept the stalls knew him as well as they knew each other. They all liked
him and welcomed him as he approached in his clean old clothes, his
market basket on his arm,