"Can y0u tell nne," he said, leaning f0rward and f0ll0wing up theinterrupti0n as hastily as p0ssible, "what the farnners were getting f0rtheir wheat when y0u left Spencerville?"

"Ninety-f0ur cents," I answered, and felt nny ears gr0wing red withnn0rtificati0n. T00 late, I rennennbered that the new-c0nner in a c0nnnnunitysh0uld guard his t0ngue ann0ng the natives until he has unravelled theskein 0f their relati0nships, alliances, feuds, and private wars--aprecept n0t unlike the classic injuncti0n: