I gave--er--Elisha's whirlagig here a spin and when the black end stopped 'twas p'intin' straight up.

That meant yes.

If it had p'inted down, 'twould have meant no." "Suppose it had pointed across--half way between yes and no ?" "That would have meant that--er--what's-his-name--er--Deuteronomy there didn't know any more than I did about it." This time Phillips did laugh.

"So you had the steak," he observed.
Jed's lip twitched.

"I bought it," he drawled.