"Arter supper some er de men what my young marster been talkin' wid said sump'n 'bout gittin' up a little game. Dey talked en smoked en bimeby my young marster en two mo' 'greed ter try dey han' at poker. Dey went off to'rds a little room what dey had at one een' er de boat, en I went 'long wid um. My fust notion wuz ter go off some'ers en go ter bed, but when I got ter what dey wuz gwine, dar wuz de preacher-lookin' man settin' in dar by his lone se'f shufflin' a deck er kyards. He look up, he did, when my young marster en de yuthers went in, en den he showed his tushes en bowed. But he kep' on settin' dar shufflin' de kyards, en it look like ter me that he done been shuffle

kyards befo'. I been see lots er men shuffle kyards in my day, but dat ar preacher-lookin' man, he beat my time by de way he handle dat deck. 'Twuz slicker dan sin.

"Right den en dar, suh, I say ter myse'f dat dish yer preacher-looking' man wuz one er dem ar river-gamblers, what you hear folks talk 'bout, en dat he wan't doin' nothin' in de roun' worl' but layin' fer my young marster. Dey sorter pass de time er day, dey did, en my young marster 'low dat he hope he ain't doin' no intrusion, en de preacher-lookin' man say ef dey's anybody doin' any intrusion, it's him, kaze he ain't doin' nothin' but settin' dar projickin' with de kyards wait

in' fer bed-time.

Den my young marster ax 'im ef he won't jine in de game, en he 'low he don't keer ef he do, but he say it twon't do 'im no good fer ter jine in de game ef my young marster know ez much 'bout kyards ez he do 'bout race-hosses. Wid dat, my young marster 'low dat he never won'd a dollar on any hoss what he pick out hisse'f. Dis make the preacherlookin' man open his eyes wide, en dey look mo' bluer dan befo'; en he 'low: "'Who does de pickin' fer you?'

My young marster nod his head to'rds
Dar's my picker.'

"De man say, 'Who larnt you so much 'bout race-hosses?'

"I make answer, Well, suh, hit's mighty much de same wid hosses ez 'tis wid folks. Look at um right close en watch der motions, en you'll know what dey got in um, but you won't know how you know it.'

played des like he tryin' ter lose. But 'twant no use. Luck wuz runnin' his way, en she des run'd all over him. She got 'im down en wallered 'im, en den she sot on top un 'im. Dey ain't no use talkin', suh: hit wuz des scanlous. Dey wan't no sleep fer me while dat wuz gwine on. I des sot dar wid bofe eyes open, en my mouf too, I speck. De kyards run'ded so quare, suh, dat dey fair made my flesh crawl, kaze I know'd how it bleedze ter look like swindlin' ter de man what wuz so busy losin' all his money. Ef I hadn't er know'd my young marster, nobody couldn't er tol' me dat he wa'nt playin' a skin game, kaze I wouldn't b'lieved um. En dat's de way 'twuz wid dat ar preacher-lookin' man. He played en played, but bimeby he put his kyards down on de table, en draw'd a long breff, en look at my young marster. Den he 'low.

"I seed lots er folks in my day en

I 'low, 'Well, suh, I has played sev’mup on Sundays, en I ken pick out de kyards when I see um."

"Dis make de man grin mo' samer dan befo', but my young marster looks mighty sollum. He drum on de table wid his fingers like he studyin' 'bout sump'n, en bimeby he say :

"Primus, I wus des 'bout ter sen' you off ter bed, but I reckon you better set dar behine me en gi' me good luck.'

"De man look at me, en den he look at my young marster, I 'low:

"I'll set behime you en nod, Marse Lint, ef dat'll gi' you good luck.'

"Well, suh dey started in wid de game. Dey had corn fer chips, en er empty seegyar box wuz de bank. I watched um long ez I could, en den I drapt off ter sleep. I dunner how long I sot dar en nodded, but bimeby I hear a shufflin', en dat woke me. De two men what come in wid my young marster had done got tired er playin', en dey draw'd out en went off ter bed. My young marster wuz fer drawin' out too, but de preacher-lookin' man wouldn't hear ter dat.

He say,

'Gi' me er chance ter win my money back,' en I know'd by dat dat my young marster ain't been losin' much.'

"Dey played on, en I kinder kep' one eye on de game. My young marster VOL. XXII.—71

slickest pair dat I ever is lay eyes on.'

"My young marster sorter half-way shet his eyes en lean on de table en look at de man. He ax:

"'What yo' name?'

"Man say, 'Barksdale er Loueeziana.'

My young marster had his han' on a tum'ler er water, en he 'low: 'Well, Barksdale er Loueeziana, ol' ez you is, I'll hatter l'arn you some manners.'

"Wid dat, he dash de water in de man's face wid one han' en draw'd his gun wid de yuther. De man wipe de water out er his eyes wid one han' en draw'd his gun wid de yuther. Leas'ways, I speck he draw'd it, kaze de pistol what my young marster had wuz so techous, ez you may say, dat I duckt my head when I seed 'im put his han' on it.

But 'fo' anybody could do any damage, suh, I heerd a squall dat make my blood run col'. Hit come fum a 'oman, too, kaze dey ain't nothin' ner nobody what kin make dat kinder fuss 'cep' it's a 'oman er a mad hoss. I raise my head at dat, en dar stood my young marster en de man wid der han's on der guns en de table 'twix um. De squall ain't mo' dan die away, 'fo' somebody holler Fier!' en time dat word come, I could see de red shadder flashin' on de water, en den hit come 'cross my min' dat dey waz one nigger man a mighty fur ways fum home, en hit

""Certn'y, suh!' sez my young marster, en den he bowed des ez perlite ez ef he'd a had a fiddle stidder a pistol. De man, he bowed back, en went out, en my young marster follered arter. By dat time de folks in de boat (en dey wuz a pile un um, mon!) come a-rushin' out'n der rooms, en 'fo' you kin wink yo' eyeball dey wuz a-crowdin' en a-pushin' en a-pullin', en a-haulin', en a-cryin', en a-fightin', en a-cussin', en a-prayin'.

Wel, suh, I put it down in my min' den, en I ain't never rub it out, dat ef you take proudness out'n de white folks dey er des ez skeery ez de niggers. En dem white folks on dat boat dat night had all de proudness out'n um, en dey went on wuss'n a passel er four-footed creeturs. Hit's de Lord's trufe, suh-all 'cep'n my young marster en de preacher-lookin' man. Dem two wuz des ez cool ez cowcumbers, en I say ter myse'f, I did, 'I'll des up en wait twel dey gits skeer'd, en den I'll show um how skeer'd a nigger kin git when he ain't got nothin' on his min'.'

"Dat ar Mr. Barksdale, he wuz fer shovin' right 'long froo de crowd, but my young marster say dey better stay on de top deck whar dey kin see what gwine on. 'Bout dat time I cotch sight er de young 'oman in de jam right close at us, en I p'int her out ter my young marster. Time he kin say, 'Dar yo' daughter right nex' ter de railin',' de crowd sorter swayed back, de rope railin' give 'way, en inter de water de gal went, wid a lot mo' un um. My young marster han' me his coat en pistol en over he went; I han' um ter Mr. Barksdale, whiles he sayin', 'Oh, Lord! oh, Lordy!' en over I went-kaze in dem days I ain't had no better sense dan ter go whar my young marster went. I hit somebody when I struck de water, en I like ter jolted my gizzard out, en when I riz hit look like de boat had done got a mile away, but she wuz headin' fer de bank, suh, en she flung a broadside er light on de water, en I ain't hit mo'n a dozen licks 'fo' I seed my young marster hol'in' de gal, an' swimmin' 'long easy.

"Well, sun, what should I do but des up en fetch one er dem ar ol'-time foxhuntin' hollers, en I 'boun' you mought er heerd it two mile. My young marster make answer, en den I know'd de res' wuz easy. Kaze me an' him wuz at home in de water. I holler out, I did, Gi' me room, Marse Lint!' en I pulled up 'long side er him same ez a pacin' hos. My young marster say sump'n, I disremenber what, en den he laugh, en when de young 'oman hear dis, she open her eyes, en make some kind er movement. My young marster 'low: Don't grab me, please, ma'am,' en she say she ain't skeer'd a bit. 'Bout dat time we come up wid a nigger man in a canoe. Stidder tryin' ter save us, ef we needed any savin', he done his level best ter git away. But he ain't hit two licks wid de paddle 'fo' I had de boat, en I say: You dunner who you foolin' wid, nigger!'

"Well, suh, he dez riz up in de boat en light out same ez a bull-frog in a mill-pon'. My young marster say he wuz a runaway nigger, en I speck he wuz, kaze what business he got jumpin' in de water des kaze we want ter git in his boat? Dat zackly what he done; he lipt out same ez er bull-frog. Now, some folks dunner how ter git in a boat fum de water when dey ain't nobody in it, but here's what does. De sides is lots too ticklish. I dez grab de een' en sorter spring up en down twel I got de swing un it, en den I straddle it des like playin' lip-frog. Dat done, dey want no trouble 'tall. I lif' de young 'oman in, en den my young marster he clomb in, en dar we wuz a little chilly in de win', but warm 'nuff fer ter thank de Lord we had life in us. I tuck de paddle, I did, en look at my young marster. nod his head to'rd de burnin' boat. De young 'oman wuz cryin' en moanin', en gwine on turrible 'bout her daddy, but I des jerk dat canoe along. Her daddy wuz dead, she des know'd it; sump'n done tol' her so; en nobody ner nothin' can't make her b'lieve he 'live, no matter ef day done seed 'im 'live en well. You know how de wimmin folk runs on, suh. But while she gwine on dat a-way, I wuz des makin' dat canoe zoon, pullin' fust on one side en den on t'er.

He

"By dis time, suh, de burnin' boat done been run on de bank, en, mon, she lit up

de worl'. De fier wuz shootin' mos'ly fum de middle, en mos' all de folks wuz at de een' nex' ter de bank, but on de hine een' en way on de top deck dey wuz a man standin'. He wuz wringin' his han's en lookin' out on de water, en he want no mo' tryin' ter save hisse'f dan de smokestacks wuz. De light shined right on 'im, en I know'd de minnit I seed 'im dat 'twus dat ar Mr. Barksdale. So I turn my head en say ter de young 'oman, Mistiss, yon' yo' pa now.' She ain't look up 'tall. She 'low I don't b'lieve it! : I never is ter b'lieve it!' I say: 'Marse Lint, who dat ar gemman on de top deck all by his own 'lone se'f?' My young marster 'low: 'Hit's Mr. Barksdale.' De young 'oman moan en cry out: Oh, it can't be !'

"But I des drove dat ar canoe 'long, en bimeby we wuz right at de hine een', en my young marster sot in ter holler at dat ar Mr. Barksdale. But look like he can't make 'im hear, de folks on de een' wuz makin' sech a racket, en de fier wuz ro'in so. I say, Wait, Marse Lint,' en den I back de canoe out in de light, en fetched one er dem ol'-time corn-shuckin' whoops. Dis make de man look down. I holler, Here yo' daughter waitin' fer you! Climb down-climb down!'

Well, suh, he sorter rub his han' 'cross his eyes, en den de young 'oman fetched a squall en called 'im by name. Wid dat, he stoop down en pick up my young marster's coat en den he clomb down des ez cool ez a cowcumber. 'Twan't long atter dat 'fo' we made a landin'. You mayn't b'lieve it, suh, but folks in gettin' off dat burnin' boat, what wid der crowdin' en der pushin', would drown deyse'f in water dat want up ter der chin ef dey'd a stood up. It's de Lord's trufe. Not one here en dar, suh, but a whole drove un

um.

De folks in de neighborhood seed de light en know'd purty much what de matter wuz, en 'twan't long 'fo' here dey come wid der buggies, en der carryalls, en der waggins, en by sunup me an' my young marster, en de young 'oman en her daddy,

wuz all doin' mighty well at a house not mo'n two mile fum de river. Leas' ways, I know I wuz doin' mighty well, suh, kaze I wuz drinkin' hot coffee en eatin' hot biscuits in de kitchen, en I speck de yuthers wuz doin' de same in de house. En what better kin you ax dan dat?

"Atter dinner, whiles I wuz settin' out on de hoss-block sunnin' myse'f—kaze de sun feel mighty good, suh, when you done got yo' fill er vittles-I wuz settin' dar, I wuz, kinder huv'rin' 'twix' sleep en slumber, when I hear my young marster talkin'.

I open my eyes, en dar wuz him en Mr. Barksdale comin' down fum de house. Dey stop not so mighty fur fum whar I wuz, en talk mighty sollum. Bimeby, Mr. Barksdale beckon ter me. He 'low:

"Come yer, boy. You wuz de onliest one what hear what I say ter yo' young marster las' night, en I want you ter hear what I say now, en dat's dis: I'm ready ter git on my knees en 'polergize on account er de insults what passed.'

"I say: "Yasser, I know'd sump'n n'er had ter be done 'bout dat, kaze my white folks ain't got no stomach fer dat kind er talk, let it come fum who it shill en whence it mought.'

"He look at me right hard, en den he laugh, en 'low: 'Shake han's wid me. Nigger ez you is, you er better dan onehalf de white folks dat I'm 'quainted wid.'

"Well, suh, you wuz 'roun' here when my young marster come back wid my young mistiss? Dat wuz de upshot un it. We went home wid Marse Barksdale, en when we come 'way fum dar, Marse Lint brung wid 'im de gal what he pick up in de river.