Mr. Gordon an' anudder gent'man, an' den he come out an' got on de
sorrel an' galloped off. Soon ez he got out o' sight, he pulled up,
an' we walked along tell we come to de road whar leads off to'ds Mr.
Barbour's. He wuz de big lawyer o' de country. Dar he tu'ned off. All
dis time he hedn' sed a wud, 'cep' to kind o' mumble to hisse'f now
an' den. When we got to Mr. Barbour's, he got down an' went in. Dat
wuz in de late winter; de folks wuz jes' beginnin' to plough fur corn.
He stayed dyar 'bout two hours, an' when he come out Mr. Barbour come
out to de gate wid 'im an' shake han's arfter he got up in de saddle.
Den we all rode off. 'Twuz late den--good dark; an' we rid ez hard
ez we could, tell we come to de ole school-house at ole Cun'l
Chahmb'lin's gate. When we got dar Marse Chan got down an' walked
right slow 'roun' de house. Arfter lookin' 'roun' a little while an'
tryin' de do' to see ef it wuz shet, he walked down de road tell he
got to de creek. He stop' dyar a little while an' picked up two or
three little rocks an' frowed 'em in, an' pres'n'y he got up an' we
come on home. Ez he got down, he tu'ned to me an', rubbin' de sorrel's
nose, said: 'Have 'em well fed, Sam; I'll want 'em early in de
mawnin'.'

"Dat night at supper he laugh an' talk, an' he set at de table a long
time. Arfter ole marster went to bed, he went in de charmber an' set
on de bed by 'im talkin' to 'im an' tellin' 'im 'bout de meetin' an'
ev'ything; but he never mention ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin's name. When he
got up to come out to de office in de yard, whar he slept, he stooped
down an' kissed 'im jes' like he wuz a baby layin' dyar in de bed, an'
he'd hardly let ole missis go at all. I knowed some'n wuz up, an' nex'
mawnin' I called 'im early befo' light, like he tole me, an' he
dressed an' come out pres'n'y jes' like he wuz goin' to chu'ch. I had
de hosses ready, an' we went out de back way to'ds de river. Ez we
rode along, he said:

"'Sam, you an' I wuz boys togedder, wa'n't we?'

"'Yes,' sez I, 'Marse Chan, dat we wuz.'

"'You have been ve'y faithful to me,' sez he, 'an' I have seen to it
that you are well provided fur. You wan' to marry Judy, I know, an'
you'll be able to buy her ef you want to.'

"Den he tole me he wuz goin' to fight a duil, an' in case he should
git shot, he had set me free an' giv' me nuff to tek keer o' me an' my
wife ez long ez we lived. He said he'd like me to stay an' tek keer o'
ole marster an' ole missis ez