solum an' moanful all de
time, at leas' 'cep' when dyah wuz gwine to be a fight. Den he'd
peartin' up, an' he alwuz rode at de head o' de company 'cause he wuz
tall; an' hit wan' on'y in battles whar all his company wuz dat _he_
went, but he use' to volunteer whenever de cun'l wanted anybody to
fine out anythin', an' 'twuz so dangersome he didn' like to mek one
man go no sooner'n anudder, yo' know, an' ax'd who'd volunteer. _He_
'peared to like to go prowlin' aroun' 'mong dem Yankees, an' he use'
to tek me wid 'im whenever he could. Yes, seh, he sut'n'y wuz a good
sodger! He didn' mine bullets no more'n he did so many draps o' rain.
But I use' to be pow'ful skeered sometimes. It jes' use' to 'pear like
fun to 'im. In camp he use' to be so sorrerful he'd hardly open he
mouf. You'd 'a' tho't he wuz seekin', he used to look so moanful; but
jes' le' 'im git into danger, an' he use' to be like ole times--jolly
an' laughin' like when he wuz a boy.

"When Cap'n Gordon got he leg shot off, dey mek Marse Chan cap'n on de
spot, 'cause one o' de lieutenants got kilt de same day, an' tor'er
one (named Mr. Ronny) wan' no 'count, an' all de company sed Marse
Chan wuz de man.

"An' Marse Chan he wuz jes' de same. He didn' never mention Miss
Anne's name, but I knowed he wuz thinkin' on her constant. One night
he wuz settin' by de fire in camp, an' Mr. Ronny--he wuz de secon'
lieutenant--got to talkin' 'bout ladies, an' he say all sorts o'
things 'bout 'em, an' I see Marse Chan kinder lookin' mad; an' de
lieutenant mention Miss Anne's name. He hed been courtin' Miss Anne
'bout de time Marse Chan fit de duil wid her pa, an' Miss Anne hed
kicked 'im, dough he wuz mighty rich, 'cause he warn' nuthin' but a
half-strainer, an' 'cause she like Marse Chan, I believe, dough she
didn' speak to 'im; an' Mr. Ronny he got drunk, an' 'cause Cun'l
Chahmb'lin tole 'im not to come dyah no more, he got mighty mad. An'
dat evenin' I'se tellin' yo' 'bout, he wuz talkin', an' he mention'
Miss Anne's name. I see Marse Chan tu'n he eye 'roun' on 'im an' keep
it on he face, an' pres'n'y Mr. Ronny said he wuz gwine hev some fun
dyah yit. He didn' mention her name dat time; but he said dey wuz all
on 'em a parecel of stuck-up 'risticrats, an' her pa wan' no gent'man
anyway, and _she_----I don' know what he wuz gwine say (he nuvver said
it), fur ez he got dat far Marse Chan riz up an' hit 'im a crack, an'
he fall like he hed been hit wid a fence-rail. He chall