them fight you come
right away and leave him, Mr. Hawes," she said. "We don't allow him to
fight them on Sunday."

"Miss Smartjacket," the old man spoke up, "I hadn't said a word about
makin' 'em fight. Hawes, these women folks don't want a man to have no
fun at all. As long as a man is at work it's all right with the women;
they can stand to see him delve till he drops, but the minit he wants to
have a little fun, why, they begin to mowl about it. Of course, I'm not
goin' to let 'em fight on Sunday. But a preacher would eat one of 'em
on Sunday. All days belong to 'em. It's die dog or eat the hatchet when
they come round. And yet, as I tell you, I believe in the Book from
kiver to kiver. Step out here, Hawes."

I thought that I received from Guinea a smile of assent, and I followed
him. The enclosure wherein he kept his chickens was almost as strong as
a "stockade." The old man unfastened a padlock and bade me enter. I
stepped inside, and when the master had followed me he was greeted with
many a cluck and scratching, the welcome of two game cocks in a wire
coop, divided into two apartments by a solid board partition. "I jest
wanted you to look at 'em and size 'em merely for your own
satisfaction," said the old man, fondly looking upon his shimmering
pets. "This red one over here is Sam, and that dominecker rascal is Bob.
Ah, Lord, you don't know what comfort there is in a chicken, and how a
preacher can eat a game rooster is beyond my understandin'. But I'm with
him, you understand, from kiver to kiver. Keep quiet there, boys; no
fight to-day. Must have some respect, you know."

He took a grain of corn from his pocket, placed it between his teeth,
and with a grin on his face got down on his knees and held his mouth
near the bars of Sam's cage. The rooster plucked out the grain of corn,
and Bob, watching the performance, began to prance about in jealous
rage. "Never you mind, Bob," said the old man, getting up and dusting
his knees. "I know your tricks. Held one out to you that way not long
ago, and I wish I may never stir agin if you didn't take a crack at my
eye, and if I hadn't ducked I'd be one-eyed right now. But they are
callin' us to breakfust. Bound to interfere with a man one way or
another."

It was with great care that Alf prepared himself to go with me to the
General's house. Out under a tree in the yard he placed a mirror on a
chair and there he sat and shaved himself. Then he went upstairs to put
on