ock he tuk a lamp, an' went down ter de ole house, an' went
inside an' shet de do'.

"Dey wuz a rickety ole table settin' in de middle er de flo'. He sot
de lamp on de table. Den he look 'roun' de room, in all de cawners an'
up de chimbly, ter see dat dey wan't nobody ner nuthin' hid in de
room. Den he tried all de winders an' fastened de do', so dey couldn'
nobody ner nuthin' git in. Den he fotch a' ole rickety chair f'm one
cawner, and set it by de table, and sot down. He wuz settin' dere,
noddin' his head, studyin' 'bout dem other fo' dollahs, an' w'at he
wuz gwine buy wid 'em, w'en bimeby he kinder dozed off, an' befo' he
knowed it he wuz settin' dere fast asleep."

"W'en he woke up, 'long 'bout 'leven erclock, de lamp had bu'n' down
kinder low. He heared a little noise behind him an' look 'roun', an'
dere settin' in de middle er de flo' wuz a big black tomcat, wid his
tail quirled up over his back, lookin' up at Jeff wid bofe his two big
yaller eyes.

"Jeff rub' 'is eyes, ter see ef he wuz 'wake, an w'iles he sot dere
wond'rin' whar de hole wuz dat dat ole cat come in at, fus' thing he
knowed, de ole cat wuz settin' right up 'side of 'im, on de table, wid
his tail quirled up roun' de lamp chimbly.

"Jeff look' at de black cat, an' de black cat look' at Jeff. Den de
black cat open his mouf an' showed 'is teef, an' sezee----"

"'Good evenin'!'

"'Good evenin' suh,' 'spon' Jeff, trimblin' in de knees, an' kind'er
edgin' 'way fum de table.

"'Dey ain' nobody hyuh but you an' me, is dey?' sez de black cat,
winkin' one eye.

"'No, suh,' sez Jeff, as he made fer de do', _'an' quick ez I kin git
out er hyuh, dey ain' gwine ter be nobody hyuh but you!_'"

"Is that all, Uncle Peter?" asked Phil, when the old man came to a
halt with a prolonged chuckle.

"Huh?"

"Is that all?"

"No, dey's mo' er de tale, but dat's ernuff ter prove dat black cats
kin do mo' dan little w'ite boys 'low dey kin."

"Did Jeff go away?"

"Did he go 'way! Why, chile, he jes' flew away! Befo' he got ter de
do', howsomevuh, he 'membered he had locked it, so he didn' stop ter
try ter open it, but went straight out'n a winder, quicker'n
lightnin', an' kyared de sash 'long wid 'im. An' he'd be'n in sech
pow'ful has'e dat he knock' de lamp over an' lack ter sot de house
afire. He nevuh got de yuther fo' dollahs of co'se, 'ca'se he didn't
stay in de ole ha'nted house all night, but he 'lowed he'd sho'ly
'arned de one dollah he'd had a're