a big pine-tree, en
sot 'im out mongs' some yuther trees. En de nex' mawnin', ez some er de
fiel' han's wuz gwine long dere, dey seed a tree w'at dey didn' 'member
er habbin' seed befo; it wuz monst'us quare, en dey wuz bleedst ter
'low dat dey hadn' 'membered right, er e'se one er de saplin's had be'n
growin' monst'us fas'.

"W'en Mars Marrabo 'skiver' dat Sandy wuz gone, he 'lowed Sandy had
runned away. He got de dogs out, but de las' place dey could track Sandy
ter wuz de foot er dat pine-tree. En dere de dogs stood en barked, en
bayed, en pawed at de tree, en tried ter climb up on it; en w'en dey wuz
tuk roun' thoo de swamp ter look fer de scent, dey broke loose en made
fer dat tree ag'in. It wuz de beatenis' thing de w'ite folks eber hearn
of, en Mars Marrabo 'lowed dat Sandy must a' clim' up on de tree en
jump' off on a mule er sump'n, en rid fur 'nuff fer ter spile de scent.
Mars Marrabo wanted ter 'cuse some er de yuther niggers er heppin Sandy
off, but dey all 'nied it ter de las'; en eve'ybody knowed Tenie sot too
much by Sandy fer ter he'p 'im run away whar she couldn' nebber see 'im
no mo'.

"W'en Sandy had be'n gone long 'nuff fer folks ter think he done got
clean away, Tenie useter go down ter de woods at night en turn 'im back,
en den dey'd slip up ter de cabin en set by de fire en talk. But dey ha'
ter be monst'us keerful, er e'se somebody would a seed 'em, en dat would
a spile de whole thing; so Tenie alluz turnt Sandy back in de mawnin'
early, befo' anybody wuz a'stirrin'.

"But Sandy didn' git erlong widout his trials en tribberlations. One day
a woodpecker come erlong en 'mence' ter peck at de tree; en de nex' time
Sandy wuz turnt back he had a little roun' hole in his arm, des lack a
sharp stick be'n stuck in it. Atter dat Tenie sot a sparrer-hawk fer ter
watch de tree; en w'en de woodpecker come erlong nex' mawnin' fer ter
finish his nes', he got gobble' up mos' fo' he stuck his bill in de
bark.

"Nudder time, Mars Marrabo sent a nigger out in de woods fer ter chop
tuppentime boxes. De man chop a box in dish yer tree, en hack' de bark
up two er th'ee feet, fer ter let de tuppentime run. De nex' time Sandy
wuz turnt back he had a big skyar on his lef' leg, des lack it be'n
skunt; en it tuk Tenie nigh 'bout all night fer ter fix a mixtry ter kyo
it up. Atter dat, Tenie sot a hawnet fer ter watch de tree; en w'en de
nigger come back ag'in fer ter cut ernudder box on de yuther side'n de
tree, de