created!"

"He did so. I could prove it by yer maw, but her wus sich a little gal
when it happened, her's fawgot. I 'members we all didn't hab no geese
ter pick arter dat barb'cue, 'cept one ole gander; an' I 'members goin'
to de hen-house, an' seein' not a sol'tary human critter lef in dat dar
hen-house 'cept de ole saddle-back rooster. An', law! I fawgot de
hams,--a heap er hams,--more 'n a hundud; an' de sheeps--law! I dunno
how many sheeps dar wus."

"An' didn't he subscribe a team of mules an' a half-dozen negroes?" said
Marley. "An' I want to know where my gran'pa got all the wagons to haul
all the things to the barbecue? I reckon it would take fifty wagons to
do it; I'm goin' to ask Pa."

"Law! I wouldn't go pesterin' master 'bout it. I neber say yer granpaw
tuck um ter de barb'cue; I say he su'scribed um."

"Then he didn't pay what he subscribed?"

"Shucks! Mah'sr Mawley. I can't make yer un'erstan' nuffin. Yer neber
did know nuffin sca'cely."

"I know why they keep the Fourth of July. You don't, do you?"

"Of cou'se! Law, chile! I's 'scended from a Rev'lution cullud genulmon
what wus presunt at de fuss Foaf July dar ever wus."

Marley laughed and laughed at this till Aunt Silvy began to sulk. He
couldn't afford to have her offended; he wanted her to do something for
him. So he checked his laughter, and said:

"You know everybody in the county is invited to the barbecue."

"Ob cou'se. De suckit-riders gives it out at all de 'p'intments. Ev'ry
pusson's 'vited, cullud pussons an' white folks. Thar'll be a heap er
folks thar."

"Now, look yere, Aunt Silvy; you b'long to me, you know. You always
said--"

"Yer b'longs ter me, mow like; an' yer maw b'longs ter me, too. I nussed
her when she wus a baby, an' yer too. Law! I owns yer bofe."

"Well, then, I'm your boy, an' I want you to do somethin' for me."

"I'll be boun' yer does."

"I felt so 'shame 'bout Pa's one shoat, that I went out to the front
gate, an' when the committee came to go away, I tole 'em I'd bring
somethin' to the barbecue."

"Mussy! yer aint got nuffin ter take."

"If I had a 'coon-dog, I might catch a 'coon or a 'possum. Look yere!
can't you borrow Boston's ole Rum for me?"

Boston was Aunt Silvy's husband, and belonged on another plantation, and
Rum was Boston's 'coon-dog.

"Ob cou'se I kin. Bos'on's mighty good ter min' me. But, law! yer aint
'quainted wid ole Rum; yer couldn't manage him no more'n nuffin. 'Sides,
'coons