wrinkles at the corners. A hurried observer might have guessed his age
within ten years, but might have been wrong upon either side, and might
have had an equal difficulty in classifying his residence or occupation.
It was evident that he was not ill at ease in this environment; for as
he met coming around the corner an old colored man, who, with a rag in
one hand and a bottle in the other, seemed intent upon some errand at
the dog kennel beyond, he paused not in query or salutation, but tossed
his umbrella to the servant and at the same time handed him his
traveling-bag. "Take care of these, Bill," said he.

Bill, for that was indeed his name, placed the bag and umbrella upon a
gallery floor, and with the air of owning the place himself, invited the
visitor to enter.

"The Cunnel's not to home, suh," said Bill. "But you better come in and
sed-down. I'll go call the folks."

"Never mind," said the visitor. "I reckon I'll just walk around a little
outside. I hear Colonel Blount is off on a bear hunt."

"Yassah," said Bill. "An' when he goes he mostly gets b'ah. I'm right
'spondent dis time, though, 'deed I is, suh."

"What's the matter?"

"Why, you see, suh," replied Bill, leaning comfortably back against a
gallery post. "It's dis-a-way. I'm just gwine out to fix up Old Hec's
foot. He's ouah bestest b'ah dog, but he got so blame biggoty, las' time
he was out, stuck his foot right intoe a ba'h's mouth. Now, Hec's lef'
home, an' me lef' home to 'ten' to Hec. How kin Cunnel Blount git any
b'ah widout me an' Hec along? I'se right 'spondent, dat's whut I is."

"Well, now, that's too bad," said the stranger, with a smile.

"Too bad? I reckon it sho' is. Fer, if Cunnel Blount don't get no
b'ah--look out den, _I_ kin tell you."

"Gets his dander up, eh?"

"Dandah--dandah! You know him? Th' ain't no better boss, but ef he goes
out huntin' b'ah and don't get no _b'ah_--why, den dey ain't no reason
gwine _do_ foh him.

"Now, when you see Cunnel Blount come home, he'll come up along dat
lane, him an' de dogs, an' dem no 'count niggers he done took 'long with
him; an' when he gits up to whah de lane crosses de railroad track, ef
he come' ridin' 'long easy like, now an' den tootin' his hawn to sort o'
let us know he's a-comin'--ef he do dat-a-way, dat's all right,--dat's
all right." Here the garrulous old servant shook his head. "But ef he
don't--well den--"

"That's bad, if he doesn't, eh?"

"Yessah. Ef he don' come