lissen so still like a bird hiding, when I tell her
all bout de ole folks, dat is buried dare, and how we all comed away
from de States when de ole war driv us off, not General Jackson's war.
No, sir, General Washington's war, de ole war of all--and den, young
massa, you ought to see her. She's mity putty den, she is--face red and
smove, and she little tired and she look so like ole missus yonder,
when she was a gall, and dem English red coats comes out from
Charleston, to de ole place to see her. Dat's a long time ago, young
massa."

"Uncle Toney, how old are you?"

"Moss a hundred, young massa; I don't know zackly--but I great big boy
when I comed from de ole country, tudder side ob de sea--my country,
massa. When I comed to Charleston, I was so high--(holding his hand
some four feet from the earth) yet I was big nuff to plow, when ole
massa, de fadder of him burried yonder, bied me and tuck me up to de
high hills ob Santee. Den, sir, my massa who brought me here, was gone
to de country whar de white folks first comed from, England. I neber
see him till de ole war, when his fadder been dead two year, den he
comed home one night and all de family but one had gone to de war. He
not talk much, but look mity sorry. My ole missus was a pretty gall,
den, live close by us, and it not long afore dey gets married, and den
many ob de nabors come and dey hab long talk. Dey's all comes to de
greement to come away from de country, fraid ob de war, and all de
fadders ob all de nabors here take all der niggers and der stock and go
up de country to de riber dat's named de Holsten, and dare dey built
heep flat boats, and in de spring dey starts down de riber. Some ob de
boats hab hogs on 'em, some hosses, some cows, some niggers, some corn
and meat, and some de white families. Dar was boff de grandfadder ob
Miss Alice, and her fadder. He was small, not grown, and old massa, her
modder's fadder, was young wid young wife, but dey all made him
captain.

"We was long time comin down de riber, and we had to fite de Injuns
long time at de place dey calls Mussel Shoals. Some ob de boats got on
de ground, and one on em we had to leave wid de hogs on it. De bullets
come from the Injuns so hot dat we all had to get out into de water and
go to anudder boat and get away from dar. Dem was the wust Injuns I
ebber seed. But we got away and we runned all night. Nex day Miss
Alice's fadder was on de top ob de boat ob his fadder when Injun shoot
h