boardin'
house. Why ye durned little fool ye, don't ye know Charley's jus put
them dogs yar to git 'em kept. They'll jus keep 'em yar till they want
to hunt coon an' then they'll take 'em. Ef it wur a hoss or hippotumas
es was in thet sorry animile show, an' Charley 'ud gin it to ye, I'd
feel ye could call it yer own. But a houn' dog, never. He'd never part
with a houn'. Some fine mornin' the houn's'll turn up missin' an' ye'll
find Dr. Playford hes bought 'em fur about five dollars."

Lin's reference to Dr. Playford gave Alfred an inspiration. He was on
his way to Dr. Bob Playford's with the hounds chained together and
nearly pulling him off his feet, so eager were they for exercise. The
sporting doctor's eyes glistened as he looked the dogs over and noted
their good points. Alfred explained that they were a present from
Cousin Charley, that he prized them greatly but his mother would not
permit him to retain them.

The doctor purchased and paid for the dogs, handing the boy a crisp five
dollar greenback bill. Although greenbacks were greatly depreciated in
value at that time, no bill of like denomination has ever before or
since had the purchasing power that that five dollars had for Alfred. He
could scarcely contain himself until he arrived at home, that he might
hand the money to his mother. The doctor informed Alfred that he would
give him an additional dollar if he would deliver the dogs to Turner
Simpson, adding: "Simpson keeps all my hounds; he has a pack of them
there now and these two will be all I'll need for a while. Be careful of
the dogs, almost anybody will steal a hound dog and brag about it
afterwards."

When requested to deliver the dogs to Simpson, Alfred was dumbfounded.
He was soon on his way with the dogs. They did not have to drag the boy
as on the way to the doctor's house. When they struck the old road above
the tannery, Alfred gave the hounds a run, until Turner Simpson's house
came into view.

Their arrival brought hounds from under the old log house, the porch and
the stable. Kinky, woolly-headed, barefooted pickanninnies peeked
through broken window panes and out of half-opened doors. The baying of
the hounds brought old Simpson out to the road.

Alfred advised him that Dr. Playford had paid him one dollar to deliver
the hounds and sent instructions that they be properly cared for.

"Oh, shucks. You jes tell Bob I allus takes good keer ob his dawgs,"
spoke the old negro in a half joki