ful ol' crockery dat Madam Colby--das Mars'
Colby's gre't-gran-mammy--brought f'om Englan'. Dar was ten plates
beside de famb'ly.

"De waitresses am busy, a-flyin' eroun' wid de side dishes, an' Mis'
Colby, she serbs at her side ob de table, w'en Mars' Colby, he get up
tuh carve.

"'Wot paht ob de goose is yo' mos' fon' of, Miss Lee?' he say to de
young lady on hes right han', monst'ous perlite lak.

"'I'd lak' a slice ob de laig, Cunnel,' she say; 't'ank yo'.'"

Uncle Rufus was surely enjoying himself. He was imitating "the quality"
with great gusto. His eyes rolled, his sides shook, and his brown face
was all one huge smile.

"De bery nex' lady he ax dat same question to, mak' de same reply," went
on Uncle Rufus, "an' Mars' Colby done cut all de laig meat erway on dat
side. Den it come ergin. Somebody else want er piece ob de secon' j'int.

"Mars' Colby stick his fo'k in de goose an' heave him over in de
plattah. Glo-_ree_! dar de under side ob dat goose were all nice an'
brown; but dar warn't no sign ob a laig erpon hit!

"'Wha' dis? Wha' dis?' Mars' Colby cry. 'Who been a-tamperin' wid dis
goose? Sen' dat no-'count Sally Alley in yeah dis minute!' he say to one
ob de waitresses.

"Glo-_ree_! how scar't we all was. My knees shak' tergedder, an' I bit
my tongue tryin' ter hol' my jaws shet. W'en Mars' Colby done let
loose----well!" and Uncle Rufus sighed.

"Den dey come back wid Sally Alley. If eber dar was a scar't nigger on
dat plantation, it was dat same yaller gal. An' she warn't saddle color
no mo'; she was grayer in de face dan an ol' rat.

"Dey stan' her up befo' Mars' Colby, an' hes eyes look lak' dey was
red--ya-as'm! 'Sally Alley,' he roar at her, 'whar de odder laig ob dis
goose?'

"Sally Alley shake like a willer by de ribber, an' she blurt out: 'Mars'
Colby! sho' 'nuff dar warn't no odder laig _on_ dat goose.'

"'Wha' dat?' say he, moughty savage. 'On'y _one_ laig on dis goose?'

"'Ya-as, suh--sho' 'nuff. Das de onliest laig it had,' says she.

"'What do yo' mean?' Mars' Colby cry. 'Yo' tell me my goose ain' hab but
one laig?'

"'Ya-as, suh. Das hit. On'y one laig,' says dat scar't yaller gal, an'
ter clinch it she added, '_All_ yo' geese dat a-ways, Mars' Colby. Dey
all ain' got but one laig.'"

"Oh!" squealed Dot.

"Was it sure enough _so_, Uncle Rufus?" asked Tess, in awe.

"Yo' wait! yo' wait, chillen! I'se gittin' tuh dat," declared the old
man, chuckling. "Co'se dat Sally Alle