"I knows all about it now, Dandy."

"I don't want to be called Dandy any more. My name is Daniel, but you
may call me Dan for short."

"Possifus! Den's what's my name? I'se free too, and I wan't my name
changed."

"Your name is Thucydides."

"Tucydimes!"

"No, Thucydides," laughed Dan--for we will adopt his suggestion, and
call him no longer by his plantation name.

"Hossifus! Hab to git up afore breakfast to speak dat word in season for
dinner," chuckled Cyd.

"You are called Cyd for short, as I am Dan. There is nothing bad about
the word."

"It's a very good name, Cyd," added Lily.

"Goshus! If you say so, Missy Lily, it's all right. If it suits de fair
seck, it suits me," said Cyd, shaking his fat sides with satisfaction.
"Dis chile don't keer what you calls him, if you only calls him to
supper."

"Now, Cyd, I will answer the questions you asked when we were getting
under way."

"Yes, what ye got all dem boats draggin arter us fur?"

"Don't you see the reason, Cyd?"

The boy scratched his head, but he could not see. As we have before
observed, he had not been in the habit of doing his own thinking, and,
consequently, he was not skilled in reasoning from effect to cause.

"Suppose we had left the boats, Cyd," added Dan.

"Den we shouldn't hab em wid us, keepin de boat back."

"At six o'clock in the morning, Colonel Raybone will be ready to start
on his trip. He will go down to the pier, and expect to find us all
there."

"Gossifus! we shan't be dar!" exclaimed Cyd, whose imagination was
lively enough to enable him to picture the scene that would ensue.

"What then, Cyd?"

"Golly! Massa Kun'l up and rave like he neber did afore," replied Cyd,
who appeared to enjoy the idea.

"Well, what then?"

"Dunno. He can't help hisself," chuckled Cyd.

"Suppose we had left the boats?"

"Mossifus! He tell four stout boys to git in de club-boat, and streak it
down de riber like an alligator arter a possum. Yah! ha, ha!" roared
Cyd, holding on to his sides.

"Do you see why I have taken all the boats?"

"Yes, Dandy--Dan; I sees into it jes like a millstone. You'se got a long
head, Dan. But what ye gwine to do wid de paint?"

"We shall live in the swamp till the colonel has done looking for us.
This boat is white now, and we will paint her green, so that she can't
be seen so easily."

"Dat's good, Dan; but de kun'l won't stop lookin fur us till he finds
out something."

"I mean that he shall