oot to the other the younger man finally broke away
from Uncle Billy's eye and tried to pass him by.

"Den _I'll_ tell you whar you gwine," shouted Uncle Billy, furious at
last. "You's runnin' 'way to de Yankees, dat's whar you gwine."

At this too truthful thrust Jeems Henry saw that further deceit would be
futile and he faced Uncle Billy with sullen resentment.

"An' s'posin' I _is_--wat den?"

"Den you's a thief," retorted Uncle Billy with dismayingly quick wit.
"Dat's what you is--a _thief_."

"I _ain'_ no thief," Jeems Henry refuted stubbornly, "_I_ ain' stole
nothin'."

"You is too," and Uncle Billy's forefinger began to shake in the
other's face. "You's stealin' a _nigger_!"

"What dat?" and Jeems Henry's eyes opened wide with amazement. "What you
talkin' 'bout?"

"Talkin' 'bout _you_," replied Uncle Billy, sharper than ever. "Dey say
a nigger's wuth a thousan' dollars. 'Cose _you_ ain't wuth dat much," he
said with utter disgust. "I put you down at a dollar and a quarter. But
dat ain't de p'int," and he steadily advanced on the other till their
faces were only a few inches apart. "It's dis. _You_, Jeems Henry,
belongs to Mars' Herbert Cary an' Miss Hallie; an' when you runs 'way
you's stealin'. _You's stealin yo'sef!_"

"H'm!" sniffed Jeems Henry, now that the nature and extent of his crime
were fully understood. "Ef I ain' wuth but a dollar an' a quarter, I
suttenly ain' stealin' _much_!"

At this smart reply Uncle Billy's disgust overcame him completely and he
tossed the rooster on the ground and clutched Jeems Henry by the arm.

"You mighty right, you ain't!" he shouted. "An' ef I was fo' years
younger I'd take it outer yo' hide with a carriage whip. Hol' on dar,"
as Jeems Henry eluded his grasp and began to move away. "Which way you
gwine? You hear me? Now den!"

"I gwine up de river," replied Jeems Henry, badgered at last into
revealing his plan. Then, after a cautious look around,--"to
Chickahominy Swamp," he added in lower tones.

Uncle Billy cocked his ears. Here was news indeed.

"Chickahominy, huh! So de Yankees is up dar, is dey? An' what you think
you gwine to do when you git to 'em?"

"Wuck 'roun de camp," replied Jeems Henry with some vagueness.

"Doin' what?" was the relentless query.

"Blackin' de gent'men's boots--an'--an' gittin' paid fer it," Jeems
Henry stammered in reply. "It's better'n being a slave, Unc' Billy," he
added as he saw the sneer of contempt on the faithful