d he
would employ her.

"The next day he came to me with a face of horror. 'Captain,' he said,
'the cook you sent me has murdered both her children!'

"'Murdered them?' I cried.

"'Yes. She is in the office, and you will have to see her, I suppose.
It is awful!'

"I found the woman waiting my coming with a face of perfect composure.

"'Hannah,' I said, after I had heard the accusation of the people in
the house where the crime was committed, 'what have you to say?'

"'Nuffin', Mars' Cap'n. Mars' T---- done sed I mus' git rid o' de
picaninnies; and dey was bothersome, anyway--allers eatin', 'deed dey
was, Mars' Cap'n'--this very earnestly, as if to defend herself--'
allers a-hollerin' for suffin' to eat.'

"'But, Hannah, Mr. T---- wanted you to leave them with some of the
women to board.'

"'Nebber sed so. Jes' sed--'deed he did--"You get rid o' dem chillens
an' come here to cook." So I jes' waited till dey was asleep, an' cut
deir throats. Dey nebber screeched.'

"I was sick with horror, but through the whole of the examination the
woman showed no sign of emotion, though we all went to the house where
the two pretty babies lay, stone dead."

"What became of her?" I asked.

"I have forgotten. I sent her to Vicksburg, as the case was too grave
for my decision. I should not have held her accountable, as she was
evidently under the impression that absolute obedience was the law for
her race.

"It was odd," he continued, "but after that tragedy there came a farce
in true dramatic order. My office was hardly cleared of the parties
concerned in this dreadful murder when I was attracted to the window
by the most horrible yelping and squealing, and saw two negroes, black
as coals, barefooted, bareheaded and ragged, one leading a dog, one
trying to drag two pigs into the yard attached to my quarters. Seeing
me, one of them made a bow. 'Sarvent, Mars' Cap'n,' he said.

"'What do you want?' I asked. 'Tie those pigs up before you come in,'
for he was dragging them up the steps.

"'Likely shoats, ain't dey?' said the other eagerly. 'We jes' come
down 'bout dem ar shoats, Mars' Cap'n.'

"'An' dat ar dog,' broke in the other.

"Here the dog made a dash at the pigs, and in trying to escape the
latter ran between the legs of the men, upsetting one. Such a hubbub
of squealing pigs, barking dog, laughing and swearing men as ensued
beggars description. When there was some order restored, the pigs and
dog tied up in the