The wagon
stopped and Jasper shouted: "Whut's the matter here?"
A voice replied: "Wy, sah, atter buryin' de dog I tuck a sho't cut ter
head you off. I's de nigger, an' my heart wuz heavy, an' I had ter come
an' tell you suthin'. You'se Mr. Starbuck, ain't you?"
"Yes, but what about it?"
"Wall, sah, atter I tell you, w'y you kin tie me ter er tree an' whup
me ef you wants ter, but I got ter tell you. Not laung ergo, I stole er
chicken from yo' roost. An' now you may punish me."
"Hah? What sort of a chicken?"
"Er rooster, sah."
"What, that old dominecker?"
"Yas, sah, de dominecker."
"Did yon eat him?"
"Yas, sah, I eat him."
"Wall, that was punishment enough. Git up here, boys."
It was the first time that Mrs. Mayfield had ever heard Jim laugh. He
roared and he whooped as the wagon rattled along, and she was afraid
that he was going to fall off. She asked him a question and he answered
with a snort.
When they reached home a man was standing at the gate. Jasper inquired
who it was, for in the dark he could not distinguish his visitor, and a
voice replied:
"It's me, Gabe Wells--hollered helloa, and you wanted me to fetch you a
newsparer an' a can of cove oysters an' about a straw hat full of
crackers.
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