The slaves on Col.  A.’s plantation had to provide and prepare the supper for the expected vast “turn out,” which was no light matter; and as slaves like on such occasions to pattern as much as possible after their master’s family, the result was, to meet the emergency of the case, they took without saying, “by your leave, Sir,” some property belonging to their master, reasoning among themselves, as slaves often do, that it can not be stealing, because “it belongs to massa, and so do we, and we only use one part of his property to benefit another.  Sure, ’tis all massa’s.”  And if they do not get detected in this removal of “massa’s property” from one location to another, they think no more of it.

Col.  Alexander’s slaves were hurrying on with their great preparations for the dance and feast; and as the time drew near, the old and knowing ones might be seen in groups, discussing the matter, with many a wink and nod; but it was in the valleys and by-places where the younger portion were to be found, rather secretly preparing food for the great time coming.  This consisted of hogs, sheep, calves; and as to master’s poultry, that suffered daily.  Sometimes it was missed, but the disappearance was always easily accounted for, by informing “massa” that a great number of hawks had been around of late; and their preparation went on, night after night, undetected.  They who repaired to a swamp or other by-place to cook by night, carefully destroyed everything likely to detect them, before they returned to their cabins in the morning.

The night for the dance came at last, and long before the time, the road leading to Col.  Alexander’s plantation presented a gay spectacle.  The females were seen flocking to the place of resort, with heads adorned with gaudy bandanna turbans and new calico dresses, of the gayest colors, —­their whole attire decked over with bits of gauze ribbon and other fantastic finery.  The shades of night soon closed over the plantation, and then could be heard the rude music and loud laugh of the unpolished slave.  It was about ten o’clock when the aristocratic slaves began to assemble, dressed in the cast-off finery of their master and mistress, swelling out and putting on airs in imitation of those they were forced to obey from day to day.

When they were all assembled, the dance commenced; the old fiddler struck up some favorite tune, and over the floor they went; the flying feet of the dancers were heard, pat, pat, over the apartment till the clock warned them it was twelve at midnight, or what some call “low twelve,” to distinguish it from twelve o’clock at noon; then the violin ceased its discordant sounds, and the merry dancers paused to take breath.