“But Sandy did n’ git erlong widout his trials en tribberlations.  One day a woodpecker come erlong en ‘mence’ ter peck at de tree; en de nex’ time Sandy wuz turnt back he had a little roun’ hole in his arm, des lack a sharp stick be’n stuck in it.  Atter dat Tenie sot a sparrer-hawk fer ter watch de tree; en w’en de woodpecker come erlong nex’ mawnin’ fer ter finish his nes’, he got gobble’ up mos’ ‘fo’ he stuck his bill in de bark.

“Nudder time, Mars Marrabo sent a nigger out in de woods fer ter chop tuppentime boxes.  De man chop a box in dish yer tree, en hack’ de bark up two er th’ee feet, fer ter let de tuppentime run.  De nex’ time Sandy wuz turnt back he had a big skyar on his lef’ leg, des lack it be’n skunt; en it tuk Tenie nigh ’bout all night fer ter fix a mixtry ter kyo it up.  Atter dat, Tenie sot a hawnet fer ter watch de tree; en w’en de nigger come back ag’in fer ter cut ernudder box on de yuther side’n de tree, de hawnet stung ’im so hard dat de ax slip en cut his foot nigh ’bout off.

“W’en Tenie see so many things happenin’ ter de tree, she ’eluded she ’d ha’ ter turn Sandy ter sump’n e’se; en atter studyin’ de matter ober, en talkin’ wid Sandy one ebenin’, she made up her mine fer ter fix up a goopher mixtry w’at would turn herse’f en Sandy ter foxes, er sump’n, so dey could run away en go some’rs whar dey could be free en lib lack w’ite folks.

“But dey ain’ no tellin’ w’at’s gwine ter happen in dis worl’.  Tenie had got de night sot fer her en Sandy ter run away, w’en dat ve’y day one er Mars Marrabo’s sons rid up ter de big house in his buggy, en say his wife wuz monst’us sick, en he want his mammy ter len’ ’im a ’oman fer ter nuss his wife.  Tenie’s mistiss say sen’ Tenie; she wuz a good nuss.  Young mars wuz in a tarrible hurry fer ter git back home.  Tenie wuz washin’ at de big house dat day, en her mistiss say she should go right ’long wid her young marster.  Tenie tried ter make some ’scuse fer ter git away en hide ‘tel night, w’en she would have eve’ything fix’ up fer her en Sandy; she say she wanter go ter her cabin fer ter git her bonnet.  Her mistiss say it doan matter ’bout de bonnet; her head-hank-cher wuz good ernuff.  Den Tenie say she wanter git her bes’ frock; her mistiss say no, she doan need no mo’ frock, en w’en dat one got dirty she could git a clean one whar she wuz gwine.  So Tenie had ter git in de buggy en go ’long wid young Mars Dunkin ter his plantation, w’ich wuz mo’ d’n twenty mile away; en dey wa’n’t no chance er her seein’ Sandy no mo’ ‘tel she come back home.  De po’ gal felt monst’us bad ‘bout de way things wuz gwine on, en she knowed Sandy mus’ be a wond’rin’ why she didn’ come en turn ‘im back no mo’.

“Wiles Tenie wuz away nussin’ young Mars Dunkin’s wife, Mars Marrabo tuk a notion fer ter buil’ ‘im a noo kitchen; en bein’ ez he had lots er timber on his place, he begun ter look ‘roun’ fer a tree ter hab de lumber sawed out’n.  En I dunno how it come to be so, but he happen fer ter hit on de ve’y tree w’at Sandy wuz turnt inter.  Tenie wuz gone, en dey wa’n’t nobody ner nuffin fer ter watch de tree.