“Dey wa’n’t no bacon stole’ fer a week er so, ’tel one dark night w’en somebody tuk a ham fum one er de smoke-’ouses.  Mars Walker des cusst awful w’en he foun’ out de ham wuz gone, en say he gwine ter sarch all de niggers’ cabins; w’en dis yer Wiley I wuz tellin’ yer ’bout up’n say he s’picion’ who tuk de ham, fer he seed Dave comin’ ’cross de plantation fum to’ds de smoke-’ouse de night befo’.  W’en Mars Walker hearn dis fum Wiley, he went en sarch’ Dave’s cabin, en foun’ de ham hid under de flo’.

“Eve’ybody wuz ‘stonish’; but dere wuz de ham.  Co’se Dave ’nied it ter de las’, but dere wuz de ham.  Mars Walker say it wuz des ez he ’spected:  he did n’ b’lieve in dese yer readin’ en prayin’ niggers; it wuz all ‘pocrisy, en sarve’ Mars Dugal’ right fer ‘lowin’ Dave ter be readin’ books w’en it wuz ‘g’in’ de law.

“W’en Mars Dugal hearn ’bout de ham, he say he wuz might’ly ’ceived en disapp’inted in Dave.  He say he wouldn’ nebber hab no mo’ conferdence in no nigger, en Mars Walker could do des ez he wuz a mineter wid Dave er any er de res’ er de niggers.  So Mars Walker tuk’n tied Dave up en gin ’im forty; en den he got some er dis yer wire clof w’at dey uses fer ter make sifters out’n, en tuk’n wrap’ it roun’ de ham en fasten it tergedder at de little een’.  Den he tuk Dave down ter de blacksmif-shop, en had Unker Silas, de plantation blacksmif, fasten a chain ter de ham, en den fasten de yuther een’ er de chain roun’ Dave’s neck.  En den he says ter Dave, sezee:—­

“‘Now, suh, yer’ll wear dat neckliss fer de nex’ six mont’s; en I ‘spec’s yer ner none er de yuther niggers on dis plantation won’ steal no mo’ bacon dyoin’ er dat time.’

“Well, it des ‘peared ez if fum dat time Dave did n’ hab nuffin but trouble.  De niggers all turnt ag’in’ ’im, caze he be’n de ’casion er Mars Dugal’ turnin’ ’em all ober ter Mars Walker.  Mars Dugal’ wa’n’t a bad marster hisse’f, but Mars Walker wuz hard ez a rock.  Dave kep’ on sayin’ he did n’ take de ham, but none un ’em did n’ b’lieve ’im.

“Dilsey wa’n’t on de plantation w’en Dave wuz ‘cused er stealin’ de bacon.  Ole mist’iss had sont her ter town fer a week er so fer ter wait on one er her darters w’at had a young baby, en she didn’ fine out nuffin ’bout Dave’s trouble ’tel she got back ter de plantation.  Dave had patien’ly endyoed de finger er scawn, en all de hard words w’at de niggers pile’ on ‘im, caze he wuz sho’ Dilsey would stan’ by ’im, en would n’ b’lieve he wuz a rogue, ner none er de yuther tales de darkies wuz tellin’ ’bout ’im.

“W’en Dilsey come back fum town, en got down fum behine de buggy whar she b’en ridin’ wid ole mars, de fus’ nigger ’ooman she met says ter her,—­

“‘Is yer seed Dave, Dilsey?’

“‘No, I ain’ seed Dave,’ says Dilsey.

“‘Yer des oughter look at dat nigger; reckon yer would n’ want ’im fer yo’ junesey no mo’.  Mars Walker cotch ‘im stealin’ bacon, en gone en fasten’ a ham roun’ his neck, so he can’t git it off’n hisse’f.  He sut’nly do look quare.’  En den de ‘ooman bus’ out laffin’ fit ter kill herse’f.  W’en she got thoo laffin’ she up’n tole Dilsey all ’bout de ham, en all de yuther lies w’at de niggers be’n tellin’ on Dave.