from de start.  Marse Chan he use’ to kyar Miss Anne’s books fur her ev’y day, an’ ef de road wuz muddy or she wuz tired, he use’ to tote her; an’ ‘twarn’ hardly a day passed dat he didn’ kyar her some’n’ to school—­ apples or hick’y nuts, or some’n.  He wouldn’t let none o’ de chil’en tease her, nurr.  Heh!  One day, one o’ de boys poked he finger at Miss Anne, and arfter school Marse Chan he axed ’im ‘roun’ ‘hine de schoolhouse out o’ sight, an’ ef he didn’t whop ’im!

“Marse Chan, he wuz de peartes’ scholar ole Mr. Hall hed, an’ Mr. Hall he wuz mighty proud o’ ‘im.  I don’ think he use’ to beat ’im ez much ez he did de urrs, aldo’ he wuz de head in all debilment dat went on, jes’ ez he wuz in sayin’ he lessons.

“Heh! one day in summer, jes’ fo’ de school broke up, dyah come up a storm right sudden, an’ riz de creek (dat one yo’ cross’ back yonder), an’ Marse Chan he toted Miss Anne home on he back.  He ve’y off’n did dat when de parf wuz muddy.  But dis day when dey come to de creek, it had done washed all de logs ’way.  ’Twuz still mighty high, so Marse Chan he put Miss Anne down, an’ he took a pole an’ waded right in.  Hit took ’im long up to de shoulders.  Den he waded back, an’ took Miss Anne up on his head an’ kyared her right over.  At fust she wuz skeered; but he tol’ her he could swim an’ wouldn’ let her git hu’t, an’ den she let ’im kyar her ’cross, she hol’in’ his han’s.  I warn’ ’long dat day, but he sut’n’y did dat thing.

“Ole marster he wuz so pleased ‘bout it, he giv’ Marse Chan a pony; an’ Marse Chan rode ’im to school de day arfter he come, so proud, an’ sayin’ how he wuz gwine to let Anne ride behine ’im; an’ when he come home dat evenin’ he wuz walkin’.  ’Hi! where’s yo’ pony?’ said ole marster.  ’I give ‘im to Anne,’ says Marse Chan.  ’She liked ‘im, an’-I kin walk.’  ‘Yes,’ sez ole marster, laughin’, ‘I s’pose you’s already done giv’ her yo’se’f, an’ nex’ thing I know you’ll be givin’ her this plantation and all my niggers.’

“Well, about a fortnight or sich a matter arfter dat, Cun’l Chahmb’lin sont over an’ invited all o’ we all over to dinner, an’ Marse Chan wuz ‘spressly named in de note whar Ned brought; an’ arfter dinner he made ole Phil, whar wuz his ker’ige-driver, bring ‘roun’ Marse Chan’s pony wid a little side-saddle on ‘im, an’ a beautiful little hoss wid a bran’-new saddle an’ bridle on ’im; an’ he gits up an’ meks Marse Chan a gre’t speech, an’ presents ‘im de little hoss; an’ den he calls Miss Anne, an’ she comes out on de poach in a little ridin’ frock, an’ dey puts her on her pony, an’ Marse Chan mounts his hoss, an’ dey goes to ride, while de grown folks is a-laughin’ an’ chattin’ an’ smokin’ dey cigars.

“Dem wuz good ole times, marster-de bes’ Sam ever see!  Dey wuz, in fac’!  Niggers didn’ hed nothin’ ‘t all to do-jes’ hed to ‘ten’ to de feedin’ an’ cleanin’ de hosses, an’ doin’ what de marster tell ‘em to do; an’ when dey wuz sick, dey had things sont ’em out de house, an’ de same doctor come to see ’em whar ‘ten’ to de white folks when dey wuz po’ly.  Dyar warn’ no trouble nor nothin’.