“Whew! he didn’ git over dat thing, seh—­he nuver did git over it.

“De war come on jes’ den, an’ Marse Chan wuz elected cap’n; but he wouldn’ tek it.  He said Firginia hadn’ seceded, an’ he wuz gwine stan’ by her.  Den dey ’lected Mr. Gordon cap’n.

“I sut’n’y did wan’ Marse Chan to tek de place, cuz I knowed he wuz gwine tek me wid ‘im.  He wan’ gwine widout Sam.  An’ beside, he look so po’ an’ thin, I thought he wuz gwine die.

“Of co’se, ole missis she heared ‘bout it, an’ she met Miss Anne in de road, an’ cut her jes’ like Miss Anne cut Marse Chan.

“Ole missis, she wuz proud ez anybody!  So we wuz mo’ strangers dan ef we hadn’ live’ in a hundred miles of each urr.  An’ Marse Chan he wuz gittin’ thinner an’ thinner, an’ Firginia she come out, an’ den Marse Chan he went to Richmond an’ listed, an’ come back an’ sey he wuz a private, an’ he didn’ know whe’r he could tek me or not.  He writ to Mr. Gordon, hows’ever, an’ ’twuz ’cided dat when he went I wuz to go ‘long an’ wait on him an’ de cap’n too.  I didn’ min’ dat, yo’ know, long ez I could go wid Marse Chan, an’ I like’ Mr. Gordon, anyways.

“Well, one night Marse Chan come back from de offis wid a telegram dat say, ‘Come at once,’ so he wuz to start nex’ mawnin’.  He uniform wuz all ready, gray wid yaller trimmin’s, an’ mine wuz ready too, an’ he had ole marster’s sword, whar de State gi’ ’im in de Mexikin war; an’ he trunks wuz all packed wid ev’rything in ‘em, an’ my chist was packed too, an’ Jim Rasher he druv ’em over to de depo’ in de waggin, an’ we wuz to start nex’ mawnin’ ’bout light.  Dis wuz ‘bout de las’ o’ spring, you know.  Dat night ole missis made Marse Chan dress up in he uniform, an’ he sut’n’y did look splendid, wid he long mustache an’ he wavin’ hyar an’ he tall figger.

“Arfter supper he come down an’ sez:  ‘Sam, I wan’ you to tek dis note an’ kyar it over to Cun’l Chahmb’lin’s, an’ gi’ it to Miss Anne wid yo’ own han’s, an’ bring me wud what she sez.  Don’ let any one know ‘bout it, or know why you’ve gone.’  ‘Yes, seh,’ sez I.

“Yo’ see, I knowed Miss Anne’s maid over at ole Cun’l Chahmb’lin’s—­dat wuz Judy whar is my wife now—­an’ I knowed I could wuk it.  So I tuk de roan an’ rid over, an’ tied ’im down de hill in de cedars, an’ I wen’ ‘roun’ to de back yard.  ’Twuz a right blowy sort o’ night; de moon wuz jes’ risin’, but de clouds wuz so big it didn’ shine ‘cep’ th’oo a crack now an’ den.  I soon foun’ my gal, an’ arfter tellin’ her two or three lies ’bout herse’f, I got her to go in an’ ax Miss Anne to come to de do’.  When she come, I gi’ her de note, an’ arfter a little while she bro’t me anurr, an’ I tole her good-bye, an’ she gi’ me a dollar, an’ I come home an’ gi’ de letter to Marse Chan.  He read it, an’ tole me to have de hosses ready at twenty minits to twelve at de corner of de garden.  An’ jes’ befo’ dat he come out ez ef he wuz gwine to bed, but instid he come, an’ we all struck out to’ds Cun’l Chahmb’lin’s.  When we got mos’ to de gate, de hosses got sort o’ skeered, an’ I see dey wuz some’n or somebody standin’ jes’ inside; an’ Marse Chan he jumpt off de sorrel an’ flung me de bridle an’ he walked up.