be to tes ef i had de money to travel back to i d go an try to hunt up he was seated upon the steps of a government building one afternoon discussing his favourite subject with some of his coloured friends he had been unusually eloquent and had worked himself up to a when he suddenly ceased speaking and stared straight across the street to the opposite side of the pavement in such that he forgot to close his mouth he was gazing at an elderly gentleman with a hook nose and the dashing hat of the broad brim which was regarded as being almost as much an of the south as the blue flag itself uncle got up and across the street he in connection with the de claim had become unconsciously with excitement his old black face worked and his hands he was so far out of breath when he reached the stranger s side that he could scarcely make himself heard as pulling his hat off he cried the stranger did not hear him distinctly and waved him off evidently taking him for a beggar i ve nothing for you uncle he said with good nature uncle found some of his breath though not enough to steady his voice but his was almost passionate he said i ain t on y if i might speak a few words to you his shrewd on the name was effective the elderly gentleman turned and looked at him in surprised questioning how do you know me he said this is the first time i have been in washington � and i ve not been here an hour i you in county ev you i was er de war i was de time you � you an judge de passed shots bout ate flag what do you want said dr somewhat these were days when stories of the flag were generally avoided called it the rebel flag had had the discretion to avoid this mistake he in connection with the de claim was wild with anxious excitement suddenly here had appeared a man who could give all the evidence desired if he would do so he had left immediately on the close of the war and had not been heard of he might like so many be passing on to some unknown point and remain in the city only between trains there was no time to find any better qualified person than himself to attend to this matter it must be attended to upon the spot and at this moment uncle knew all the of the situation no one could have known them better but a sort of courage grew out of his desperation he aid may i take de liberty of walking you an you a question i mustn t keep you i beg you to me i kin talk an walk at de same time dr was an person and s imploring old countenance was not without its pathos he was so evidently by his emotions what is it all about he stood uncovered and spoke fast the hand holding his hat was shaking as also was his voice i m but a man he said it ain t for myself i se on ye it s wasn t time to go fer de that could talk it like it be i had to push my self in fear you d be gone an we d set eyes on you walk along by me said the doctor what about the de i thought they were all dead all but thomas and s to de claim has you done bout de claim in connection with the de claim no the doctor answered i have been in too far out west whereupon plunged into the story of the mines and the difficulties which had presented themselves in the pathway of the and the necessity for the production of testimony which would the charge of the detail was not very clear but it had the effect of carrying dr back to certain good old days in before his beloved south had been laid low and he had been driven far to live among strangers an alien for that reason he found himself moved by the recital and listened to it to its end but what has this to do with me he asked what do you want of me when i seed you uncle explained it all come back to me in a how you an de judge pass shots bout flag how you him to a dinner party an was a ate officer � an a ate flag hung up over de table an de judge when he seed it he p int blank to set down to de table an it ended in you goin out in de an shots yes damn it all cried dr but melted the next moment the poor old fellow is dead he said an he died in disgrace and without friends yes uncle protested eagerly without a single friend an all lone of � all lone an it was he was so strong for de union � an now de ment won t let his have his money s to prove him � when he changed shots with his friend he wouldn t set under de ate flag a grim smile in dr s face in connection with the de claim what he said do you want me to explain to the government that the old would have blown my brains out if he could said uncle with shrewd gravity things is different days an de ment don t call gen as was called in de he looked up under the broad brim of his companion s hat with impassioned appealing i member one thing he said you was a southern gen and when a enemy s dead a southern gen don t cherish no harm him an you straight from an you 