The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-16
AN INVOICE OF INNOCENCE.

is for your arrest"
 "Yes, sah, but whut fur, sah, is you gwineter res me?"
 Simply for stealing chickens. l presume you think that Is hardly & sufficient reason for arresting a man9"
 "Deed I doesn't think muffin of de sawt, sah. Ever man dat steal chick ems oughter be tuck up, black am white. Howsumdever, aim stole no chickens, sah."
 "Whose chickens are these tied by the legs and lying here?"
 "Dey is Mistah Smif's, sah, 'spose, sah."
 "What have you tied their legs for?"
 "I is tied um, sah, to take um back to de 'sponsible ownah, sah."
 "How came they here?"
 "Well, sah, dat's monstous cuis, hit is. En sorter funny, too, ez you thought say. My ole ooman, she's de notionist pussun you evah seed, sah, but she mighty nigh alters has her say, sab, and when she tell yo' Uncle lube to do dis, dat CT t'other, Pse not gwine ter stan hagglin' wid her but mighty little. Tain nevah gwine ter do to be projickin' wid her, sah. An hit take CT nigger dat's got to be mo- focety den l is to do it. Aunt Hammer, many an' many time, is tole me to gone and do sompen CT nuther dat I kain't see no 'casion fur, but hit booty nigh alters comes out fur de bes'. She got a mighty long head, Aunt Hammer is. Las night, sah, Aunt Hammer, she say to me, she do, 'Looker heah, lube, you take dat ar plank an heat CT on de stove, an den you go ovah wander in Mistah Smif's orchard an stan onder de tree dar till I whissels fur you to come, and doan you drap dat plank, needer.'
 "I done think dis var was monstous foolish in Aunt Hammer, but ain say nuthin', kase know dat's CT vase CT time, Aunt Hammer SO headstrong an sot in her ways. did sorter feet some, kase I aim see no reason for sich karn's on ez dat, but Aunt Hammer she snap en flash her eyes en say, .Doan you heah me, you briggity niggah?'
 "'Cose done heerd her, am wid dis I struck off wid de plank whut Aunt Hammer had done het herself on de stove. An she flowed I'd bettah mosey, en did.
 q gifts dar whar she tolc me to go, an stood onder der tree, did, am I wuz monstous glad I had dat het plank on mer shouldah, fur de night was tolable raw, ef you heah me blow my hawn. I aim stud dar mon fo' CT f. minnit till dat ar plank hit git 90 heavy dat I come monstous nigh tiingin' it down. Jis' den hears Aunt Tanners whissel to come in, an' wuz glad 'nuff to dance. En- I tell you whut's de fac, Mistah Ossifer, when I gifts home fines dat plank jis' loaden down wid Mistah Smif's chickens. Dcy rooses booty low, dem chickins does, en' when dey feels dat wa'm plank onder der toes dey jis' steps down offen de linn en' settles avn de plank. Dat's de way dcy come hyar, ah, cn' now pse gwinter take um right back to Mistah Smif. aim got no use fur chickins. Specially dat many chickins. doan take to chickin meat nohow."
 "Yes, that's . very pretty story. Where's AEnt Hanner?"
 "Lawd knows, sah. I aim seed Aunt Hammer dis mawnin'.0
 sWell, you had better come with me"
 "Wharfo'7n
 'sThe judge wants to see you. Come on, or I'll put the nippers on you."
 "En' you aim gwineter gimme no chance to liver MT. Smif's chickins?
 "I'll see that the chickens are delv- ered.D
 ALooker hesh, Mistah Ossifer, dis