The morning times., 1897-02-28

swayed slightly from side TO side. he
seemed to he gliding along, rather than
walking. Ahead of him, sometimes near.
sometimes far, and frequently out OF sight,
dark shadow moved ana fitted. IL
was Rambler going in canter. a hare
Jumped from behind tusSock and went
skipping away. 1t was tempting chal-
1 lenge, but Rambler hardly glanced at
| him. 'Good-by, Mr.. Rabbit. III see
| you another day
Thus Aaron, the woman and Rambler
| went to Gossett's.
Man, amt you tired?" the woman
asked, when they came in sight of the
negro quarters.
"Me?" III go twenty miles before sun
up replied Aaron.
Il never tell on you no mo, - said the
woman; mot eff dey kills me- She
turned to go to her cabin, when Aaron
| touched her on the shoulder.
Waltz he whispered IF it brings
! more meat for your young ones, tell!
| Fetch the men here; show em where l
! your baties.''
''Sho' 'nuff?' asked the woman, amazed.
| Aaron nodded his head What kind cr
1
nigger. Dey amt no niger on top er de
! ground dat'd stan up dar an talk dat
| away. VIII dey ketch You cf ! tell?'
! The woman was thinking about the meat
Aaron lifted his right hand in the air.
! turned and disappeared in the darkness.
which was now changing to the gray of
| dawn. The woman remained where she
| was standing for some moments as if
| considering some serious problem. Then
she shook her head.
| I'D git de meat-but dey mout ketch
| i'm, an den what'd | look like?"
This remark seemed to please her, for she
| repeated it more than once before moving
| out of her tracks. When she did move
| she went to her cabin, kindled a fire,
cooked something for her children-she
had tmee-placed a biscuit and a piece
| of ham for each, and, although she had
| not slept wink, prepared to go to the
field. 1t was almost time, too, for she
| heard the hog feeder in the horse lot talk
| ing angfily to the mules as he parceled
| out their corn and forage Presently she
| heard him calling the hogs to get bite
| of corn-the fattening hogs that were
running about in the horse lot.
Soon, too, she heard the sharp voice OF
| Mr.. Gossett. her master, calling to the hog
| feeder. And yoI may be sure the man went
| as fast as his legs would carry him. Get
| out of the way, dog, chickens, wheel
| barrows, woodpile, everything, and let the
negro run to his masterl Had he seen the
| horses? o, yes, Marster, that he had They
| were standing at the lot gate and they
| wickered and whinned SO that he
| was obliged TO go and see what
| the trouble was. And there
| were the horses, Mr.. Simmons
| among the rest. Yes. Marster, and the hog
| feeder was just on the point of alarming the
neighborhood. thinking something serious
| had happened, when the thought came to
| his mind that the horses had grown tired
of waiting and had broken loose from their
fastenings.
| o, yes, Marster, they would do that way
| sometimes, because horses have heap OF
sense, especially Marster's horses. When
one broke loose the others wanted to follow "
him, and then they broke loose, too And
| they were fed-eating right now. and all
fixed up. Saddle 'em by sun up? Yes,
| Marster, and before that if you want em,
| for they've already had a right smart
| smack of corn and good clean fodder.
| AS for Aaron he had far to go. He had
| no fear of Mr.. Gossett's hounds But he
| knew he would have some difficulty in
| getting away from those that Mr.. Simmons
! had trained If he could outmaneuver
! them, that would be the best plan. Ifnot-
well, lie would make a stand in the swamp
/ But there was the crop cared, bob-tailed
| cur-the catch dog-that was the trouble.
| Aaron knew, too, that Mr.. Simmons was
| professional negro hunter. and that he
| naturally took some degree of pride in it.
/ Being professional, with a keen desire
to be regarded as an expert, it was to be
! supposed that Mr.. Simmons had made a
| study of the tactics of fugitive negroes
AS a matter of fact, Mr.. Simmons was
/ very shrewd man. He was also, n spite