afraid it was a little incompatible,"
he said.

"Of cose it's incomfatible," said George Washington. "I ripresents one
and you de t'urr. Dat's de way! I ripresents _Marse Jeff_. I know _he_
ain' gwine fly de track. I done know him from a little lad. Dat urr
gent'man I ain' know nuttin tall about. You ripresents him." He waved
his hand in scorn.

"Ah!" said the Major, as he set laboriously about loading the pistols,
handling the balls somewhat ostentatiously.

George Washington asserted, "I b'lieve I know mo' 'bout the Code 'n you
does, Marse Nat."

The Major looked at him quizzically as he rammed the ball down hard. He
was so skilful that George at length added condescendingly, "But I see
you ain' forgit how to handle dose things."

The Major modestly admitted, as he put on a cap, that he used to be a
pretty fair shot, and George Washington in an attitude as declarative of
his pride in the occasion as his inebriated state admitted, was looking
on with an expression of supreme complacency, when the Major levelled
the weapon and sighted along its barrel. George Washington gave a jump
which sent his cherished beaver bouncing twenty feet.

"Look out, Marse Nat! Don' handle dat thing so keerless, please, suh."

The Major explained that he was just trying its weight, and declared
that it "came up beautifully;" to which George Washington after he had
regained his damaged helmet assented with a somewhat unsteady voice. The
Major looked at his watch and up at the trees, the tops of which were
still brightened with the reflection from the sunset sky, and muttered
an objurgation at the failure of the principals to appear, vowing that
he never before knew of a similar case, and that at least he had not
expected Jeff to fail to come to time. George Washington again proudly
announced that he represented Jeff and that it was "that urr gent'man
what had done fly de track, that urr gent'man what you ripre-sents,
Marse Nat." He spoke with unveiled contempt.

The Major suddenly turned on him.

"George Washington!"

"Suh!" He faced him.

"If my principal fails to appear, I must take his place. The rule is,
the second takes the place of his non-appearing principal."

"In cose dat's de rule," declared George Washington as if it were
his own suggestion; "de secon' tecks de place o' de non-repearin'
sprinciple, and dat's what mecks me say what I does, dat man is done run
away, suh, dat's what's de motter wid him. He's jes' nat-c