said Sam, "dat's all you fit for, is to work. Why don't
you be a gemman like me, whut aint a-gwine to do a lick o' work dis
whole day?"

"Done runned away, is you?" answered Pumble. "Well, I'll come 'round
dis ebenin, when de ole ooman gibs you a dose ob hickory-tea."

"Dat'll do, boy;" said Sam. "Let you know dis is my buff-day, an' _I_
wont work for _no_body, on _my_ buff-day. Go ax yo' mammy kin you come
up an' play wid me; tell her _my_ mammy sont word for you to come."

Pumble dropped the hatchet, stared ecstatically, and ran in to obtain
the desired permission. It was granted. Then this dialogue occurred:

"Be a good chile!"

"Yes'm."

"Don't forgit yo' manners!"

"Nome."

"'Member you's _my_ son!"

"Yes'm."

"Don't you git into no mischuf!"

"Nome."

"Ef you dose, I'll w'ar you out, sah! Now, go 'long!"

The boys trotted merrily away together. But they had not gone fifty
rods before they heard Pumble's mother calling him. They stopped to
listen.

"_Take--keer--ob yo'--clo'es!_" she shouted, and then went back into
her house.

Under a great pecan-tree, on the lawn before the "big house," Sam and
Pumble sat down to consider and consult, or, as they expressed it, "to
study up whut us gwine to do."

"Shill I tell a story?" asked Pumble.

"Does you know a good one?" inquired Sam.

"Dis story's gwine to be a new one," said Pumble "beakase I'll make it
up as I go 'long."

"Tell ahead," said Sam.

"Wunst apon a time--" began Pumble.

"What time?" interrupted Sam.

"Shut up! Wunst upon a time. Dey wuz a man. An' dis heah man lighted up
he pipe, an' started out on de big road. An' he went walkin' along.
Right stret along. An' walkin' along, an' walkin' along, _an'_ walkin'
along. An' _walkin'_ along. An' walkin' along, an' walkin' along--"

"Dat man wuz gwine all de way, wuzn't he?" interjected the listener.

[Illustration: "THE BOYS TROTTED MERRILY AWAY TOGETHER."]

"He hadn't got _no_ way, hardly, yit," said Pumble, "but he kep'
a-walkin' along. An' walkin' along, an' walkin' along, an' walkin'
along, an' walkin' along, an' walkin' along, an' walkin' along, an'
walkin' along, an' walkin' along--."

"Stop dat walkin' now," said Sam, "and tell whut he done when he _got
froo_ walkin'."

"He come to de place he wuz a-gwine to," said Pumble.

"Did he, sho' enough?" exclaimed Sam. "I wuz kinder skeered he wudn't
nebber git dar at all. Whut did he don nex'?"

"De nex' t'ing he done," sa