all the niggers they is. Sarah Jane
'lowed she's going, but she ain't got nobody to 'tend to Bennie Dick.
Wouldn't you like to go, Billy?"

"You can't go 'thout you's a nigger," was the reply; "Sam Lamb say
they ain't no white folks 'lowed on this train 'cepin' the engineer an'
conductor."

"Sam Lamb'd take care of us if we could go," continued Jimmy. "Let's
slip off and go down to the depot and see the niggers get on. There'll
be 'bout a million."

Billy's eyes sparkled with appreciation.

"I sho' wish I could," he said; "but Aunt Minerva'd make me stay in bed
a whole week if I want near the railroad."

"My mama 'd gimme 'bout a million licks, too, if I projeckted with a
nigger 'scursion she 'bout the spankingest woman they is. My papa put
some burnt cork on his face in the Knights er Pythi's minstrels and I
know where we can get some to make us black; you go get Miss Minerva's
ink bottle too, that'll help some, and get some matches, and I'll go get
the cork and we can go to Sarah Jane's house and make usselfs black."

"I ain't never promise not to black up and go down to the depot," said
Billy waveringly. "I promise not to never be no mo' Injun--I--"

"Well, run then," Jimmy interrupted impatiently. "We'll just slip down
to the railroad and take a look at the niggers. You don't hafto get on
the train just 'cause you down to the depot."

So Miss Minerva's nephew, after tiptoeing into the house for her ink
bottle and filling his pockets with contraband matches, met his chum
at the cabin. There, under the critical survey of Bennie Dick from his
customary place on the floor, they darkened their faces, heads,
hands, feet, and legs; then, pulling their caps over their eyes, these
energetic little boys stole out of the back gate and fairly flew down an
alley to the station. No one noticed them in that hot, perspiring, black
crowd. A lively band was playing and the mob of good-humored, happy
negroes, dressed in their Sunday best, laughing and joking, pushing and
elbowing, made their way to the excursion train standing on the track.

The two excited children got directly behind a broad, pompous negro and
slipped on the car just after him. Fortunately they found a seat in the
rear of the coach and there they sat unobserved, still and quiet, except
for an occasional delighted giggle, till the bell clanged and the train
started off. "We'll see Sam Lamb toreckly," whispered Jimmy, "and he'll
take care of us."

The trai