en Daddy Jake's
got ter go in it;" and, Major and Mrs. Waldron having gone, Mammy was
the next highest in command, and from her decision there was no appeal.

"How come yer ter git lef, Daddy?" asked Uncle Snake-bit Bob, as the old
man came up hobbling on his stick.

"Well, yer see, chile, I wuz er lightin' uv my pipe, an' er fixin' uv er
new stim in it, an' I nuber notus wen de wagins went off. Yer see I'm er
gittin' er little deef in deze ole yurs uv mine: dey ben er fasten't on
ter dis ole nigger's head er long time, uperds uv er hunderd years or
mo'; an' de time hez ben wen dey could hyear de leaves fall uv er
nights; but dey gittin' out'n fix somehow; dey ain't wuckin' like dey
oughter; an' dey jes sot up dar, an' let de wagins drive off, an' leave
de ole nigger er lightin' uv his pipe; an' wen I got thu, an' went ter
de do', den I hyeard er mighty stillness in de quarters, an', bless yer
heart, de folks wuz gone; an' I lookt up dis way, an' I seed de wagin
hyear, an' I 'lowed yer'd all gimme er lif' some way."

"Dem little niggers'll hatter stay at home," said Mammy, sharply, eying
the little darkies, "or else dey'll hatter walk, caze Daddy's got ter
come in dis wagin. Now, you git out, you little niggers."

At this, Dilsey and Chris and Riar began to unpack themselves, crying
bitterly the while, because they were afraid to walk by themselves, and
they knew they couldn't walk fast enough to keep up with the wagon; but
here Diddie came to the rescue, and persuaded Uncle Bob to go to the
stable and saddle Corbin, and all three of the little negroes mounted
him, and rode on behind the wagon, while Daddy Jake was comfortably
fixed in the space they had occupied; and now they were fairly off.

"Mammy, what does folks have Fourf of Julys for?" asked Dumps, after a
little while.

"I dunno, honey," answered Mammy; "I hyearn 'em say hit wuz 'long o'
some fightin' or nuther wat de wite folks fit one time; but whedder dat
wuz de time wat Brer David fit Goliar or not, I dunno; I ain't hyeard
'em say 'bout dat: it mout er ben dat time, an' den ergin it mout er ben
de time wat Brer Samson kilt up de folks wid de jawbone. I ain't right
sho' _wat_ time hit wuz; but den I knows hit wuz some fightin' or
nuther."

"It was the 'Declination of Independence,'" said Diddie. "It's in the
little history; and it wasn't any fightin', it was a _writin'_; and
there's the picture of it in the book; and all the men are settin'
roun', an