eplied, "Marse Adum." And
so he went all down the line, explaining that "Marse Cain kilt his
brudder;" that "Marse Abel wuz de fus man slewed;" that "Marse Noah
built de ark;" that "Marse Thuselum wuz de oldes' man," and so on, until
he reached the end of the line, and had almost exhausted his store of
information. Then, thinking to see how much the children remembered, he
began at the top of the line once more, and asked the child,

"Who made yer?"

"Dut," answered the little negro.

"Who?" demanded Uncle Bob, in astonishment.

"Dut," replied the child.

"Didn' I tell yer God made yer?" asked the old man.

"No, sar," replied the boy; "dat'n wat God made done slip out de do'."

And so it was. As soon as Uncle Bob's back was turned, Gus, who had
wearied of the Sunday-school, slipped out, and the old man had not
noticed the change.

The confusion resulting from this trifling circumstance was fearful.
"Dut" made the first child. The question, "What did he make yer fur?"
was promptly answered, "Marse Adum." "Eve wuz de fus man." "Marse Cain
wuz de fus 'oman." "Marse Abel kilt his brudder." "Marse Noah wuz de fus
one slewed." "Marse Thuselum built de ark." And so on, until the old man
had to begin all over again, and give each one a new answer. The
catechising through with, Uncle Bob said:

"Now, chil'en, I gwine splain de Scripchurs ter yer. I gwine tell yer
boutn Dan'l in de lions' den. Dan'l wuz er good Christyun man wat lived
in de Bible; and whedder he wuz er white man or whedder he wuz er brack
man I dunno; I ain't nuber hyeard nobody say. But dat's neder hyear nor
dar; he wuz er good man, and he pray tree times eby day. At de fus
peepin' uv de day, Brer Dan'l he usen fur ter hop outn his bed and git
down on his knees; and soon's eber de horn hit blowed fur de hans ter
come outn de field fur dinner, Brer Dan'l he went in his house, he did,
and he flop right back on 'is knees. And wen de sun set, den dar he wuz
agin er prayin' and er strivin' wid de Lord.

"Well, de king uv dat kentry, he 'low he nuber want no prayin' bout 'im;
he sez, sezee, 'I want de thing fur ter stop;' but Brer Dan'l, he nuber
studid 'im; he jes prayed right on, tell by'mby de king he 'low dat de
nex' man wat he cotch prayin' he wuz gwine cas'm in de lions' den.

"Well, nex' mornin, soon's Brer Dan'l riz fum 'is bed, he lit right on
'is knees, an' went ter prayin'; an' wile he wuz er wrestlin' in prar de
pater-rollers dey come in, an'