ay off in de swamp en hide it. Den he
tuck'n come back, ole Brer Rabbit did, fer ter wait fer Brer Wolf.

"Atter so long a time, sho' 'nuff, yer come Brer Wolf des a-gallin'-up
back. Brer Rabbit he hail 'im.

"'Is you wom yo'se'f, Brer Wolf?'

"'Brer Rabbit, don't talk! Dat de mos' 'seetful fier w'at I had any
speunce un. I run, en I run, en I run, en de mo' w'at I run de furder
de fier git. De nigher you come ter dat fier de furder hit 's off.'

"Brer Rabbit, he sorter scratch hisse'f behime de shoulder-blade, en
'low:

"'Nummine 'bout de fier, Brer Wolf. I got sump'n' yer dat'll wom you up.
Ef you aint nev' bin wom befo', I lay you'll get wom dis time.'

"Dis make Brer Wolf sorter look 'roun', en w'en he see Brer Rabbit
hol'in' on ter de two hoss-tails, he up'n squall out, he did:

"'Lawdy mussy, Brer Rabbit! Whar my vittles? Whar my waggin? Whar my
hosses?'

"'Dey er all right yer, Brer Wolf; dey er all right yer. I stayed dar
whar you lef' me twel de hosses gun ter git restless. Den I cluck at um,
en, bless gracious, dey start off en lan' in a quicksan'. W'en dey gun
ter mire, I des tuck'n tu'n eve'ything a-loose en grab de hosses by de
tail, en I bin stan'in' yer wishin' fer you, Brer Wolf, twel I done gone
gray in de min'. I 'low ter myse'f dat I'd hang on ter deze yer
hoss-tails ef it killt eve'y cow in de islan'. Come he'p me, Brer Wolf,
en I lay we'll des nat'ally pull de groun' out but w'at we'll git deze
creeturs out.'

"Wid dat, Brer Wolf, he kotch holt er one hoss-tail, en Brer Rabbit, he
kotch holt er de yuther, en w'en dey pull, co'se de tails come out'n de
mud. Dey stood dar, dey did, en dey look at de tails en den dey look at
one n'er. Bimeby Brer Rabbit 'low:

"'Well, sir, Brer Wolf; we pull so hard twel we pull de tails plum out!'

"Ole Brer Wolf, he dunner w'at ter do, but it 'gun ter git dark, en 't
wa'n't long 'fo' he tell Brer Rabbit good-by, en off he put fer home.
Dat ar Brer Rabbit," Uncle Remus went on, "he des tuck'n wait twel Brer
Wolf git out'n yearin', en den he went into de swamp en druv de hosses
home en git all de vittles, en he aint hatter sell he ole mammy n'er.
Dat he aint."

XL

"CUTTA CORD-LA!"

To all appearances Daddy Jack had taken no interest in Uncle Remus's
story of the horses' tails, and yet, as soon as the little boy and Aunt
Tempy were through laughing at a somewhat familiar climax, the old
African began to twist and fidget in his chair, and mumbl