got to watch 'em all de time; you kyarn break
'em like you kin horses.

"Now dat off mule dyah" (indicating, by a lazy but not light lash of
his whip the one selected for his illustration), "dee ain' no countin'
on her at all; she go 'long all day, or maybe a week, jes dat easy an'
sociable, an' fust thing you know you ain' know nuttin she done knock
you brains out; dee ain' no 'pendence to be placed in 'em 'tall, suh;
she jes as sweet as a kiss one minute, an' next time she come out de
house she got her head up in de air, an' her ears backed, an' goin'
long switchin'herself like I ain' good 'nough for her to walk on.

"'Fox-huntin's?' oh, yes, suh, ev'y day mos'; an' when Marse George
didn't git de tail, twuz 'cause twuz a bob-tail fox--you heah me! He
play de fiddle for he pastime, but he fetched up in de saddle--dat he
cradle!

"De fust day dee went out I heah Nancy quoilin 'bout de tail layin' on
Miss Charlotte dressin'-table gittin' hyahs over ev'ything.

"One day de ladies went out too, Miss Charlotte 'mongst 'em, on Miss
Lucy' gray myah Switchity, an' Marse George he rid Mr. Braxton's
chestnut Willful.

"Well, suh, he stick so close to dat gray myah, he leetle mo' los' dat
fox; but, Lord! he know what he 'bout--he monsus 'ceivin' 'bout dat--he
know de way de fox gwine jes as well as he know heself; an' all de time
he leadin' Miss Charlotte whar she kin heah de music, but he watchin'
him too, jes as narrow as a ole hound. So, when de fox tun de head o'
de creek, Marse George had Miss Charlotte on de aidge o' de flat, an'
he de fust man see de fox tun down on turr side wid de hounds right
rank after him. Dat sort o' set him back, 'cause by rights de fox
ought to a' double an' come back dis side: he kyarn git out dat way;
an' two or three gent'mens dee had see it too, an' wuz jes layin de
horses to de groun' to git roun' fust, 'cause de creek wuz heap too
wide to jump, an' wuz 'way over you head, an hit cold as Christmas, sho
'nough; well, suh, when dee tunned, Mr. Clarke he wuz in de lead (he
wuz ridin' for Miss Charlotte too), an' hit fyah set Marse George on
fire; he ain' said but one wud, 'Wait,' an' jes set de chestnut's head
straight for de creek, whar de fox comin' wid he hyah up on he back,
an' de dogs ravlin mos' on him.

"De ladies screamed, an' some de gent'mens hollered for him to come
back, but he ain' mind; he went 'cross dat flat like a wild-duck; an'
when he retch de water he horse tried t