t to hold on; but de myah wuz
lungin' an' de water wuz all over me like ice, an' den I washed off de
myah back, an' got drownded.

"I 'member comin' up an' hollerin' agin for help, but I know den'
'tain' no use, dee ain' no help den, an' I got to pray to Gord, an' den
some'n hit me an' I went down agin, an'--de next thing I know I wuz in
de bed, an' I heah 'em talkin' 'bout wherr I dead or not, an' I ain'
know myself tell I taste de whiskey dee po'rin' down my jugular.

"An' den dee tell me 'bout how when I hollered Marse George tun back
an' struck out for me for life, an' how jes as I went down de last time
he cotch me an' helt on to me tell we wash down to whar de bank curve,
an' dyah de current wuz so rapid hit yuck him off Reveller back, but he
helt on to de reins tell de horse lunge so he hit him wid he fo' foot
an' breck he collar-bone, an' den he had to let him go, an' jes helt on
to me; an' den we wash up agin de bank an' cotch in a tree, an' de mens
got dyah quick as dee could, an' when dee retched us Marse George wuz
holdin' on to me, an' had he arm wrapped roun' a limb, an' we wuz
lodged in de crotch, an' bofe jes as dead as a nail; an' de myah she
got out, but Reveller he wuz drownded, wid his foot cotch in de rein
an' de saddle tunned onder he side; an' dee ain' know wherr Marse
George ain' dead too, 'cause he not only drownded, but he lef' arm
broke up nigh de shoulder.

"An' dee say Miss Charlotte she 'mos' 'stracted; dat de fust thing
anybody know 'bout it wuz when some de servants bust in de hall an'
holler, an' say Marse George an' me bofe done washed 'way an' drownded,
an' dat she drapt down dead on de flo', an' when dee bring her to she
'low to Miss Lucy dat she de 'casion on he death; an' dee say dat when
de mens wuz totin' him in de house, an' wuz shufflin' de feets not to
meck no noige, an' a little piece o' wet blue silk drapt out he breast
whar somebody picked up an' gin Miss Lucy, Miss Charlotte breck right
down agin; an' some on 'em say she sutney did keer for him; an' now
when he layin' upstairs dyah dead, hit too late for him ever to know
it."

[Illustration: "_Miss Charlotte she 'mos 'stracted._"]

"Well, suh, I couldn' teck it in dat Marse George and Reveller wuz
dead, an' jes den somebody say Marse George done comin' to an' dee gi'
me so much whiskey I went to sleep.

"An' next mornin' I got up an' went to Marse George room, an' see him
layin' dyah in de bed, wid he face so white a