e rich acres, and his
possessions, it was said, might have been readily doubled had he chosen to
barter for them the peace of perfect inactivity. To do him justice the idea
had never occurred to him in the light of a temptation, and when a
neighbour had once remarked in his hearing that he "reckoned Jack would
rather lose a dollar than walk a mile to fetch it," he had answered
blandly, and without embarrassment, that "a mile was a goodish stretch on a
sandy road." So he sat and dozed beneath his sturdy oaks, while his wife
went ragged at the heels and his swarm of tow-headed children rolled
contentedly with the pigs among the acorns.

Dan was still looking moodily down into the yard, when he heard a gentle
pressure upon the handle of his door, and as he turned, it opened quickly
and Big Abel, bearing a large white bundle upon his shoulders, staggered
into the room.

"Ef'n you'd des let me knowed hit, I could er brung a bigger load," he
remarked sternly.

While he drew breath Dan stared at him with the blankness of surprise.
"Where did you come from, Big Abel?" he questioned at last, speaking in a
whisper.

Big Abel was busily untying the sheet he had brought, and spreading out the
contents upon the bed, and he did not pause as he sullenly answered:--

"Ole Marster's."

"Who sent you?"

Big Abel snorted. "Who gwine sen' me?" he demanded in his turn.

"Well, I declare," said Dan, and after a moment, "how did you get away,
man?"

"Lawd, Lawd," returned Big Abel, "I wa'n' bo'n yestiddy nur de day befo'.
Terreckly I seed you a-cuttin' up de drive, I knowed dar wuz mo' den wuz in
de tail er de eye, en w'en you des lit right out agin en bang de do' behint
you fitten ter bus' hit, den I begin ter steddy 'bout de close in de big
wa'drobe. I got out one er ole Miss's sheets w'en she wa'n' lookin, en I
tie up all de summer close de bes' I kin--caze dat ar do' bang hit ain'
soun' like you gwine be back fo' de summer right plum hyer. I'se done heah
a do' bang befo' now, en dars mo' in it den des de shettin' ter stay shet."

"So you ran away?" said Dan, with a long whistle.

"Ain't you done run away?"

"I--oh, I was turned out," answered the young man, with his eyes on the
negro. "But--bless my soul, Big Abel, why did you do it?"

Big Abel muttered something beneath his breath, and went on laying out the
things.

"How you gwine git dese yer close ef I ain' tote 'em 'long de road?" he
asked presently. "How you gwine