Abel's stories? "'Twan' mo'n
twenty years back dat Ole Miss had de fines' car'ige in de county," he
began one evening on the doorstep, and the boy drove away a brood of
half-fledged chickens and settled himself to listen. "Hadn't you better
light your pipe, Big Abel?" he inquired courteously.

Big Abel shuffled into the cabin and came back with his corncob pipe and a
lighted taper. "We all ain' rid in de ole coach den," he said with a sigh,
as he sucked at the long stem, and threw the taper at the chickens. "De ole
coach hit uz th'owed away in de out'ouse, en I 'uz des stiddyin' 'bout
splittin' it up fer kindlin' wood--en de new car'ige hit cos' mos' a mint
er money. Ole Miss she uz dat sot up dat she ain' let de hosses git no
sleep--nor me nurr. Ef'n she spy out a speck er dus' on dem ar wheels,
somebody gwine year f'om it, sho's you bo'n--en dat somebody wuz me. Yes,
Lawd, Ole Miss she 'low dat dey ain' never been nuttin' like dat ar car'ige
in Varginny sence befo' de flood."

"But where is it, Big Abel?"

"You des wait, young Marster, you des wait twel I git dar. I'se gwine git
dar w'en I come ter de day me an Ole Marster rid in ter git his gol' f'om
Mars Tom Braxton. De car'ige hit sutney did look spick en span dat day, en
I done shine up my hosses twel you could 'mos' see yo' face in dey sides.
Well, we rid inter town en we got de gol' f'om Marse Braxton,--all tied up
in a bag wid a string roun' de neck er it,--en we start out agin (en Ole
Miss she settin' up at home en plannin' w'at she gwine buy), w'en we come
ter de tave'n whar we all use ter git our supper, en meet Marse Plaintain
Dudley right face to face. Lawd! Lawd! I'se done knowed Marse Plaintain
Dudley afo' den, so I des tech up my hosses en wuz a-sailin' 'long by, w'en
he shake his han' en holler out, 'Is yer wife done tied you ter 'er ap'on,
Maje?' (He knowed Ole Miss don' w'ar no ap'on des es well es I knowed
hit--dat's Marse Plaintain all over agin); but w'en he holler out dat, Ole
Marster sez, 'Stop, Abel,' en I 'bleeged ter stop, you know, I wuz w'en Ole
Marster tell me ter.

"'I ain' tied, Plaintain, I'm tired,' sez Ole Marster, 'I'm tired losin'
money.' Den Marse Plaintain he laugh like a devil. 'Oh, come in, suh, come
in en win, den,' he sez, en Ole Marster step out en walk right in wid Marse
Plaintain behint 'im--en I set dar all night,--yes, suh, I set dar all
night a-hol'n' de hosses' haids.

"Den w'en de sun up out come Ole Marster, whit