u in my arms over de people's heads to see de monkeys ride.

"Well, Aunt Peggy say she runned till she couldn't run no longer, so she
clumb a great tree, and sat in de branches and watched him. He made
straight for de river, and he kicked up de sand wid his hoofs, as he went
along, till he come to de bank; den he begins to drink, and he drinks, I
tell you. Aunt Peggy say every swaller he took was least a gallon, and he
drunk all dat blessed mornin. After a while she seed de water gitting very
low, and last he gits enuff. He must a got his thirst squinched by dat
time. So Aunt Peggy, she waded cross de river, when de elephant had went,
and two days arter dat, de river was clean gone, bare as my hand. Master,"
continued Bacchus, "I has a great favor to ax of you."

"Barbecue or campmeeting, Bacchus?" said Mr. Barbour.

"If you please, master," said he, addressing Mr. Weston, but at the same
time giving an imploring look to Mr. Barbour, "to 'low me to go way
to-morrow and wait at de barbecue. Mr. Semmes, he wants me mightily; he
says he'll give me a dollar a day if I goes. I'll sure and be home agin in
the evenin."

"I am afraid to give you permission," said Mr. Weston; "this habit of
drinking, that is growing upon you, is a disgrace to your old age. You
remember you were picked up and brought home in a cart from campmeeting
this summer, and I am surprised that you should so soon ask a favor of me."

"I feels mighty shamed o' that, sir," said Bacchus, "but I hope you will
'scuse it. Niggers aint like white people, no how; they can't 'sist
temptation. I've repented wid tears for dat business, and 'twont happen
agin, if it please the Lord not to lead me into temptation."

"You led yourself into temptation," said Mr. Weston; "you took pains to
cross two or three fences, and to go round by Norris's tavern, when, if
you had chosen, you could have come home by the other road."

"True as gospel, ma'am," said Bacchus, "I don't deny de furst word of it;
the Lord forgive me for backsliding; but master's mighty good to us, and if
he'll overlook that little misfortune of mine, it shan't happen agin."

"You call it a misfortune, do you, Bacchus?" said Mr. Barbour; "why, it
seems to me such a great Christian as you are, would have given the right
name to it, and called it a sin. I am told you are turned preacher?"

"No, sir," said Bacchus, "I aint no preacher, I warn't called to be; I
leads in prayer sometimes, and in general I r