ve that makes the good strong _r_'s of Italy
and Great Britain.

The negro pointed over his mule's ears.

"You see Belle Alliance sugah-house yondeh? Well, behine dah you fine
one road go stret thoo the plantation till de wood. Dass 'bout mile,
you know. Den she keep stret on thoo de wood 'bout two mile' mo', an'
dat fetch you at Gran' Point'. Hole on; I show you."

The two men started down the road, the negro on his mule, the stranger
along the levee's crown.

"Dat Gran' Point'," resumed the black; "'tain't no point on de riveh,
you know, like dat Bell' Point, w'at you see yondeh 'twixt dem ah
batture willows whah de sun all spread out on the wateh; no, seh. 'Tis
jis lil place back in de _swamp_, raise' 'bout five, six feet 'bove de
wateh. Yes, seh; 'bout t'ree mile' long, 'alf mile wide. Don't nobody
but Cajun'[1] live back dah. Seem droll you goin' yondeh."

[1] Acadians.

"'Tis the reason I go," said the other, without looking up.

"Yes, seh."--A short silence.--"Dass nigh fifty year', now, dat place
done been settle'. Ole 'Mian Roussel he was gret hunter. He know dat
place. He see 'tis rich groun'. One day he come dare, cut some tree',
buil' house, plant lil tobahcah. Nex' year come ole man Le Blanc; den
Poche, den St. Pierre, den Martin,--all Cajun'. Oh! dass mo'n fifty
year' 'go. Dey all comes from dis yeh riveh coast; 'caze de rich
Creole', dey buy 'em out. Yes, seh, dat use' be de _Cote Acadien'_,
right yeh whar yo' feet stan'in' on. _C'est la cote Acadien', just
ici, oui._" The trudging stranger waived away the right of
translation. He had some reason for preferring English. But his manner
was very gentle, and in a moment the negro began again.

"Gret place, dat Gran' Point'. Yes, seh; fo' tobahcah. Dey make de
bes' Perique tobahcah in de worl'. Yes, seh, right yond' at Gran'
Point'; an' de bes' Perique w'at come from Gran' Point', dass de
Perique of Octave Roussel, w'at dey use call 'im Chat-oue;[2] but he
git tired dat name, and now he got lil boy 'bout twenny-five year'
ole, an' dey call de ole man Catou, an' call his lil _boy_ Chat-oue.
Dey fine dat wuck mo' betteh. Yes, seh. An' he got bruddeh name' 'Mian
Roussel. But dat not de ole, ole 'Mian--like dey say de ole he one.
'Caze, you know, he done peg out. Oh, yes, he peg out in de du'in' o'
de waugh.[3] But he lef' heap-sight chillen; you know, he got a year'
staht o' all de res', you know. Yes, seh. Dey got 'bout hund'ed fifty
peop' yond' b