eyes, en
chaw en tas'e, en tas'e en chaw. Den he smack he mouf, en up'n 'low:--

"'Brer Fox, _hit's shote!_'

"'Brer Rabbit, you foolin' me!'

"'Brer Fox, _I vow hit's shote!_'

"'Brer Rabbit, hit des _can't be!_'

"'Brer Fox, _hit sho'ly is!_'

"Dey tas'e en dey 'spute, en dey 'spute en dey tas'e. Atter w'ile, Brer
Rabbit make lak he want some water, en he rush off in de bushes, en
d'reckly yer he come back wipin' he mouf en cle'rin' up he th'oat. Den
Brer Fox he want some water sho' nuff:--

"'Brer Rabbit, whar you fin' de spring?'

"'Cross de road, en down de hill en up de big gully.'

"Brer Fox, he lope off, he did, en atter he gone Brer Rabbit totch he
year wid he behime foot lak he flippin' 'im good-bye. Brer Fox, he cross
de road en rush down de hill, he did, yit he ain't fin' no big gully. He
keep on gwine twel he fin' de big gully, yit he ain't fin' no spring.

"W'iles all dish yer gwine on, Brer Rabbit he tuck'n grabble a hole in
de groun', he did, en in dat hole he hid de meat. Atter he git it good
en hid, he tuck'n cut 'im a long keen hick'ry, en atter so long a time,
w'en he year Brer Fox comin' back, he got in a clump er bushes, en tuck
dat hick'ry en let in on a saplin', en ev'y time he hit de saplin', he
'ud squall out, Brer Rabbit would, des lak de patter-rollers had 'im:--

"_Pow, pow!_ 'Oh, pray, Mr. Man!'--_Pow, pow!_ 'Oh, pray, Mr.
Man!'--_Chippy-row, pow!_ 'Oh, Lordy, Mr. Man! Brer Fox tuck yo'
meat!'--_Pow!_ 'Oh, pray, Mr. Man! Brer Fox tuck yo' meat!'"

Every time Uncle Remus said "_Pow!_" he struck himself in the palm of
his hand with a shoe-sole by way of illustration.

"Co'se," he went on, "w'en Brer Fox year dis kinder doin's, he fotch up,
he did, en lissen, en ev'y time he year de hick'ry come down _pow!_ he
tuck'n grin en 'low ter hisse'f, 'Ah-yi! you fool me 'bout de water!
Ah-yi! you fool me 'bout de water!'

"Atter so long a time, de racket sorter die out, en seem lak Mr. Man wuz
draggin' Brer Rabbit off. Dis make Brer Fox feel mighty skittish. Bimeby
Brer Rabbit come a-cally-hootin' back des a-hollerin':--

"'Run, Brer Fox, run! Mr. Man say he gwine to kyar dat meat up de road
ter whar he son is, en den he's a-comin' back atter you. Run, Brer Fox,
run!'

"En I let you know," said Uncle Remus, leaning back and laughing to see
the little boy laugh, "I let you know Brer Fox got mighty skace in dat
neighborhood!"

XXV

AFRICAN JACK

Usually, the little boy,