verely. "Look at me. _Where_ did you
get him?"

Here was a situation which Uncle Billy knew must be handled promptly,
and he picked up the rooster and made an attempt to escape. "Down on de
low grouns--dis mornin'. Dat's right," he said, as he saw dawning
unbelief in his mistress' face. "Now you have to skuse me, Miss Hallie.
I got my wuck to do."

"One moment, William," interposed Mrs. Cary, completely unconvinced.
"You are sure he was on the low grounds?"

"Cose I is!" asseverated Uncle Billy, meanwhile backing farther away.

"What was he doing there?"

Uncle Billy stammered.

"He--he--he, he was trespassin', dat's what he was doin'--des natcherly
trespassin'."

At this marvel of testimony, Mrs. Cary's lips relaxed in a smile and she
warned him with an upraised finger.

"Be careful, Uncle Billy! Be careful."

"Yas, _mar'm_" chuckled the old man. "I _had_ to be. I never would a-got
him! Oh, I's tellin' de trufe, Miss Hallie. Dis' here ol' sinner tooken
flewed off a boat what was comin' up de river. Yas'm. And he sure was
old enough to know better."

"And you _saw_ him fly off the boat?"

"Oh, yas'm. I seed him. I seed him," and Uncle Billy floundered for a
moment, caught in his own trap. "Dat is, not wid my own eyes. But I see
him settin' in de woods, lookin' dat lonesome and losted like, I felt
real sorry for him. Yas'm," and to prove his deep sympathy for the
unfortunate bird he stroked its breast lovingly.

Mrs. Cary turned away to hide her laughter. "How did you catch him?"

"How?" repeated Uncle Billy, while his ancient mind worked with unusual
rapidity. "I got down on all fo's in the thick weeds, an' cluk like a
hen. An' den ol' Mr. Rooster, he came 'long over to see ef I done laid
an aig--an' I des reach right out an' take him home to de Lawd."

"Oh, Uncle Billy," his mistress laughed. "I'm afraid you're
incorrigible. It's a dreadful thing to doubt one's very dinner. Isn't
it?"

"Yas'm. An' I was des 'bout to say ef you an' Miss Virgie kin worry down
de white meat, maybe den dis here bird 'll kinder git eben wid me when I
tackle his drum sticks. Yas'm," and with a final chuckle of joy over his
success the old man hobbled quickly away in the direction of the
kitchen.

Mrs. Cary, still smiling, went back to play Mrs. Fatima to a dusky
moss-covered Blue Beard.

"Oh goody, goody, here is Mrs. Fatima again!" and Virgie's dancing feet
seemed hardly to touch the ground. "We've just finished build