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"'Well, sah, dey got in heah some way. I not fotched dem in. De fuss I seed dem, dey in de corner ob de tent all scrouched up, so I spose dey hidin' from de Sesh, and I jes' took 'em in to sabe dem. Yes, sah; dat's de way it war. "Ham retired behind a tent, and laughed immoderately, saying 'I spect he not keer bery much; I feels my way pretty good, I does.
Dat Gen'l, he not ride slow, I tell you; he go fas'. And, afore de Laud, I 'spected you ebery one killed or cotched by dem Sesh; den whar's de use ob me stayin' any mo' at dat place, Marsa Gen'l? "'Well, Ham, did you ever study law? "'No, sir; I 'spect not; I dunno what it am. "'I think you would have made a good lawyer, Ham. "'Well, Marsa Gen'l, de truf is, ole Ham no good for nuffin'. I cannot stand dis fitin'; dat am de truf, Marsa Gen'l.
Ham said: "'I fuss done thought I would, and den I knowed I be no use, kase you so far off, and I feared I not jes' safe gwine trough dem Sesh lines down dar; and den I knowed, too, dat you kin git as many niggers as you wants dat am jes' as good as Ham is, 'ceptin when you done wants good tings to eat, sech like as chickens. Ham can allers get dem when dey is 'round and skeered of the Sesh.
"'I's sympensizen wid dem "Sesh" what comed down to ole Massa George's place back yonder for to fotch me and you back to de Missip. De cat done gone. He-ah! he-ah! "'Yes; but you ole fool, dey'd got you if it had not bin for me. I beg you afore you goes to go wid Massa Daniel, you knows I did. "'Yes, Marfa, dat's so. I tole dem all de time dat you knows de bes'. Don't I, Massa Daniel?
He libbed up dar on the hill in dat white house dat yo' see up dar, dat am locked up an' no one is in it. Dey got lot ob t'ings in dar. When de Union whip de Sesh at Dolins-burg, and de Sesh come dis way, gwine home or some-whar, den Massa Gawge an' all de famly dey go, too, an' take all de niggers 'cepin' me an' Ham.
De Gen! all right; dars no danger 'bout him; he am safe. De Laud protect him. He dun sabe him all dis time for good. Don't you see de Sesh git whip whareber he goes? Dey all done killed down whar he bin, and now dey jest' take him ober by whar Marsa Linkum am, and de Sesh all git smash up ober dar de same way as what dey is down whar he bin afore.
I tell you I guess I see it all now; de Laud want me to stay here wid dese womens and dese chil'ns, and Marsa Gen'l he not t'ink ob dat, so de Laud jes' let him git hurted, so he hab to come and stay wid de folks and hab me heah? Is dat it, Marfa? "'Yes, dat am de case; and I 'spec you is glad, kase you is a powerful coward, Ham; you knows you is. "'Marfa, you neber see me fightin' dem Sesh.
She hugged him and got down on her knees and prayed for him, and then said to me: "'Uncle Daniel, I bress de good Laud, for you bring Marsa Tom back. I cure him, sho. I knows what to do; de Laud tell me, he do. He not goin' to let Marsa Genl Tom die; no he not! He want him to whip de Sesh, he do. I knows; de Laud tell me bout dat in de dream. He not fool dis old 'oinan; he neber do.
Ise ti'd ob de wa', Ise been cookin', sah, for de 'Sesh. He say he gwine to whip dem Yankees on de ribber, dat dey am gwine to come right on and drive dem in de ribber and drown dem like cats; dat's what he say, sho'. I heah him wid dese old ears, I did. "'When did he say he was coming?
He turned to the General, and with a twinkle of the eye asked him if he had Ham with him to assist in hiving these Sesh. The General laughed and said no; that Ham was back watching out for the Army of the Center and keeping Gen. Forrester from coming in some morning and taking away our trunks and camp equipage. At this they both laughed.
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