destination and fell flopping violently to the 
eround. As it sat panting on the carpet of 
pine needles a colored man appeared, and before 
it could escape he had picked it up. 
A little later Uncle Pete Wagstaff came up to 
the big plantation house with a smile on his face 
and a black bundle under his arm. On the car- 
riage drive in front of the wide veranda he met 
young Mr. Howard Loundes, age fifteen, Just 
starting out for a ride. 
‘Howdy, Marse Howard,” he said, removing 
his hat and bowing deeply. “I fetched you a 
present.” 
The boy reined in his spirited horse and asked: 
“What: is.1t?”’ 
At this the old colored man held up his light bur- 
6 
den. ‘‘Hyar’tis,” he answered, beaming; “‘a fine 
young crow, ‘most as black as old Pete himself.” 
The boy was a lover of pets and had several 
about the place that the plantation hands had 
caught for him at one time and another. These 
included a raccoon, a horned owl, and a pair 
of big fox squirrels. He was always on the 
lookout for additions to his menagerie. 
129 
