IN THE FLAT-WOODS. 9 



upon the smallness of his load. Yes, he said; 

 but it was a pretty heavy load to drag seven 

 or eight miles over such roads. Possibly he 

 understood me as implying that he seemed 

 to be in rather small business, although I had 

 no such purpose, for he went on to say : " In 

 1861, when this beautiful war broke out be- 

 tween our countries, my father owned nig- 

 gers. We did n't have to do this. But I 

 don't complain. If I had n't got a bullet in 

 me, I should do pretty well." 



" Then you were in the war ? " I said. 



" Oh, yes, yes, sir ! I was in the Confed- 

 erate service. Yes, sir, I 'm a Southerner 

 to the backbone. My grandfather was a 

 " (I missed the patronymic), " and com- 

 manded St. Augustine." 



The name had a foreign sound, and the 

 man's complexion was swarthy, and in all 

 simplicity I asked if he was a Minorcan. I 

 might as well have touched a lighted match 

 to powder. His eyes flashed, and he came 

 round the tail of the cart, gesticulating with 

 his stick. 



" Minorcan ! " he broke out. " Spain and 

 the island of Minorca are two places, ain't 

 they?" 



