174 Sporting Sketches 



him further, but will give a day's sport with the 

 cock in his company, and let the reader guess what 

 manner of man Duckett was. 



One fine Saturday in August the sable lady who 

 presided over the culinary department of my house 

 informed me that a " genlum " wished to see me at 

 the door, and on going out I found my black friend 

 and another negro awaiting me. 



" Mawnin', Marse Ned ; I 'lowed yo'd be hum dis 

 mawnin'; kin I see yo' er minnit privut ? " 



We moved aside a few yards, and Duckett's errand 

 was soon explained. 



" Say, Marse Ned, I done diskivered a lot ob 

 cocks in de creek, an' we'd best gather 'em in 

 a-Monday. Dat Jones yondah spishuns sumpfin, 

 but I'se done gwinter fool um. Kin yo' cum up in 

 de canoe Sunday night an' bring de ole dawg? 

 Der's a hull lot of 'em an' we best do de pawlizin' to 

 'em fust t'ing Monday mawnin'." 



" But it's infernally hot." 



" Nebber yo' mind 'bout dat. It's jest gwinter up 

 an' rain ter-morrow, an' it ull be cool nuff fo' a few 

 hours a-Monday and mebbe fo' all day. Yo' cum 

 'long anyhow or I nebber tell yo' 'bout no mo'. We 

 kin hab a nap on de hay in the barn same as we did 

 dat time las' year. Now, yo' am comin' shuah 

 nuff?" 



" All right, you black seducer, I'll be there some 

 time Sunday night." 



Right well did Duckett know that the promise 

 would be kept; and he departed with his friend 

 Jones, the old rascal stuffing the latter with craftily 

 worded explanations of his business with " Marse 



