42 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



as the moon comes up, and that we would hke to have him come 

 along with his hounds." 



Jim, who has a most contagious laugh, began to smile 

 when the Colonel began to speak. He knew what was coming. 

 His nose began to wrinkle, his eyebrows lifted. His ears 

 began to wiggle hke a mule that is getting ready to bray, and 

 by the time his master got as far as "hounds," Jim could con- 

 tain himself no more, and broke out with a chuckle that ex- 

 ploded into a laugh which couldn't be stopped with both hands 

 trying to hold it down. He rushed out into the kitchen, and 

 there was a great ha-ha, followed by such a racket that Madam 

 went to the kitchen to see what was the matter. She took one 

 look; evidently with the intention of reproving Jim. She 

 came back to the table, laughing. 



"Colonel, you will surely have to get rid of Jim." 



"What's the racket about?" asked the Colonel. 



"Well," replied his wife, trying to look serious, "Jim kicked 

 over all the chairs, just to give himself vent." 



"That nigger," interrupted the Colonel, "likes fox hunting 

 as well as any hound I ever saw." 



"And," added liis wife, "he was holding Hannah's baby, 

 heels up and head down, making him walk on the ceiling like 

 a fly, and Hannah was taking after him with the broom." 



"Old Hannah's enough for Jim," said the Colonel, as 

 much as to say, "If Hannah is in command, no fear but that 

 Jim will get all the punishment he deserves." 



Madam failing to receive any sympathy from her hus- 

 band, gets in the last word with, "I do think Jim is about the 

 worst mannered nigger we ever had on the place," but evi- 

 dently she has been saying that ever since the beginning, and 

 the Colonel lets it go without comment. 



