A North Carolina Fox Hunt by Moonlight 53 



Colonel immensely, and he and Jim laughed and we all laughed 

 together. 



The writer now recalled Madam's advice to the Colonel 

 the night before about getting rid of Jim. The reader knows 

 now what a waste of effort this was on Madam's part. The 

 Colonel is a poor man as riches go these days, but we doubt if 

 he would part with Jim for a milhon, or old Ginger for two. 

 The Colonel is white, and Jim is black, but in fox hunting they 

 are two of a kind. 



"What about Col. Sacket, all this time?" asked the Colo- 

 nel, when the laugh had subsided. 



"Well, Sah, after ole Ginger go pas' and git out o' hearing, 

 we ride along to de top o' de liill, and shu' 'nuff we heah in de 

 bottom de Kunnel's dogs barking up a tree, jus' as I 'spected. 

 De Kumiel he says 'damn' and we all goes down ter see, and 

 shu' 'nuff, dar dey war wid de 'ported dog, his fore legs up de 

 tree. 



" 'Dey is nothin' but possum dogs,' say I. 



" 'Yer right, Jim,' says de Kunnel. 



" 'I'll go up de tree, and shake him out,' says I. 'De dogs 

 am spiled for fox, and yer better make possum dogs outen 'em, 

 and done with it. Dat 'ported dog, he dun lead your other 

 dogs into temptation.' 



" 'Yer right agin, Jim,' said the Kunnel, 'and if I had a 

 gun, I would end his miserable life right heah.' 



" 'If 't would much obleege yer, Kunnel,' said I, 'I might 

 'commodate you with the loan of a 'volver.' 



" 'Lem me see it,' said the Kunnel. 



"When I han' him my gun, he says, 'Is she loaded?' 



" 'Yes,' I say. 



" 'What fur?' 



"I didn't like to tell him it was for his nigger Rastus, so I 

 say, 'Jes in case yer like to shoot yer 'ported hound,' say I. 



" 'Well, I do,' say he and jes' den de big, 'ported hound 



