158 ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE ROAD. 
thought, if she were still able to do her part 
in the cotton-field. As a general thing, the 
colored tenants of the cabins made out 
pretty well, he believed, unless something 
happened to the crops. As for the old ser- 
vants of the H. family, they didn’t have to 
work, — they were provided for; Captain 
H.’s father “left it so in his testimonial.” 
I spoke of the purple martins which were 
flying back and forth over the field with 
many cheerful noises, and of the calabashes 
that hung from a tall pole in one corner of 
the cabin yard, for their accommodation. 
On my way South, I told him, I had noticed 
these dangling long-necked squashes every- 
where, and had wondered what they were 
for. I had found out since that they were 
the colored man’s martin-boxes, and was 
glad to see the people so fond of the birds. 
“Yes,” he said, “there’s no danger of 
hawks carrying off the chickens as long as 
the martins are round.” 
Twice afterward, as I went up the road, I 
found him ploughing between the cotton 
rows ; but he was too far away to be ac- 
costed without shouting, and I did not feel 
justified in interrupting him at his work. 
