38 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



and never by any possibility did any labour that could be either 

 deferred or avoided. Yet, for all that, he was an ardent hunter. 

 Strange to say, lazy people love to fish or hunt, and Andrew 

 Oglethorpe Jackson loved the latter. Nor bush, nor savannah, nor 

 river, nor heat, nor rain deterred him. He would ride where 

 mortal man could ride, just for the fun of the hunt. So we camped 

 by the side of his house, in compliance with an invitation from 

 the proprietor, to spend a few days with him in pursuit of the 

 chase. 



Jackson's palace was of one story and two wings, and the 

 whole building was raised from the ground about three feet by 

 means of wooden posts, which left a pleasant abiding-place beneath 

 for broods of young negroes that constantly lay in this novel 

 kennel, looking out like young puppies. The cypress grass grew 

 sparsely in the white sandy soil around the house and its few 

 out-buildings. Fences there were none, but the overshadowing 

 live oaks, with their trailing moss, gave an air of grace to the 

 establishment that man never attempted to improve. Some 

 hundred yards from the house were the negro quarters. Small 

 one-room cabins, with a piazza extending across the whole front, 

 and open underneath. A few fowls lay in the shade with a dozen 

 negro children, and the old negroes filled the porch, looking happy 

 and free, though they were all slaves. 



" Hulloa ! " cheered the lord of the manor, as we drew up to 

 the house a few days after our misadventure with the sheep ; 

 " Glad to see you at Far Away. The door is never shut, and the 

 bottle never corked, and we will make you at home for a year and 

 a day. You Tom ! Cuff! You Cuff! Hannibal ! here, run call the 

 boys to take the horses and tie up the hounds. Run, all of you ! 

 Fine day this for hunting. Bring out some glasses, Melissa! 

 Dogs can nose well to-day. Lively there ! "Well, bring some tin 

 cups, if there are no glasses, you lazy huzzy ! Let me get off my 

 wet boots. Here, George Washington, pull off these boots." 



The negro boy turned his back to his master, and spreading his 

 legs apart, prepared to seize the boots between his knees in the 

 usual country fashion. 



 Liff up your foot, maussa." 



