to go and see some ob our people dat was bout ten miles from whar we was; but we neber stopped.  We tuck to de woods, and we killed a deer wheneber we was hungry.  De Injuns, you know, can always do dat.  We was a mity long time comin; but at last we got here, and den it was moss a year arter dat before ole massa come.  Den dar was more trouble.  One day dar comed fifty men and tuck ole massa, and dey tied him and den begin to rob de house.  Dey had all de silver and sich like, when de captain comed in, and he did cuss mity hard and made em put it every bit down, and march out.  Ole missus she thanked him mitily; but dey carried ole massa off to New Orleans.

“Dar was great trouble wid de nabors.  Dey comed and talked bout it; and one day when ole massa was gone bout a mont, when dey was all dar, who should step into de house but ole massa.  He was fash, I tell you he was, Dar was old Mr. E——­, and Mr. O—–­, and Mr. T——­, and a heap more, and dey all put der heads togeder and talked.  One day ole massa come to me and sez he:  ’Toney, you mus get on my black hoss and go down to de bluffs.  Watch down de riber, and when you see two big boats comin up—­big keel-boats wid plenty ob men on em—­way down de riber, jes come as hard as de hoss can bring you here and let me know it.’

“I knowd dar was trouble comin, young massa; for I seed Miss Alice’s papa comin wid plenty ob de nabors wid him.  He was a tall man, and neber talk much.  Miss Alice’s modder was a young oman den, and I knowd dey was gwine to be married.  When she seed him wid his gun and so many men she gins to cry.  Well, I was gone quick, and moss as soon as I got to de cliff, I see de boats way down de riber, pulling long by de shore.  I made dat hoss do his best home, when I told old massa:  ’Dey’s comin, sir!’ He sorter grin, and git on his hoss and gallop away down toward St. Catharine’s.  He telled me to come on, and I comed.  When we got to de mouth ob de creek dar was fifty men dar, all wid der guns, settin on de ground, and ole massa talkin to em.  Way moss night de boats comed in sight.  Den all de men hide in de cane, and massa tell me:  ‘Toney, you call em and tell em to come to de shore.’  I called em, and dey comed and tied der boats to de trees, and de captain and some ob de men jumped on de land, and walked out, and corned close to me.

“De fuss ting dey knowd, bang! bang! bang! go de guns, and de captain fall.  De men all run for de boats, and de men on de boats gin to shoot too.  I runs wid all my might, and ole massa shout to his friends to fire agin, and two men untying de boats fall.  Den dey cut de ropes wid an axe, and shove out de boats into de riber, and pull em away wid de oars too far to hit em.  Ole massa comes out ob de cane and goes to de men what is lying on the ground.  Dar was six on em, and four was dead sure nuff.  Two was jus wounded, and one of dese was de captain.  Him de same man what make his men put down de silber and tings dey was takin from