“I was born nine months after that trip, and grew up, as father had done before me, on the banks of that little creek.  I doubt if there ever was a book in my grandfather’s house.  I certainly never remember to have seen one there, and I was sixteen years old when he died.  I think I was very nearly that old before I ever saw any woman but those of the family, and I know I was older than that before ever I wore shoes or pants.  Nearly every year father went to Mobile, or Natchez, or New Orleans.  The first time I ever knew my mother had a brother, I was driving up the cows, and a tall, good-looking man overtook me in the road and asked where my father lived.  I remember I told him, ‘At home.’  He thought it was impudence, but it was ignorance.  However, he was quite communicative and friendly.

“That night, after the family had gone to bed, I heard him tell mother her father was dead, and that he had disinherited her for running off and marrying father.  I did not know what this meant; but the next day father came and told mother that her brother wanted to be kind to her, and had proposed to give him a thousand dollars out of the estate of her father, if he and she would take it and sign off.  That was the word.  I shall not forget, so long as I live, my mother’s looks as she walked up to father and said:  ’Don’t you do it, John.  John, I say, don’t you do it.’  Uncle had gone down to grandfather’s, and when he came back, mother had his horse saddled at the fence.  She met him at the door, and said:  ’You don’t come in here.  There’s your beast; mount him, and go.  I am not such a fool as my John.  I was raised in Louisiana, and I remember hearing my father say that all he hated in the laws was that a man could not do with his property, when he died, what he pleased.  I haven’t forgot that.  I have not seen nor heard from any of you for fifteen years, and never should, if you hadn’t come here to try to cheat me.’

“I was scared, and father was scared; for we knew there was danger when mother’s nap was up.  Uncle did not reply to mother, but said:  ’John, you can sign off.’

“’No, John can’t; and I tell you John shan’t! so now do you just mount that horse and leave.’

“As she said this she lifted the old rifle out of the rack over the door and rubbed her hand over the barrel to get the sight clear.  ’I am not going to tell you to go any more.’

“It was not necessary—­uncle went; but he kept looking back until he was at least a quarter of a mile from the house.  Mother turned to father and said:  ’Now, John, you go after my share of father’s truck, and go quick.’  He did as she bid him:  everybody about the house did that.  Well, he was gone three weeks, and came home with six thousand dollars, which he had taken for mother’s share; but she said she knew he had been cheated.