"Wharra fur you flog poor nigga, massa? How I help it, massa? When buckra man come, goose he say, 'Sailor man, sailor man.' Den Phil he look sharp. Buckra man go 'way; no git him. Turkey he big fool; go round all de day long, head one side, hollerin, 'Quit, quit, quit.' Wharra poor nigga do? He no tell when sailor man dere, 'cause turkey holler, 'Quit, quit,' all de time."
A few days after this conversation with his master, Phil was asleep in the sun, in the midst of his feathered charge, when he was aroused by a great outcry among the turkeys. Rousing up, he heard all the turkeys crying, "Quit, quit," and saw Dick running for dear life, with the gobbler after him, his neck outstretched, and his wings flapping.
"Yah, yah!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes; "wharra fur you run so, buckra man? Turkey no bite you."
"Wharra fur you run so, buckra man? Turkey no bite you."
It is said "a stern chase is a long chase." It proved so in this instance; for the gobbler never returned. The simple truth was, Dick had baited a hook with corn, and was dragging the old gobbler after him.
Ned was quite fond of going up and sitting among the negroes Sundays, listening to their queer expressions, and watching the frolics of the little darkies. One Sunday morning, there were many of them in a large yard near the house, one part of which was a garden, separated by an open fence of bamboo from the pig-yard. On the other side of the pig-yard was a smaller place, set apart for hens with young chickens.
The children were playing in the dirt and among the hogs, the older negroes sitting in the sun on a bench, in their holiday clothes, chatting and laughing. In the yard was a sow, with twelve pigs almost weaned. Ned sat next to Phil, who, as usual, was half asleep, and saw a pollock-line, which was not far from the color of the wall, flung over, attached to which was a hook, baited with a piece of bread. In a few moments a great squealing drew the attention of all, and one of the pigs was seen going right up the wall as fast as he could move his legs, and in a moment disappeared over the summit.