"How far did you go?"
"Not fur,—ony short distance,—didn't want to go too fur away for feah ob not gittin back in time. An so I started to come back pooty soon, an walked, an walked. Las, jes as I got to de pint, I rose my ole head, an looked straight afore me, an thar, clar ef I didn't fine myself shut in,—reglar prison,—mind I tell you,—an all round me a reglar cumferince ob water an rock, widout any way ob scape. Tell you what, if dar ebber was a ole rat in a trap, I was at dat ar casion."
"Couldn't you have waded through it before it got too high?"
"Waded? Not a wade; de water was rough an deep, an de bottom was stones dat I'd slipped oba an almost broke my ole head, sides bein drownded as dead as a herrin. Why, what you tink dis ole nigga's made ob? I'm not a steam injine, nor a mowin machine, nor a life boat. I'm ony a ole man, an shaky in de legs too,—mind I tell you."
"Well, how did you manage it?"
"Manage! Why, I didn't manage at all."
"How did you find that place where you were sitting?"
"Wasn't settin. I was tied up in a knot, or rolled up into a ball. Any way, I wasn't settin."
"Well, how did you find the place?"
"Wal, I jes got up dar. I stood on de sho till de water drobe me, an I kep out ob its way till at las I found myself tied up de way you saw me."