“She then related her dream, and he broke out into a laugh, saying:
“'Yes, but you see, massa got all he hands, all he fingers; dey all dar—none done gone. Dat dream all good, kase, you see, he fingers all right. O, dat's nuffin. De bug he be Sesh; skare you, dat's all; bite de chilien little spec, dat's all.'
“We all laughed at the curious speech of old Ham, and yet he sat down and commenced counting his fingers, and said: “'How many chilien yo' got, misses?'
“'Seven.'
“'Ham became silent, and nothing more could be got from him on the subject of the dream. He never spoke of the matter again to any of us, except to Peter. I found after all was over that he and Peter had the same interpretation—strange, yet so true.”
“Uncle Daniel, what was the interpretation, may I inquire the second time?” said Dr. Adams.
“It was very strange; but the interpretation is disclosed by the casualties of war, and as we proceed you will recognize it. But to my story: The rebel and Union forces were now confronting each other, and each was constantly on the lookout for the movements of the other. About midway between the camps of the two armies they were almost constantly having skirmishes, sometimes with cavalry, and sometimes with infantry. The successes were about equal. Peter related the story of an old colored man, I presume something after the style of old Ham, meeting him while he was making a reconnaissance with his regiment. The old darkey was tall and very black, and was walking in great haste when Peter called to him:
“'Uncle, where are you going?'
“'Ise gwine to de ribber, sah. Ise ti'd ob de wa', Ise been cookin', sah, for de 'Sesh.' He say he gwine to whip dem Yankees on de ribber,—dat dey am gwine to come right on and drive dem in de ribber and drown dem like cats; dat's what he say, sho'. I heah him wid dese old ears, I did.'
“'When did he say he was coming?'