"At last the dinner was sent in, and the mistress smiled and chatted, and did all she could to make the time pass imperceptibly.
"At two o'clock, Sam and Andy brought the horses up to the posts, apparently greatly refreshed and invigorated by the scamper of the morning. As Haley prepared to mount, he said, 'Your master don't keep no dogs, I s'pose?'
"'Heaps on 'em,' said Sam, triumphantly. 'Thar's Bruno,—he's a roarer; and besides that, 'bout every nigger of us keeps a pup o' some natur' or uther.'
"'But does your master keep any dogs for tracking out niggers?' said Haley.
"Sam knew very well what he meant, but he kept on a look of desperate simplicity. 'Wal,' said he, 'our dogs all smells round considerable sharp. I 'spect they's the kind, though they ha'n't never had no practice. They's far dogs at most anything though, if you'd get 'em started.' He whistled to Bruno, a great lumbering Newfoundland dog, who came pitching tumultuously toward them.
"'You go hang!' exclaimed Haley, mounting his horse. 'Come, tumble up, now.'
"Sam tumbled up accordingly, contriving to tickle Andy as he did so. This made Andy split out into a laugh, greatly to Haley's indignation, who made a cut at him with his riding-whip. 'I'se 'stonished at yer, Andy,' said Sam, with awful gravity. 'This yere's a seris bisness, Andy. Yer mustn't be a makin' game. This yere a'n't no way to help Mas'r.'
"When they came to the boundaries of the estate, Haley said: 'I shall take the road to the river. I know the way of all of 'em. They always makes tracks for the underground.'
"'Sartin, dat's de idee,' said Sam. 'Mas'r Haley hits de thing right in de middle. Now, der's two roads to de river,—de dirt road and der pike. Which Mas'r mean to take?'