Plato was removing the tray from the wicker table in the garden. The colonel, sitting under his horse-chestnut, observed the operation thoughtfully, smoking one of his big cigars.
“Yessuh, if yo’ wants to buy a horse yo’ can hab it cheap—dat’s what Job Wills says. He was down to Miz Carter’s dis mornin’ talkin’ to dat yaller girl, Mirandy. She done tole me. It am a good horse, col’nel, only got dat habit ob rollin’ in de water.”
“Pretty bad habit, Plato,” observed the colonel. “Don’t know as I’d like to have Miss Jinny rolled into the water.”
“Dat’s what happened to Miz Wilyum Carter, suh. She got rolled in de creek, an’ she didn’t get home till round one o’clock in de mornin’. Mirandy, she say Mist’ Carter, he mos’ throw a fit. Dat’s de reason de livery-stable done wanter sell dat horse. Job Wills, he say he’s good horse, but he’s de rollin’est horse he ever see—in a stream.”
The colonel looked thoughtfully at the end of his cigar.
“Suppose I bought him, Plato? How about the rolling habit?”
“Ain’t noffin’ ter dat, suh, but to keep him out’n de water. I ’members ole Col’nel Colfax, suh, he done had dat horse, Pole Star, son ob de ole Black Star, suh, dat won all dem races. Mighty fine horse! De col’nel couldn’t ride dat horse ’less dere was a drought. Sho! He sen’ him down to de races every year. I reckon dat horse wins more races den any odder horse in dis country, yessuh! Yo’ ’member old Judge Berrien?” Plato began to shake with reminiscent laughter. “Yessuh, dat ole man mighty mean to Col’nel Colfax. Yessuh, he comes up to dinner one night, an’ he wants to ride home. He was allus borrowin’ horses, an’ he mighty slow ’bout returnin’ ’em. Didn’t never own no horse, but he was allus ridin’. De col’nel, he fuss ’bout a bit, den he calls out loud: ‘Heah, yo’, August!’ August was de col’nel’s groom. ‘Yo’, August, bring ’round Pole Star!’ It had been rainin’ in de mornin’ an’ de creek was all up to de bridge. De judge, he mighty pleased to ride Pole Star. He ain’t been gone long befo’ de col’nel, he say: ‘August, yo’ go down to de creek. I reckon de judge wants to return dat horse.’ August, he went,” Plato chuckled. “Pole Star, he was rollin’ in dat creek, suh. August, he say he look ’round, don’ see noffin’, den he see de judge. Fo’ de Lawd, suh, August, he declar’ he done thought it was one ob dese yere doodle-bugs jus’ up outen de groun’ wid its legs all mud. De judge, he got in de water an’ den he got in de mud. He say: ‘Yo’ take dat damned horse back to Col’nel Colfax, an’ yo’ tell him I ain’t ridin’ no porpuses!’”
The colonel laughed.
“Plato,” he said, “I don’t think I’ll buy Job Wills’s horse for Miss Jinny—not after that!”
Plato wagged his head.