“I was not ignorant of what species of tree was before us. I had seen it before. I knew it was the honey-locust, or thorny acacia,—the carob-tree of the East, and the famed ‘algarobo’ of the Spaniards.
“I was not ignorant of its uses neither,—for I knew this to be the tree upon which (as many suppose) Saint John the Baptist sustained himself in the Desert, where it is said, ‘his meat was locusts and wild honey.’ Hence it is sometimes called, ‘Saint John’s bread.’ Neither was Cudjo ignorant of its value. The moment his eyes rested upon the long brown legumes, he cried out, with gestures of delight:—
“‘Massa—Massa Roff, lookee yonder!—beans and honey for supper!’
“We were soon under the branches: and while I proceeded to knock down and collect a quantity of the ripe fruit. Cudjo went farther up among the rocks, to procure his firewood from the pines that grew there.
“I soon filled my handkerchief, and was waiting for Cudjo, when I heard him shout,—
“‘Massa Roff! come dis away, and see de varmint—what him be.’
“I immediately ran up among the rocks. On reaching the spot where Cudjo was, I found him bending over a crevice or hole in the ground, from which protruded an object very much like the tail of a pig.
“‘What is it, Cudjo?’ I asked.
“‘Don’t know, Massa. Varmint I never see in Vaginny—looks someting like de ole ’possum.’
“‘Catch hold of the tail, and pull him out,’ said I.