"Going a-fishing?" asked Deck, as he reined in his steed.
"Yes, sar. De sodjers done took all de meat in de country, and all de corn. Niggers can't git not'in t'eat 'cept out ob de creeks," replied the foremost of the party, who was a light mulatto.
"Who lives in the house a mile or two down the stream?" continued Deck.
"Cun'l Bickford."
"Oh, yes; he is a Union man," added Deck.
"No, sar!" exclaimed the mulatto vigorously. "Cun'l ob a Tennessee regiment. Whar you git his coach hosses?"
"I'll tell you about that next summer; but we only borrowed them for a couple of days. He is badly wounded I heard."
"Yes, sar; fotched home on a stretcher from Monticello, whar he com'd wid de army."
"Why didn't he come down to Newberry along with the army?" asked Life, who knew precisely where he was when Monticello was mentioned.
"De army don't come dis way, dey foller de road by de Souf Forks."