"Can they chase you on the lake?"
"I speck dey can. Dey'll get a boat and follor de dogs."
"Where are you from?" asked Lily.
"From Major Pembroke's plantation, 'bout ten mile from dese yere parts, I speck."
"How long since you run away?"
"I luff de place about tree days ago. I stay in de cane-brake till noon to-day, and git so hungry I could stan it no longer. Den I goes out to find someting to eat. Den somebody sees me, and dey follow me wid de dogs. I done kill two of dem dogs, and I kill de rest, but I hear de men coming, and I run for de lake. I speck, when I git in de water, to frow de dogs off de scent, but dey git so near dey see and hear me. Dem's mighty fine nigger dogs, or dey never follor me into de water. I done gib it all up when I hear dem in de water arter me."
"Did you get any thing to eat when you went out of the cane-brake," asked Lily.
"No, missy; I got seen 'fore I find any ting."
"Poor fellow! Then you haven't had any thing to eat for three days?"
"Noting but leabes an de bark ob trees."