"'No suh!' sez I, 'Taint non aroun' hyar.'
"'Know Mr. Douglass?', he say pointin' his finger to a house 'cross de prairie.
"'Yes suh,' siz I, 'I knows him wen I sees him.'
"'Has he got any Gurrillers thar?'
"'I don't know, suh.'
"'Wal, thars a collad girl thar ain't they?'
"'Yes suh, but I don' go round her no mo. We ain't speakin'. Reckon I ain't been on Mr. Douglasses place foah six month. I don't know nothin' 'bout it. You all better go see fur youshsevs.'
"He leab den an ride ovah to Douglasses place. I seen Bud come out in de yard. He call Bud ovah to de fence and talk to him. 'Bout dat time I see men comin' out de back ob de house an chargin' ovah de fence into de thicket whar warn't nothin' but lots ob trees, tare blanket, an blackberry bushes. Right den and dare dey had a scrummage. De Yanks set fire to ever' buildin' on de place. De blaze wuz a-goin' up to de elements! Not a thing did they take out ob de house ceptin' feather bed for a wounded Yankee.
"Mr. Douglass, he hear about de shootin'. He tuk to de woods an stay fur a spell."
————