"Well, you know," said Jones—"where's Colossus? Oh! all right. Colossus strayed off a minute in Mobile, and I plum lost him for two days. Here's the place; come in. Colossus and this boy can go to the kitchen.—Now, Colossus, what air you a-beckonin' at me faw?"
He let his servant draw him aside and address him in a whisper.
"Oh, go 'way!" said the parson with a jerk. "Who's goin' to throw me? What? Speak louder. Why, Colossus, you shayn't talk so, saw. 'Pon my soul, you're the mightiest fool I ever taken up with. Jest you go down that alley-way with this yalla boy, and don't show yo' face untell yo' called!"
The negro begged; the master wrathily insisted.
"Colossus, will you do ez I tell you, or shell I hev' to strike you, saw?"
"Oh Mahs Jimmy, I—I's gwine; but—" he ventured nearer—"don't on no account drink nothin', Mahs Jimmy."
Such was the negro's earnestness that he put one foot in the gutter, and fell heavily against his master. The parson threw him off angrily.
"Thar, now! Why, Colossus, you must of been dosted with sumthin'; yo' plum crazy.—Humph, come on, Jools, let's eat! Humph! to tell me that, when I never taken a drop, exceptin' for chills, in my life—which he knows so as well as me!"
The two masters began to ascend a stair.
"Mais, he is a sassy; I would sell him, me," said the young Creole.