“As I war sayin’, Mr. Vance, the Kunnle an’ I got four life-presarvin’ stools, lahshed ’em together, an’ begun ter make off for the shore. Says I, ‘We owt ter save one uv those women folks.’ A yaller gal, with a white child in her arms, was screamin’ out for us to take her an’ the child. Jest then she got a blow on the head from a block that fell from one uv the masts. It seemed ter make her wild, an’ she dropped inter the water, but held on tight ter the young ’un. Says the Kunnle to me, says he, ‘Now, Cappn, you take the gal, an’ I’ll take the bebby.’ An’ so we done it, and all got ashore safe. We lahnded on the Tennessee side. The sun hahdn’t riz, but ’t was jest light enough ter see. We made tracks away from the river till we kum ter a nigger’s desarted hut, out of sight ’t ween two hills. Thar we left the yaller gal and the bebby. The gal seemed kind o’ crazy; so we fastened ’em in.” “And the child?” asked Vance. “Did you know whose it was?” “O yes, I knowed it, ’cause I’d seen the yaller gal more ’n a dozen times, off an’ on, leadin’ the little thing about. The Berwicks, a North’n family, was the parrents. Wall, the Kunnle an’ I, we went back ter the river to see what was goin’ on. The sun was up now. The Champion hahd turned back to give help. Poor critters war dyin’ all round from scalds and bruises. All at wunst the Kunnle an’ I kum upon a crowd round Mr. Berwick, who lay thar on the ground bahdly wounded. His wife lay dead close by. He kept askin’ fur his child. A feller named Burgess told him he seed the yaller gal an’ child go overboord, an’ that they must have drownded. Prehaps he did see ’em in the water, but he didn’t see us pick ’em up. Old Onslow he said he an’ his boy had sarched ev’rywhar, but couldn’t find the child nowhar. They b’leeved she was drownded. A drop uv water, Mr. Vance.” “And didn’t you undeceive them?” asked Vance, giving the water. “No, Mr. Vance. The Kunnle seed a prize in that yaller gal, and the Devil put an idee inter his head. Says the Kunnle to me, says he, ‘Now foller yer leader, Cappn.’ (He used ter call me Cappn.) ‘Swar jest as yer har me swar.’ Then up he steps an’ says to Mr. Onslow, ’Judge, it’s all true what Mr. Burgess says; the yaller gal, with the child in her arms, war crowded overboord. This gemmleman an’ I tried ter save them. Ef we didn’t, may I be shot. We throw’d the gal a life-presarver, but she couldn’t hold on, no how. Fust the child went under, an’ we was so chilled we couldn’t save it. Then the gal let go her grip uv the stool an’ sunk. ’T war as much as we could do ter git ashore ou’selves.’” “Did the judge put you to your oaths?” asked Vance.