"'And dat's true enough,' says he. 'On'y I didn't know I was dead till you told me, mammy. Well, if I'm dead, I s'pose I must 'a' died sudden. Cause I know I was well and hearty enough; on'y dat I was troubled 'bout you, mammy; and I went to sleep in my bed and when I waked up I was here.' "Well, while Jim was talkin' I heerd de man, Jack, say: "'Go along den, you cuss! dere's your frien's.' "And I looked up and dere he was a-pushing Sally along towards us! "'And, oh, Sally,' says I, 'are you dead too?' "'No, Aunt Katie, I aint dead; but I'm stole! And I s'pects you all is too!' And den she boo-hoo-ed right out. "'Sally,' says I, 'you is dead!' "'No, I aint, Aunt Katie, I's stole!' she said, crying as if her heart would break. "'Sally,' says I, 'you's dead! Now don't 'ny it! 'Cause what would be de use? For if you aint dead, how came you here?' "'I know how I come here well enough. I was stole out'n my bed and brought here. And my lordship help de t'ieves to steal me. I saw him.' "'Mammy,' says Jim, 'I reckon Sally's in de right ob it. And 'deed I hopes she is; 'cause you see if she aint dead, why no more are we; and if she was stole, why, it's like as we was too!' And den turnin' round to Sally, he says, says he: "'Sally, tell us what happened to you.' "So Sally she told us how she hadn't been able to sleep de night afore; and how towards mornin' she t'ought she would get up and dress herse'f. And jus' as she was a-puttin' on her shoes, all ob a sudden de door opens and in walks my lordship, follyed by two men! which she was so 'stonished she could do nothing but stare, 'till my lordship sprung at her t'roat and put somefing to her nose, as made her faint away. Which ob course it mus' a been chloe-fawn." "Of course," said Ishmael; "but go on with your statement." "Well, and Sally tole me how, when she come to herself, she was in dis wessel. But she says she wasn't 'ceived one bit. She 'membered eberyting. And she could swear to de men as stole her, which dey was my lordship--and a perty lordship he is!--and de captain o' de wessel and de fust mate." "Sally will be a most invaluable witness against those felons Judge Merlin, if she can be found and taken to England," whispered Ishmael. The old man nodded assent. And Katie continued: "Well, childun, afore I heerd Sally's 'scription o' how dey sarved her, I could a sword as we was all dead, and on our woyage cross de riber of Jordan. But arter dat I was open to conwiction; which you know, Marse Ishmael, I was allers ob a lib'ral, 'lightened turn o' mind! And so I gib in as we was all alibe." "Well, and what then, Katie? How did you reconcile yourself to your lot?"