“De oberseer was fighting de flames and he tole us to get all de buckets we could, and fotch de water from de well in dem, and he jumped on a hoss and galloped to de nearest plantation for help, and dey all turned out, white people and slabes, and brought water, and soon de fire {085}wasn't red no mo', but de house--you can see de walls now ober dar, whar dey stand to 'min' me ebery day ob de dear massa and missie and de little lamb, Flossie--was no house any more, all de insides gone, and de black outside standing up in de summer air.” [Illustration: 9093] She paused to wipe away the hot tears that blinded her. “What became of your master and his family?” “Massa and missus were presarbed, but de little white blos-whose birfday had been so bright, dey didn't know whar to look for her, and her mudder was screeching 'My baby--my baby!' and going out o' one faint into anoder, and her pa trying to rush inter de smoking house and calling for his Flossie--oh, it was enuff to make de har turn gray! “She muss hab been frightened so when de smoke got in her pretty blue eyes dat she didn't know how to fin' de way out, fer she was crouched down behind de front stairs, and dat's de spot whar Dick found her, wid her night-dress all on fire, but de light tole him whar to look. “When he put de little precious chile in my-arms she put her {086}baby fingers on my black face and she said, 'Judah, tell mamma--I am not hurt--but I caint see!' Honey, de nex' day she shut dem po' little eyes on dis world, and missie, whose heart broke den, followed her lamb to de hebenly pastures whar de good Lawd 'tends to all deir wants.” “What became of your master?” “Massa Steve? He went ober de sea, and he died in anoder country. De plantation and all de slabes went to his brudder, who had de big house yo' sees ober dar on de road put up. No one eber goes near de old place, fer dey say its hanted.” [Illustration: 0094] “But the old home and Joe? You don't think he had anything to do with setting it on fire?” “Massa, de good Book tells de po' creatures dat dey musn't form no 'pinion to hurt deir neighbors. It goes agin me to say dat he did, but yo' didn't know Joe, and I did.” “Did they suspect him?” “I neber could look dem in de face to know, but Joe neber was seen after de house was burned, and dat's many years in de past.” Ralph drew a long breath, and bidding the old negress goodbye, he {087}went back to camp with a sad heart. When he entered the camp he found the men gathered in knots, discussing the news they had just received of a coming engagement. “What are we going out for?” asked a new man. “So as to give the rebs a chance to lay us out, or be laid out themselves. What do you suppose we go to war for?” [Illustration: 9095] Old Bill's gruff tones nettled the man. “It don't hurt you to answer a civil question, does it?”