"Went out," said he, "on a splorin scursion, cos I was termined to try an skewer somethin to make a dinnah to keep up de sperrit ob dis yah party. Ben trouble nuff, an dat's no reason why we should all starb. I tought by de looks ob tings dar was lobstas somewhar long dis yah sho, an if I got a chance, I knowed I could get 'em. Dar was lots ob time too, ef it hadn't ben fur dat ar pint; dat's what knocked me. Lots o' lobstas--could hab picked up a barl full, ony hadn't any barl to pick up." "Well, but how did you happen to get caught?" "Dat ar's jes what I'm a comin to. You see, I didn't tink ob dat ar pint when I went up de sho,--but knowed I had lots ob time; so I jes tought I'd make sure ob de best ob de lobstas. Wan't goin to take back any common lobstas,--bet you dat,--notin for me but de best,--de bery best ones dar. Dat ar's what kep me. It takes a heap ob time an car to get de best ones, when dar's a crowd lyin about ob all sizes, an de water comin in too." "But didn't you see that the tide was coming up to the point?" "Nebber see a see,--not a see; lookin ober de lobstas all de time, an mos stracted wid plexity cos I couldn't cide bout de best ones. Dar was lots an lots up dar at one place, dough I didn't go fur,--but ef I'd gone fur, I'd hab got better ones." "How far did you go?" "Not fur,--ony short distance,--didn't want to go too fur away for feah ob not gittin back in time. An so I started to come back pooty soon, an walked, an walked. Las, jes as I got to de pint, I rose my ole head, an looked straight afore me, an thar, clar ef I didn't fine myself shut in,--reglar prison,--mind I tell you,--an all round me a reglar cumferince ob water an rock, widout any way ob scape. Tell you what, if dar ebber was a ole rat in a trap, I was at dat ar casion." "Couldn't you have waded through it before it got too high?" "Waded? Not a wade; de water was rough an deep, an de bottom was stones dat I'd slipped oba an almost broke my ole head, sides bein drownded as dead as a herrin. Why, what you tink dis ole nigga's made ob? I'm not a steam injine, nor a mowin machine, nor a life boat. I'm ony a ole man, an shaky in de legs too,--mind I tell you." "Well, how did you manage it?" "Manage! Why, I didn't manage at all." "How did you find that place where you were sitting?" "Wasn't settin. I was tied up in a knot, or rolled up into a ball. Any way, I wasn't settin." "Well, how did you find the place?" "Wal, I jes got up dar. I stood on de sho till de water drobe me, an I kep out ob its way till at las I found myself tied up de way you saw me." "Why didn't you halloo?" "Hollar? Didn't I hollar like all possessed?" "We didn't hear you." "Wal, dat ar's dredful sterious. An me a hollarin an a yellin like mad. Tell you what, I felt as ef I'd bust my ole head open, I did yell that hard." "Couldn't you manage to climb up that cliff?"