of the kitchen; three little log nigger cabins in a row
t'other side the smokehouse; one little hut all by
itself away down against the back fence, and some
outbuildings down a piece the other side; ash-hopper
and big kettle to bile soap in by the little hut; bench
by the kitchen door, with bucket of water and a
gourd; hound asleep there in the sun; more hounds
asleep round about; about three shade trees away off
in a corner; some currant bushes and gooseberry
bushes in one place by the fence; outside of the fence
a garden and a watermelon patch; then the cotton-
fields begins, and after the fields the woods.

I went around and clumb over the back stile by the
ash-hopper, and started for the kitchen. When I got
a little ways I heard the dim hum of a spinning-wheel
wailing along up and sinking along down again; and
then I knowed for certain I wished I was dead--for,
that is the lonesomest sound in the whole world.

I went right along, not fixing up any particular
plan, but just trusting to Providence to put the right
words in my mouth when the time come; for I'd
noticed that Providence always did put the right
words in my mouth if I left it alone.

When I got half-way, first one hound and then
another got up and went for me, and of course I
stopped and faced them, and kept still. And such
another powwow as they made! In a quarter of a
minute I was a kind of a hub of a wheel, as you may
say--spokes made out of dogs--circle of fifteen of
them packed together around me, with their necks
and noses stretched up towards me, a-barking and
howling; and more a-coming; you could see them

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