Page 144 - Among the camps, or, Young people's stories of the war

“ I’ve got i t ! I've got I t ! We'll bait him, and then catch

him. Where arc the axe and corn you had ? ”
He turned to Jake. His mind up to that time had been
so busy with, first, the flight, and then the horse, that he h£d
not noticed that Jake did not have them.
jake’s countenance fell. 11 I done los1 'em,’’ he said,
guiltily.

Jack looked thunderstruck. ” Now you just go and find
'em/' he said, hotly.
“ I los* ’em when clem Yankees shoot we all, I know I
ajn* gwine back deah,” declared Jake, positively, “ I ainr

gwine have no Yankee shootin’ me ‘bout a old hoss.’1
,d Yes, you are, " asserted jack, 1 I’m going, and you’ve
got to go, too,'1 Jake remained impassive. '* Never mind,
if yon don’t go I won’t play with you any more, and f won’t
give you half my biscuit any more.”

These were usually potent threats, but they failed now,
L‘ I don’ keer ef you don’ play wid me,” said jake, scornfully,
M I don’ want play so much nohow ; an' 1 don' want nune
you' buscnit. Dee ain' white like dee use' to be.”
Jack changed his key.

" Never mind, that was Aunt Winnie's axe you lost. I'm
going to tell her you lost it, and she ll cut you all to pieces.
Ym mighty glad I didn’t lose tt.”
This was a view of the case which Jake had not thought
of. It was true. The Yankees might not hit him, but if
her axe were lost, liis mammy was certain to carry out her