I will explain on the way. Hoot
like an owl when the coast is clear and you are ready."
A few moments later Chunk emerged from the cabin, with careless
mien, eating a pone of hoecake.
"Go back to yer work," shouted Perkins, who was passing in the
distance.
This Chunk did, his eyes following the overseer until the hated form
was lost to sight in a distant field where a squad of hands were at
work. Perkins was simply trying to be ubiquitous that day. Chunk's
next step was to steal to the rear of the stables. To his delight he
found that Whately had left his horse in order that it might rest
for further hard service, and had borrowed one of his uncle's
animals for the afternoon ride. As Chunk was stealthily putting on a
bridle, a gruff voice asked, "What yer doin' thar?"
The negro's heart stood still. Turning quickly, he saw, to his
dismay, one of the Confederate soldiers lying on a pile of straw. A
closer scrutiny revealed that the man was drowsy from partial
intoxication, and Chunk, feeling that he was in for it now, said
boldly: "Marse Whately tole me at dinner ter tek his hoss ter de run
fer a drink en ter limber his jints 'bout dis time in de eb'nin'.
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