“‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money!’  “‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’

“Bill he dunno which way ter go, so he ax ’em: ‘Which one got de money sho nuf?’ But dey keeps er bobbin’ up:

“‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’  “‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’

[Pg 69]tell Bill say ter hissef: ‘I’m gwine foll’r de one look like he got de mostes.’ He take er step dis er way, an’ he sink down so fur dat he pull, an’ pull, an’ pull, tell he pull his shoe off. Some mo’ Jackys calls him way ov’r yond’r:

[Pg 69]

“‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’  “‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’

“So he try ter take er long step ov’r ter dem, but he sink so fur dis time dat he pull, an’ pull, an’ pull, an’ pull, but he can’ git his foots up.

“His ma’s hant ris’ up den, an’ bus’ out cryin’:

“‘Yer done los’ yer sole, An’ yer ain’ got de gol’.’ [Pg 70] “‘Yer done los’ yer sole, An’ yer ain’ got de gol’.’

[Pg 70]

“Bill he keep tryin’ ter pull hisse’f up, but he done sink down ter his gallus straps.”

“Please, Mam, pull him out, p-l-e-a-s-e,” pleaded the little girl.

“Doan yer worry yose’f, his ma’s wid dat boy.”

“Yes, but she’s only a spirit.”

“Doan keer ef she is er hant, she’s his ma,—an’ de Lawd nuv’r do let dat part die out in no ’ooman. Well, dar wus Bill jes er sinkin’ an’ er sinkin’—”

“But he wusn’t any deeper than his waist, you said, Mammy,” begged Mary Van.

“He bleeg ter be er lit’le deep’r by dis time, but his ma wus cryin’ an’ beggin’ de Lawd so hard ter spar’ de boy an’ give him er-nuth’r chanct, dat er big thorney bush grow up quick[Pg 71] ’long side er Bill an’ retch out hits arms,—an’ de thorney part stick right thu Bill’s close, so Jacky-Lantern, an’ Willie Wisp an’ de res’ er de bad hants can’t pull ’im no fur’r. Bill 

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