low grouns--dis mornin'. Dat's right," he said, as he saw dawning
unbelief in his mistress' face. "Now you have to skuse me, Miss Hallie.
I got my wuck to do."

"One moment, William," interposed Mrs. Cary, completely unconvinced.
"You are sure he was on the low grounds?"

"Cose I is!" asseverated Uncle Billy, meanwhile backing farther away.

"What was he doing there?"

Uncle Billy stammered.

"He--he--he, he was trespassin', dat's what he was doin'--des natcherly
trespassin'."

At this marvel of testimony, Mrs. Cary's lips relaxed in a smile and she
warned him with an upraised finger.

"Be careful, Uncle Billy! Be careful."

"Yas, _mar'm_" chuckled the old man. "I _had_ to be. I never would a-got
him! Oh, I's tellin' de trufe, Miss Hallie. Dis' here ol' sinner tooken
flewed off a boat what was comin' up de river. Yas'm. And he sure was
old enough to know better."

"And you _saw_ him fly off the boat?"

"Oh, yas'm. I seed him. I seed him," and Uncle Billy floundered for a
moment, caught in his own trap. "Dat is, not wid my own eyes. But I see