It was Kate's little woolly white dog, Blinks, who often used to come to
the cabin with her, and who sometimes, when he got a chance to run away,
used to come alone, as he did this morning.

"Go 'way dar, litty dog," said Miss Holly, "yer can't come in; dere's
nobody home. Yun 'long, now, d'yer y'ear!"

But Blinks either did not hear or did not care, for he stuck his head in
at the door.

"Go 'way, dere!" shouted Holly. "Aunt Tillum ain't home. Go 'way now,
and tum bat in half an hour. Aunt Tillum'll be bat den. Don't yer hear
now, go _'way_!"

But, instead of going away, Blinks trotted in, as bold as a four-pound
lion.

"Go 'way, go 'way!" screamed Holly, squeezing herself up against the
wall in her terror, and then Blinks barked at her. He had never seen a
little black girl behave so, in the whole course of his life, and it was
quite right in him to bark and let her know what he thought of her
conduct. Then Holly, in her fright, dropped her doll, and when Blinks
approached to examine it, she screamed louder and louder, and Blinks
barked more and more, and there was quite a hubbub. In the midst of it a
man put his head in at the door of the cabin.

He was a tall man, with red hair, and a red freckled face, and a red
bristling moustache, and big red hands.

"What's all this noise about?" said he; and when he saw what it was, he