things."

"I doin' ter be de took an' make de itty mud takes," said Miss Unker
Bill, and the table at once became a scene of confusion.

"No, Dumps," said Diddie, "somebody's got to be stoppin' at the hotel,
an' I think the niggers ought to be the cooks."

"But I want ter make the mud cakes," persisted Dumps, an' Tot can be
the folks at the hotel-- she and the doll-babies."

"No, I doin' ter make de mud takes, too," said Tot, and the hotel
seemed in imminent danger of being closed for want of custom, when a
happy thought struck Dilsey.

"Lor-dy, chil'en! I tell yer: le's play Ole Billy is er gemman what
writ ter Miss Diddie in er letter dat he was er comin' ter de hotel,
an' ter git ready fur 'im gins he come."

"Yes," said Diddie, and lets play Dumps an' Tot was two mo' niggers I
had ter bring up from the quarters to help cook; an' we'll make out
Ole Billy is some great general or somethin', an' we'll have ter make
lots of cakes an' puddin's for 'im. Oh, I know; we'll play he's Lord
Burgoyne."

All of the little folks were pleased at that idea, and Diddie
immediately began to issue her orders.

"You, Dumps, an' Tot an' Dilsey, an' all of yer-- I've got er letter
from Lord Burgoyne, an' he'll be here to-morrow, an' I want you all to