name?"

"No I hain't. Jes' wore dat fer twenty-odd years, an' nebber hed
no udder."

"Who do you work for?"

"Wuk for myself, sah."

"Well, on whose land do you work?"

"Wuks on my own, sah. Oh, I libs at home an' boa'ds at de same
place, I does. An' my name's Nimbus, jes' straight along, widout
any tail ner handle."

"What was your old master's name?"

"Desmit--Colonel Potem Desmit."

"I might have known that," said the clerk laughingly, "from the
durned outlandish name. Well, Desmit is your surname, then, ain't
it?"

"No'taint, Mister. What right I got ter his name? He nebber gib
it ter me no more'n he did ter you er Lugena h'yer."

"Pshaw, I can't stop to argue with you. Here's your certificate."

"Will you please read it, sah? I hain't got no larnin'. Ef you
please, sah."