a a cla TN

48 UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; OR,

Sam tumbled up accordingly, dexterously contriving to tickle
Andy as he did so, which occasioned Andy to split out into a
laugh, greatly to Haley's indignation, who made a cut at him
with his riding-whip.

“T's astonished at yer, Andy,’ said Sam, with awful gravity.
“This yer’s a seris bisness, Andy. Yer mustn’t be a makin’
game. ‘This yer an’t no way to help mast.”

“T shall take the straight road to the river,” said Haley
decidedly, after they had come to the boundaries of the estate. ~
“T know the way of all of ’em—they make tracks for the under-
ground.”

“Sartin,” said Sam, “dat’s de idee. Mas'r Haley hits de
thing right in de middle. Now, der’s two roads to de river—de
dirt road and der pike—which mas’r mean to take?”

Andy looked up innocently at Sam, surprised at hearing this
new geographical fact, but instantly confirmed what he said, by a
vehement reiteration.

“Cause,” said Sam, “I'd rather be ’clined to ‘magine that
Lizy’d take de dirt road, bein’ it’s the least travelled.”

Haley, notwithstanding that he was a very old bird, and natu-
rally inclined to be suspicious of chaff, was rather brought up by
this view of the case.

«“ It yer warn’t both on yer such cussed liars, now !” he said
contemplatively, as he pondered a moment.

The pensive, reflective tone in which this was spoken appeared
to amuse Andy prodigiously, and he drew a little behind, and
shook so as apparently to run a great risk of falling off his
horse, while Sam’s face was immovably composed into the most
doleful gravity.

«“ Course,’ said Sam, “mas’r can do as he'd ruther; go de
straight road, if mast thinks best—it’s all one to us. Now, when
_ I study ‘pon it, I think de straight road de best deridedly.”

“She would naturally go a lonesome way,” said Haley, think-
ing aloud, and not minding Sam's remark.

“Dar an’t no sayin’,” said Sam; “ gals is pecular. They
never does nothin’ ye thinks they will ; mose gen'lly the contrar.
Gals is nat'lly made contrary; and so, if you thinks they've gone
one road, it is sartin you'd better go t’other, and then you'll be
sure to find’em. Now, my private ‘pinion is, Lizy took der dirt
road; so I think we'd better take de straight one.”

This profound generic view of the female sex did not seem to
dispose Haley particularly to the straight road ; and he announced
decidedly that hie#hould go the other, and asked Sam when they
should come to ity)’

« A little piecd a-head,” said Sam, giving a wink to Andy with
_ the eye which was on Andy’s side of the head ; and he added,

gravely, “but I’ve studded on de matter, and I am quite clar we
ought not to go dat ar way. I nebber been over it no way. It’s