"
"And your mistress was not here when you came back--nor Abram?"
"No, suh, nobody; en 'e wuz so lonesome I come en look in dis house fuh
Miss Nellie, but 'e ent deyyer; en I look in de bush fuh Abram, but I ent
see um nudder. En de dawg run to de water en howl en ba'k en ba'k tay I tie
um up in de kitchen."
"And was the boat tied to the stake this morning?"
"Yes, suh; en when I been home long time en git scare, den I look en see de
boat gone."
"You don't think that your mistress got in the boat and drifted away by
accident?"
"No, suh, nebber, suh; Miss Nellie 'fraid de water lessen Mass Johnnie is
wid um."
"Is Abram a good boy?"
"I dun'no', suh; I dun'no' nuffin 'tall 'bout Abram, suh; Abram is strange
nigger to we."
"Did he take his things out of his room?"
"Abram t'ings? Ki! Abram ent hab nuttin' ceppen what Miss Nellie en Mass
Johnnie gi' um. No, suh, dat nigger ent hab nuttin' but de close on 'e back
when 'e come to we."
The sheriff paused a moment. "I think, Mr. Morris," he said at last, "that
we'd better separate. You, with Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Rountree, had better
take your boat and hunt in the swamp and marsh, and along the river-bank.
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