“Laws bless you, chile, I ’uz right down sho’ you’s dead agin. Jack’s been heah; he say he reck’n you’s ben shot, kase you didn’ come home no mo’; so I’s jes’ dis minute a startin’ de raf’ down towards de mouf er de crick, so’s to be all ready for to shove out en leave soon as Jack comes agin en tells me for certain you is dead. Lawsy, I’s mighty glad to git you back again, honey.”

I says:

“All right⁠—that’s mighty good; they won’t find me, and they’ll think I’ve been killed, and floated down the river⁠—there’s something up there that’ll help them think so⁠—so don’t you lose no time, Jim, but just shove off for the big water as fast as ever you can.”