“Aw, I know you’re lying now, Uncle Dan,” Jimmy laughed. “No, I ain’t, sah! . . . Hee! Hee! . . . I were a great one when I were young! Yes, sah!” The old man went on undaunted. “I went an’ snuck off to a dance one night, me an’ nudder boy, went ’way ovah in Macon County at ole man Laird’s plantation, who been a bitter enemy to our white folks. Did I ever tell you ’bout it? We took one o’ ole massa’s best hosses out de barn to ride, after he done gone to his bed.... Well, sah! It were late when we got started, an’ we rid dat hoss lickety-split uphill an’ down holler, ovah de crick an’ past de mill, me an’ ma buddy both on his back, through de cane-brake an’ up anudder hill, till he wobble an’ foam at de mouth like he’s ’bout to drap. When we git to de dance, long ’bout midnight, we jump off dis hoss an’ ties him to a post an’ goes in de cabin whar de music were—an’ de function were gwine on big. Man! We grabs ourselves a gal an’ dance till de moon riz, kickin’ up our heels an’ callin’ fig-gers, an’ jest havin’ a scrumptious time. Ay, Lawd! We sho did dance! . . . Well, come ’long ’bout two o’clock in de mawnin’, niggers all leavin’, an’ we goes out in de yard to git on dis hoss what we had left standin’ at de post.... An’ Lawd have mercy—de hoss were dead! Yes, sah! He done fell down right whar he were tied, eyeballs rolled back, mouth a-foamin’, an’ were stone-dead! . . . Well, we ain’t knowed how we gwine git home ner what we gwine do ’bout massa’s hoss—an’ we was skeered, Lawdy! ’Cause we know he beat us to death if he find out we done rid his best hoss anyhow—let lone ridin’ de crittur to death.... An’ all de low-down Macon niggers what was at de party was whaw-whawin’ fit to kill, laughin’ cause it were so funny to see us gittin’ ready to git on our hoss an’ de hoss were dead! . . . Well, sah, me an’ ma buddy ain’t wasted no time. We took dat animule up by de hind legs an’ we drug him all de way home to massa’s plantation befo’ day! We sho did! Uphill an’ down holler, sixteen miles! Yes, sah! An’ put dat damn hoss back in massa’s barn like he war befo’ we left. An’ when de sun riz, me an’ ma buddy were in de slavery quarters sleepin’ sweet an’ lowly-like as if we ain’t been nowhar. . . . De next day old massa ’maze how dat hoss die all tied up in his stall wid his halter on! An’ we niggers ’maze, too, when we heard dat massa’s hoss been dead, ’cause we ain’t knowed a thing ’bout it. No, sah! Ain’t none o’ us niggers knowed a thing! Hee! Hee! Not a thing!”