The Making of a Statesman Author:Joel Chandler Harris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " Wanter see ef you 'live," replied the driver, curtly. His voice was in harsh contrast to that of the other. " Well, when you foun' dat out," said the negro ... more »who had been nodding, " what den? " His tone was one of idle curiosity. " Nothin' 'tall," answered the driver; " you ain't done nothin' ter me." " Oh, I ain't? I thought maybe I hurt yo' feelin's some time when I wuz 'sleep." He laughed a flute-like laugh, as he continued: " I ain't done nothin'—well, dat won't be de tale you'll tell nex' time you try ter drag me down." " I'm a blue-gum nigger," remarked the hack-driver, with a frown. " Oh, you is? " laughed the other. " Well, dey useter be one down yan whar we-all live at. He ain't dar now. You go down dar an' ax urn how come he ain't dar. Dey'll tell you ter- reckly." " Boy, whar you fum? " " Man, I'm from de Briscoe settlement." "Whatyo' name?" " Flingin' Jim." " Well, suh! " exclaimed the driver. He turned around in his seat and stared at the negro from the Briscoe settlement with great interest. The fame of the latter had evidently gone before him. " How come you kin fling rocks like folks say you kin? " the driver asked. " Kaze, when I wuz little a fox-squirrel sas- sied me an' made me mad. I promised 'im I'd git 'im, an' I got 'im." "Well, suh!" repeated the driver. Then, " How 'bout de blue-gum nigger? " Who—him? Well, he don't b'long 'roun' dar nohow. An' sho 'nuff, he ain't dar now!" The whistle of the locomotive was heard a mile away, and presently its funnel-shaped smoke-stack appeared around a curve, and the whole train, consisting of a number of freight- cars, a baggage-car, and a passenger-coach soon drew up at the station. Flingin' Jim kept his seat on the platform, and the driver remained in his place in the h...« less