Telling The Troth Under Great Temptation

There were a dozen or more of them seated in front of the colored St. Charles, and they were talking about tornadoes. "De worstest tornady I ever did aee," remarked an oíd negro, "war sixteen years ago in Alabama." "Did Bhe blow mach ?" inquired another. "Blowmuch! shoo! niggersl butdat was no deck passenger, dat tornady ! Why, sah, it jist lifts me right up to remember it !" "Eberything went kitin', eh !" "Kitin' ! Bress you ! you poor, ignorant nigger, but I seed a mide lifted up like a fedder, an' how fur d'ye 'apose it blode him ! Jist gin a guess." "One mile?" 'Tree miles?" "Across the ribber?" "Intoatree?" Each one in the crowd made a guess, and when all were through the hoaryheaded old man repeated: "Niggers, you is all wrong. That tornady cum for dat mule, an' howled around, an' got under him, an' lifted him up, an' he was blode jist exactly four iuohes by de watch, sur e 's you live !" There was a painful pause and then the crowd rapidly thinned out, whüe the old man remarked: 'Tour inches by the watch, and I'll stick to dat statement if I die for il"