“MOUNTED?”

Another darkey relates a dream he had during an exciting political campaign down in Kentucky, only in this case his dream took an opposite direction. “I dreamed,” said he, “dat I died an’ went up to de big gate o’ hebbin an’ wanted to git in, an’ Sent Petah he says to me, says he, ‘Is you mounted?’ an’ I says, ‘No.’ An’ he says, ‘Den you can’t come in.’ So I kum away, an’ on de way down I met Kunnel White, de man wat’s runnin’ fo’ Congress, an’ I told him ’twant no use: he couldn’t git in if he wasn’t mounted. ‘Better go back,’ says I, ‘an’ mount de bay mare.’ But he says, ‘No, I tell you, Sam, what we’ll do. You’ll be my hoss. I’ll git on your back, an’ we’ll ride up to de gate an’ when Petah says, “Is you mounted?” I’ll say, “Yaas,” an’ I’ll ride you right in.’

“So I got down on my han’s an’ feet an’ he got up on my back, an’ we trotted up to de big gate, and de kunnel he knocked on de doo’, an’ Sent Petah he open de gate a crack an’ says, ‘Who’s dar?’ an’ de kunnel says, ‘Kunnel White o’ Kentucky, sah.’ An’ Petah says, ‘Is you mounted?’ an’ de kunnel says, ‘Yaas, I is, sah.’ An’ Sent Petah he says, ‘Mighty glad to see you, kunnel. Jist tie your hoss on de outside de gate an’ come right in!’”