Pharaoh's people, when they were resisting old Moses, never
enjoyed the curse of lice more than we did. The boys would frequently
have a louse race. There was one fellow who was winning all the money;
his lice would run quicker and crawl faster than anybody's lice. We
could not understand it. If some fellow happened to catch a fierce-
looking louse, he would call on Dornin for a race. Dornin would come and
always win the stake. The lice were placed in plates--this was the race
course--and the first that crawled off was the winner. At last we found
out D.'s trick; he always heated his plate.
Billy P. said he had no lice on him.
"Did you ever look?"
"No."
"How do you know then?"
"If ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise," said Billy.
"Why, there is one crawling on your bosom now."
Billy took him and put him back in his bosom and said to the louse,
"You stay there now; this makes the fourth time I have put you back,
and if I catch you out again today I'll martyr you."
Billy was philosophic--the death of one louse did not stop the breed.
THE COURT MARTIAL AT TUPELO
At this place was held the grand court-martial. Almost every day we
would hear a discharge of musketry, and knew that some poor, trembling
wretch had bid farewell to mortal things here below.
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