it motionless in the interest
of her narration, that indeed touched him so nearly. Then, as she made
point after point clear to his comprehension, he would once more lift
the gourd and drink deeply, for he had had an active day, inducing a
keen thirst.

[Illustration: An active day, inducing a keen thirst 241]

She had been preparing herself for the piteous spectacle of his frantic
fright, his futile reliance on them who had always befriended him, his
callow forlorn helplessness, his tears, his reproaches; she dreaded
them.

He was silent for a reflective moment when she had paused. "But what's
he want with me, Cap'n?" he suddenly demanded. "Mought know I warn't
industrious in the field, ez he seen me off a-fiddlin' in the woods
whilst Neighbor war a-ploughin'."

"Mebbe he 'lows he mought _make_ ye industrious an' git cornsider'ble
work out'n ye," she faltered, flinching for him.

After another refreshing gulp from the gourd he canvassed this
dispassionately. "Say his own chil'n air 'hearty feeders an' hard on
shoe-leather?' Takes a good deal o' goadin' ter git ploughin' enough
fur the wuth o' feed out'n a toler'ble beastis like old Blaze-face thar,
don't it, Neighbor?--an' how is it a-goin' ter be with a human ez mebbe
will hold back an' air sot agin plough-in' ennyhow, an' air sorter idle
by profession? 'Twould gin him a heap o' trouble--more'n the ploughin'
an' sech would be wuth--a heap o' trouble." Once more he bowed his head
to the gourd.

"He 'lowed ye shouldn't dwell no mo' in the tents o' sin. He seen the
fiddle, Lee; it's all complicated with the fiddle," she quavered, very
near tears of vexation.

He lifted a smiling moonlit face; his half-suppressed laugh echoed
gurglingly in the gourd. "Cap'n," he said, reassuringly, "jes let's hear
Uncle Nehemiah talk some mo', an' ef I can't see no mo' likely work fur
me 'n ploughin', I'll think myself mighty safe."

They felt like three conspirators as after supper they drew their chairs
around the fire with the unsuspicious Uncle Nehemiah. However, Nehemiah
Yerby could hardly be esteemed unsuspicious in any point of view, so
full of vigilant craft was his intention in every anticipation, so slyly
sanctimonious was his long countenance.

There could hardly have been a greater contrast than Tyler Sudley's
aspect presented. His candid face seemed a mirror for his thought; he
had had scant experience in deception, and he proved a most unlikely
novice in the art