, an' axed him how _dar'ed_ he skeer
'em like dat? An' Mars Jim, he larfed out loud, and said: 'Princess
wanted it,' an' den he put de truck he'd resked his nake ter git in
Miss Pocahontas's arms, an' she hugged it up tight, an' went long to de
house cryin'."

Thorne moved involuntarily, and the gun in his hand struck against the
trunk of the tree behind which he stood. The negroes paused and
glanced around alertly, the man with the torch swinging it backward and
forward, with a muttered "What's dat?" Nothing of any consequence; a
bird, or a rabbit, perhaps--nothing worth investigation. The man with
the bucket set his burden on the ground, and opened and shut his hand
rapidly several times. The wire of the handle had cramped his fingers.
Both men transferred their bags from the right shoulder to the left,
and leaned against the tree stems to rest themselves a moment.

The elder man resumed the subject.

"Love her! Lord-er-mussy 'pon me! Jim Byrd was fa'rly _foolish_ wid
love. De groun' warn't fitten fur Miss Pocahontas ter set her foots
'pon in his notion; he'd er liked ter spread _hissef_ down to save her
slippers. T'want no question 'bout lovin' wid Mars Jim!"

"But he gone away," objected the torch-bearer. "I reckon Miss
Pocahontas done kick him; dat how come he lef. What he doin' in
Nexican ef he kin get what he want here? He _gone_!"

"_Dat_ ain't nothin'. He was bleeged ter go out yander ter git money
ter buy back de old place. Money mighty plentiful out dar, Aunt Vi'let
say. Gwine way ain't nothin' ter a _man_; he kin come back 'gin. I
went 'way ter Richmond onct myse'f ter rake up money 'nouf ter buy one
mule, an' rent er scrop o' lan', so ez I could marry Sarah. Mars Jim's
comin' back; las' word he sed ter Aunt Vi'let, was _dat_. Miss
Pocahontas ain't kick him n'other. What she gwine kick him fur? Mars
Jim's er likely man, an' all de ginnerashuns o' de Byrds an' Masons bin
marryin' one n'other ever sence Virginny war er settle_mint_. My ole
gran'daddy, whar war ole Mr. Dabney Byrd's kyar'ege driver, allus
sed--Lord, a-mussy! what DAT!!"

The speaker paused with his mouth open and a chilly sensation about the
back, as though a lump of ice were traveling down his spine. A sound,
as of scriptural denunciation, low, but intense, had caught his ear. A
bat, circling low, had grazed Thorne's face and caused him to throw up
his hand with an impatient oath. The wisdom of the defunct "kyar'e