off ever'thin' an'
pray fur you right now."

"No, that's enough."

"Doan blebe much in pra'r, does you? Wall, I hatter make dis do."

Mrs. Mayfield stood at the gap, gazing down the road, and the old negro
remarked to himself: "Dat's de way er lady looks w'en she's expectin' er
man. Things is er gwine on roun' dis place. Dar ain't been all dis light
steppin' fur nuthin'. Wush I could go somewhar an' pick me up er chunk
o' er wife. It's er gittin' erbout time fur me ter marry ag'in."

Mrs. Mayfield walked down the road, and Kintchin with an improvised tune
took up the axe which Jasper had stuck into the log. But just as he was
about to begin the work of grinding it, Mose Blake, shoving a
wheelbarrow, came into the yard.

"Whar's S--S--S--S--Star--"

"Talkin' ter me?"

"Ye--y--y--y--yes."

"Den why don't you?"

"I a--a--a--am."

"You ain't said so."

"Shut yo' b--b--b--black mouth."

"Huh, I could do dat an' den talk better den you does."

"I can b--b--b--beat you t--t--t--talkin'."

"Yas, you kin beat any pusson I eber seed."

"Don't y--y--y--you furgit you a--a--a--ain't nuthin' but a
n--n--n--n--nigger."

[Illustration: "GO ON ERWAY AN' LET ME TALK TER MYSE'F. YOU KAIN'T
TALK."]

"Huh, da kin tell dat by lookin' at me; but atter lookin' at you da
kain't tell whut you is. Why, you ain't nuthin'. Go on erway an' let me
talk ter myse'f. You kain't talk."

"Talk better t--t--t--t--than you k--k--kin. I could p--p--preach."

"Yes, ter deef folks. Say, you puts me in mind o' er chicken with de
gapes."

"You air a f--f--f--f--"

"You needn't try ter tell me. I knows it."

"That's a--a--a--about all you d--d--d--d--do know. Mother sent me atter
the wash k--k--k--kittle."

"She don't need it much den. Go on erway."

"I'm goin' t--t--t--to git a g--g--gun an' come atter you."

"If you kain't shoot it off no better'n you does yo' mouf you kain't
hurt me much."

From a corner of the fence Mose took up a wash-kettle and put it upon
the wheelbarrow. "You'll b--b--b--be dead b--b--before night. Be easier
t--t--to take what I come atter than to try t--t--to tell 'em w--w--what
I want." As he turned his wheelbarrow about he saw Lije Peters standing
in the gap. "L--l--l--look out, I'll r--r--run over you," and he lunged
forward with his load, just missing Peters, who jumping to one side
cried out:

"Yes, you stuttering pig, if you can't wheel no strai'ter than you can
talk."

When Mose was gone P