aw Mr. March, aw Mr. Anybody-in-God's-worl', pass yo' plate faw
a piece o' the chicken pie?' What! you heard it? Oh, Mr. March, don't
you be fool'! An' yit I favo's Rosemont----"

"Why, you've made it your standing threat to burst Rosemont wide open!"

"Yass, te-he! I has often prevaricate that intention. But Law'! that was
pyo gas, Mr. March. I favors Rosemont, an' State aid _toe_
Rosemont--perwidin'--enough o' the said thereof to go round, an' the
same size piece faw ev'y po' man's boy as faw ev'y rich man's boy. Of
co's with gals it's diff'ent. Mr. March, you don't know what a frien'
you been a-dislikin'!"

"They say you're in favor of railroads."

"Why, o' co'se! An' puttickly the Pussie an' Susie an' Great South
Railroad an' State mawgage bawns in accawdeons--perwidin!--one
school-house, som'er's in these-yeh th'ee counties, faw ev'y five mile'
o' road they buil; an' a Leggettstown braynch road, yass, seh. An', Mr.
March, yit, still, mo'over, perwiddin' the movin' the capital to Suez,
away fum the corrup' influence of Pulaski City. Faw, Mr. March, the
legislatu'e will neveh be pyo anywher's else esceptin' in Suez, an' not
evm myseff! Whew! I'm that thusty----"

XXII.

CLIMBING LOVER'S LEAP

The woods grew dense and pathless, and the whispering gave place to a
busy fending off of the strong undergrowth. Presently John tied the
horse, and the riders stepped into an open spot on a precipitous
mountain side. At their left a deep gorge sank so abruptly that a small
stone, casually displaced, went sliding and rattling beyond earshot. On
their right a wasted moon rose and stared at them over the mountain's
shoulder; while within hand's reach, a rocky cliff, bald on its crown,
stripped to the waist, and draped at its foot in foliage, towered in the
shadow of the vast hill.

"Why, good Lawd, Mr. March, this is Lover's Leap! We cayn't neveh climb
up here!"

"We've got to! D' you reckon I brought you here to look at it? Come on.
We've only got to reach that last cedar yonder by the dead pine."

The mulatto moaned, but they climbed. As they rose the black gorge
seemed to crawl under them and open its hungry jaws.

"Great Lawd! Mr. March, this is sut'n death! Leas'wise it is to me. I
cayn't go no fu'ther, Mr. March; I inglected to tell you I'se got a
pow'ful lame foot."

"Keep quiet," murmured John, "and come on. Only don't look down."

The reply was a gasp of horror. "Oh! mussy me, you spoke too late!