Part 3 (1/2)
”The Cunnel's not to home, suh,” said Bill. ”But you bettah come in and seddown. I'll go call the folks.”
”Never mind,” said the visitor. ”I reckon I'll just walk around a little outside. I hear Colonel Blount is off on a bear hunt.”
”Ya.s.sah,” said Bill. ”An' when he goes he mostly gits b'ah. I'se right 'spondent dis time, though, 'deed I is, suh.”
”What's the matter?”
”Why, you see, suh,” replied Bill, leaning comfortably back against a gallery post, ”it's dis-away. I'm just goin' out to fix up old Hec's foot. He's ouah bestest b'ah-dog, but he got so blame biggoty, las'
time he was out, stuck his foot right intoe a b'ah's mouth. Now, Hec's lef' home, an' me lef home to 'ten' to Hec. How kin Cunnel Blount git ary b'ah 'dout me and Hec along? I'se right 'spondent, dat's whut I is.”
”Well, now, that's too bad,” said the stranger, with a smile.
”Too bad? I reckon it sho' is. Fer, if Cunnel Blount don't git no b'ah--look out den, _I_ kin tell you.”
”Gets his dander up, eh?”
”Dandah--dandah! You know him? Th'ain't no better boss, but ef he goes out huntin' b'ah an' don't get no _b'ah_--why, then th' ain't no reason goin' _do_ foh him.”
”Is Mrs. Blount at home, Bill?”
”Th'ain't no Mrs. Blount, and I don't reckon they neveh will be.
Cunnel too busy huntin' b'ah to git married. They's two ladies heah, no relation o' him; they done come heah a yeah er so ago, and they- all keeps house fer the Cunnel. That's Mrs. Ellison and her dahteh, Miss Lady. She's a pow'ful fine gal, Miss Lady.”
”I don't know them,” said the visitor.
”No, sah,” said Bill. ”They ain't been heah long. Dese heah low-down n.i.g.g.e.rs liken to steal the Cunnel blin', he away so much. One day, he gits right mad. 'Lows he goin' to advehtize fer a housekeepah-lady.
Then Mas' Henry 'Cherd--he's gemman been livin' couple o' yeahs 'er so down to near Vicksburg, some'rs; he's out huntin' now with the Cunnel--why, Mas' 'Cherd he 'lows he knows whah thah's a lady, jus'
the thing. Law! Cunnel didn't spec' no real lady, you know, jes'
wantin' housekeepah. But long comes this heah lady, Mrs. Ellison, an'
brings this heah young lady, too--real quality. 'Miss Lady' we-all calls her, right to once. Orto see Cunnel Cal Blount den! 'Now, I reckon I kin go huntin' peaceful,' says he. So dem two tuk holt. Been heah ever since. Mas' 'Cherd, he has in min' this heah yallah gal, Delpheem. Right soon, heah come Delpheem 'long too. Reckon she runs the kitchen all right. Anyways we's got white folks in the parlah, whah they allus _orto_ be white folks.”
”Well, you ought to thank your friend--what is his name--d.u.c.h.erd-- Decherd? Seems as though I had heard that name, below somewhere.”
”Yas, Mas' Henry 'Cherd. We does thank him. He sut'nly done fix us all up wid women-folks. We couldn't no _mo'_ git erlong 'dout Miss Lady now, 'n we could 'dout _me,_ er the Cunnel. But, _law!_ it don't make no diff'ence to Cunnel Blount who's heah or who ain't heah, he jest gotter hunt _b'ah._ You come 'long wid me, I could show you b'ah hides up stairs, b'ah hides on de roof, b'ah hides on de sheds, b'ah hides on de barn, and a tame b'ah hitched to the cotton-gin ovah thah.”
”He seems to make a sort of specialty of bear, doesn't he? Got a pretty good pack, eh?”
”Pack? I should say we has! We got the bestest b'ah pack in Miss'ippi, er in de whole worl'. We sho' is fixed up fer huntin'.
But, now, look heah, two three days ago the railroad kyahs done run ovah a fine colt whut de Cunnel was raisin' fer a saddle hoss--kilt it plumb daid. That riled him a heap. 'd.a.m.n the railroad kyahs,' sez he. An' den off he goes huntin', sort o' riled like. Now, ef he comes back, and ef he don't git no _b'ah,_ why, you won't see old Bill 'round heah fer 'bout fo' days.”
”You seem to know him pretty well.”
”Know him? I orto. Raised wid him, an' lived heah all my life. Now, when you see Cunnel Blount come home, he'll come up 'long dat lane, him an' de dogs, an' dem no 'count n.i.g.g.e.rs he done took 'long wid him; an' when he gits up to whah de lane crosses de railroad track, ef he come ridin' 'long easy like, now an' den tootin' his hawn to so'ht o' let us know he's a-comin'--ef he do dat-away, dat's all right,--dat's all right.” Here the garrulous old servant shook his head. ”But ef he don't--well den--”
”That's bad, if he doesn't, eh?”