Part 36 (2/2)
”Oh, dem two boys gwine git all de news da wants, ma'm. Er man dat wuz over ter de Peter's house say da gwine take 'em erlong as witnesses, an'
dat's whut skeered me. I's mighty glad ter see you ain't takin' on no wus den you is. I wuz erfeared dat you gwine ter holler like er devil-skeered lady at er camp-meetin'.”
”Kintchin, I have put my faith in the Lord.”
”Yas'm, dat's whut I done--'bout ha'f my faif in de Lord an' tuther ha'f in my laigs. An' now I gwine pitch in ter work like puttin' out wild fire. Yas'm, I is. Dat's de way I gwine 'spress my sympathy.”
CHAPTER XXI.
INTO THE WORLD BEYOND THE HILLS.
”You are a wise man,” said the commanding officer as the wagon toiled along. ”You don't begin to plead your innocence.”
”Maybe I haven't any. What is your name?”
”Foster.”
”It may come my way to do you a favor, Mr. Foster. You have been kind to me. But why do we turn up here?”
”To pick up one Laz Spencer, witness.”
”One Laz Spencer,” mused the old man. ”It would be a tug of nature to have two. But I'm sorry you are goin' to take him. Let him go and I'll agree to deliver the testimony expected of him.”
”No, that can't be. We have our orders.”
Out by the fence and with laborious stroke Laz was cutting wood. Leaving off his work as the wagon drew near he gazed with hand-shaded eye, and recognizing Jasper, threw down his axe and began to scramble over the fence, but one of the men fired a shot to scare him and he dropped back, took off his hat, scratched his head and remarked: ”Sorter 'pears like you got me. h.e.l.loa, Jasper. Didn't know folks war a comin' around a takin' you a ridin'.”
”Get up into the wagon,” Foster commanded.
”Yes, that's what I 'lowed I'd do. But let me go into the house an' put on some more duds if you air goin' to take me down into society.”
”Go with him, Nick,” said Foster, and the deputy leaped to the ground.
Old Mrs. Spencer came to the door and with her tangish tongue larrupped the men, called them cowards, dogs; and appealing to Jasper asked why he didn't kill them as his forefathers would have done. She swore that all spirit had gone out of the country.
”I've moulded bullets to kill better men than you,” she exclaimed. ”Not one of you is worth an ounce of lead; an' you tell them government fellers down there that thinks themselves so smart that if they tetch a hair on my boy's head, I'll come down there and murder the whole kit an'
b'ilin' of them. Go on now, Laz, an' show 'em that you ain't afeared.”
”Got rid of her easy,” said Foster, when the old woman turned back into the house; and Laz, overhearing him as he climbed into the wagon drawled out a reply:
”Don't take long for anybody to git rid of her.”
She waved him a good-bye from the window, and humped upon a seat beside Jasper, Laz was silent for some time, and then he inquired if there were any news stirring.
”No. Anythin' goin' on round here?”
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