Part 6 (1/2)
”Don't you know me, Cato?” asked the Lieutenant, laughing heartily at the woe-begone appearance of the negro.
”Hebens, golly! ain't you an Injine, Ma.s.sa Canfield?” he asked, his knees still shaking with terror.
”Do I look like one?”
”Guess you isn't, arter all,” added the negro, with more a.s.surance.
”Hebens, golly! _I ain't afeard_!” he suddenly exclaimed, straightening up proudly. ”Didn't t'ink Cato was afeard, Ma.s.sa Canfield?”
”I must say that the circ.u.mstantial evidence of your cowardice is hard to resist.”
The negro's eyes enlarged as he heard the large words of the soldier, and his looks showed that he had no idea of their meaning.
”Doesn't t'ink I's _afeard_?”
”Why did you build such a looking concern as that?”
”Why I build dat? To keep de rain off of me.”
”It hasn't rained at all for several days.”
”Know dat, but, den, expect maybe 'twill. Bes' to be ready for it when _does_ come.”
”But, as there were no evidences of a storm coming very soon, why should you get in there just now?”
”Storms out in dese parts bust berry suddent sometimes. Oughter know dat, Ma.s.sa Canfield.”
”Yes, I do; but, why in the name of common sense did you set up such a growling when I came near your old cabin?”
”Did I growl at you?”
”Yes: made as much noise as a grizzly bear could have done.”
”Done it jist for fun, Ma.s.sa. Hebens, golly! wanted to see if you was afeard, too.”
”But,” said the soldier, a.s.suming a more serious air, ”let the jesting cease. When did you put those logs together, Cato?”
”Dis morning, arter _dey_ went away,” he replied, with a shudder, casting a look of terror around him.
”And when did they--the Shawnees--go away?”
”Didn't stay long, Ma.s.sa; come in de night, berry late--bust on de house all at once.”
Lieutenant Canfield felt a painful interest in all that related to Mary Prescott. Although the Huron had given him the princ.i.p.al incidents of the attack and ma.s.sacre, he could not restrain himself from questioning the negro still further.
”Had you no warning of their approach?”
”Nothing; didn't know dey war about till dey war among us.”
”What was the first thing you heard, Cato? Give me the particulars so far as you can remember.”
”Hebens, golly! I'll neber forgit _dat_ night if I lib a fousand years. Wal, you see I and Big Mose had just gwane to bed and blowed de candle out----”