"Discipline is what your mother failed to give you, _reprobo_. Manners I
shall teach you. Fall in the rear!"
Owen Daw crawled desperately on his mule and obeyed without parley, but
his audacity soon recovered enough to force his animal up to the wagon
tail and open whispered communications with Levin there.
Nothing had passed them for hours that Levin had seen, when suddenly a
horseman at a rapid lope stopped the wagon, and a hoarse negro voice
muttered:
"How de do, now? See me! see me!"
"Derrick Molleston?" spoke Van Dorn.
"See me! see me!"
"Get down and ride with me. Levin, are you awake?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Take this man's horse and ride him. John Sorden is ahead. It will
stretch your chilled limbs."
"May I go with him?" asked Owen Daw, in his Celtic accent, quite
cringing now.
"Not unless he wants you."
"Come, then," Levin obligingly said.
While the two youths were still lingering by the wagon they heard these
words:
"Have you arranged everything with Whitecar and Devil Jim?"
"See me! see me!"--apparently meaning, "Rely upon me."
"Is Greenley ready to make the diversion if any attack be made upon us?"
"See me! see me! His gallus is up and he'd burn de world."
"This Lawyer Clayton?"
"See me! see me! He gives a big party, Aunt Braner tole me. A judge is
dar from Prencess Anne, an' liquor a-plenty. See me! see me!"
"The white people absolutely gone from Cowgill House?"
"See me! It's nigh half a mile outen de town.
Pages:
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496