"Don't, don't!" cried Lugena, as she threw her arms about his neck.
"Please don't, honey!"
"P'raps it's Bre'er 'Liab! Let me go!" he said, hastily.
Cautiously they started back through the strip of yellow light which lay between them and the cabin of Eliab. They could not believe that their persecutors were indeed gone. Nimbus's hand still clutched the saber, and Lugena had picked up the axe which she had dropped.
The groaning came indeed from Eliab. He had partially recovered from the unconsciousness which had come over him while undergoing torture, and with returning animation had come the sense of acute suffering from the injuries he had received.
"Bre'er 'Liab!" whispered Nimbus, bending over him.
"Is that you, Nimbus?" asked the stricken man in surprise. "How do you come to be here?"
"Jes tuk it inter my head ter come home atter de funeril, an' done got here jest in time ter take a han' in what was gwine on."
"Is the church all burned down, Nimbus?"
"De ruf hez all fell in. De sides 'll burn a long while yet. Dey'se logs, yer know."
"Did 'Gena get away, Nimbus?"