A silent nod.
“Is—honey, tell Jude the truth—is it true that he ain’t bad hurt? Could he ride a nag?”
Little Buck looked all around him, drew close to his big sweetheart, and pulled her down that he might whisper in her ear.
“I know somethin’ that Granny and Creed don’t know I know, but I mus’n’t tell it to anybody—only thest you. Creed—no, he ain’t so awful bad hurt—he walks everywheres most—he’s a-goin’ to take the old nag and go over to Todd’s corner to see yo’ Unc’ Jep, about moonrise to-night. They said that—Granny an’ Creed. An’ they fussed. Granny, she don’t want him to go; but Creed, he thest will—he’s bull-headed, Creed is.”
Judith caught her breath. They had got the message to him then, and he was going. Well, her appointment with him must be first.
“Little Buck, honey, ef you love me don’t you forget one word I say to you now,” she whispered chokingly, holding the child by both hands.
He rounded eyes of solemn adoration and acquiescence upon her.
“You say to Creed Bonbright that Judith Barrier says he must come to her at the foot of Foeman’s Bluff—on yon side—as soon after dark as he can git there. Tell him to come straight through by the short cut; hit’ll be safe; nobody’ll ever study about him comin’ in this direction. As soon after hit’s plumb dark as he can git there—will ye say that? Will ye shore tell Creed an’ never tell nobody but Creed?”
“But he won’t go,” said Little Buck wisely. “Granny’s scared to have him go to talk to yo’ Unc’ Jep, but she’d be a heap scareder to have him come to you, ’caze you’ one o’ the Turrentines too—ain’t ye, Judith?”
Judith’s face whitened at the weakness of her position.