John’s resonant voice rolled out—
“Jedus, hol’ de lion jaw,
Jedus, hol’ de lion jaw,
Jedus, hol’ de lion jaw,
’Tell I git on de grazin’ groun’,
Oh, ’tell I git on de grazin’ groun’,”
“Hol’um, Jedus!”
“Don’ tun’um loose, Lawd!”
“Maussuh Jedus, hol’ ’e jaw!”
came the responses in bass and treble, then, as the refrain again swelled and died away, “Oh-h ’tell I git on de grazin’ groun’,” an ominous “mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmh! mmh! mnmh!” rolled through the woods. “Duh Baa’ney! Great Gawd, duh Baa’ney!” shrieked the panic-stricken women who scattered in every direction, while the men ran to release their hitched animals as old Barney leisurely approached, routing sonorously. “Mek’ace, gal, mek’ace! Him duh walk sedate but ’e bex,” shouted a man to a leggy, dry-boned black girl who, although guiltless of shoes and stockings, had worn to the meeting an antiquated hoopskirt which now impeded her progress. “Hice’um, gal! Hice yo’ ’coat en’ run!” She “hiced” her petticoat and ran, but the crinoline billowed about her knees as she passed Dick Smashum on her way to the Savage plantation. Dick was duck-legged and as slow of speech as of foot, but discretion had urged him to get an early start and he was well out of the danger zone. Later, when Atalanta’s mother overtook him and asked, “You see my gal? Weh ’e gone?” he replied. “Uh yiz see one sump’nurruh duh run like de debble, gwine Sabbidge. ’E pass me duh paat’, en’ ’e binnuh trabble so swif’ uh yent ruckuhnize um ’zackly, but ’e stan’ sukkuh two blacksnake duh ’tretch out een one bu’dcage.”