The matter was then explained to Joe, who volunteered to go over at once to Mr. Wilson’s and arrange to take his place in the morning, thus leaving him free to go with Jessie.
It was past ten o’clock and the moon was just coming up over the tree-tops when Joe started on his two-mile tramp to Mr. Wilson’s.
“You’d better take one of the horses,” Jessie had told him.
“W’at fur I want ob a hoss? Rudder hab my own two footses to trabbel on—if dey is kine o’ onsartain some times—dan airy four-legged hoss dat eber libed,” Joe returned, disrespectfully.
Sure that our good neighbor would return with him, Jessie proceeded to make ready for the trip. We were not disappointed. After a wait of about an hour we heard the rattle of approaching wheels, and presently Mr. Wilson, with Joe in the cart beside him, stopped the fast colt before the gate.
“All ready, Miss Jessie?” he sang out in response to our eager greeting.
“Yes,” said Jessie, “I’m quite ready.”
“Climb right in, then, and we’ll get well started before midnight. Whatever Horton does, he can’t beat that, for we’ll have our forces—part of ’em, any way—drawn up in battle array before the Land Office doors when they open at seven o’clock. We won’t need to hurry to do it, either. We’ll have time to brush up and eat our breakfasts like a couple of Christians after we get there.”
“Had I better take the money with me?” Jessie asked.
“Certainly, all you can rake and scrape.”