He stroked the glossy mane with a sort of mechanical pride.
"And so he went plumb through the cave?"
"An' all the troop—they kindled pine-knots fur torches."
He glanced about him at the convenient growths.
"And they came out all safe in Greenbrier?" He winced. How the lost opportunity hurt him!
"Yessir. In Greenbrier Cove."
"Did he pay you in gold?" sneered Ackert. "Or in greenbacks? Or mebbe in Cornfed money?"
"I wouldn't hev his gold." She drew herself up proudly, though the tears were still coursing down her cheeks. "So he gin me a present—a whole passel o' coffee in my milk-piggin." Then to complete a candid confession she detailed the disposition she had made of this rare and precious luxury at the rebel smallpox camp.
His eyes seemed to dilate as they gazed up at her. "Jesus Gawd!" he exclaimed, with uncouth profanity. But the phrase was unfamiliar to her, and she caught at it with a meaning all her own.
"That's jes' it! Folks in gineral don't think o' them,'cept ter git out o' thar way; an' nobody keers fur them, but kase Jesus is Gawd He makes somebody remember them wunst in a while! An' they did seem passable glad."