“How you know?” Skeeter quavered.
“I answered de telerphome,” Little Bit gasped.
“Whut did it say?” Skeeter asked desperately.
“It say—it say—de gal at de telerphome orfice say she listened in when Dazzle phomed to you, an’ dat she has called all de white folks in Tickfall up an’ tole ’em dat Marse Tom’s house wus being robbed!”
Thereupon Hopey Prophet walked to the electric-light switch and turned out every light. There are those who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
“Listen!” Pap exclaimed tragically. “I kin hear dem white folks comin’ now!”
Indeed, it was not difficult to hear the sound of running feet. A moment later could be heard the galloping feet of horses. Then automobile lights began to whip the darkness as they turned the corners at high speed and roared like speeding beasts as they came up the long hill. Then, in the darkness, a great light fell on Skeeter.
“Us niggers oughtn’t to be here when de white folks come,” he wailed. “Ef dey ketch us in here, dey’ll put us in jail. Ef dey see us leavin’, dey’ll shoot us!”
“Easy, eve’ybody!” Pap Curtain hissed as he opened the front door. “Git still!”
Then a low sigh of disappointment escaped from every throat. The front lawn was all aquiver with the dark shadows of moving men!