“Revun Atts,” Mustard demanded of the pastor of the Shoofly church, “when you got shet up wid dat wild woman in de hawg-camp, why didn’t you ax her ’fess religion?”
“I did make a riffle,” Vinegar Atts responded, “but I couldn’t git my mouf set right fer preachin’ de Word.”
“He seen his duty but he done it not!” Hitch Diamond bellowed.
“I didn’t had no light on how to do it,” Vinegar said defensively. “Excusin’ dat, I warn’t studyin’ how to save by grace; I wus ponderin’ how to save my grease.”
The conversation ended by the arrival of Colonel Gaitskill, dressed in a hunting suit and riding his favorite black horse.
The negroes grouped their mounts close around him to hear what he had to say.
“I want you niggers to ride out to the hog-camp with me and help me bring Diada back to my house. All this talk about Diada being a cannibal is a lie. She ain’t a pretty nigger woman, but she’s just like other black folks. She won’t hurt anybody. When you find her, go right up to her, just like you would to any other nigger woman. Hear me!”
“Yes, suh!” the voices answered.
“Marse Tom,” Hitch Diamond asked, “who’s gwine lead dis here peerade?”
“I am.”