"Yas, suh! Yas, suh! We shore has! Dis yere is de Jubilo, shore 'nuff! Shore 'nuff! Ole massa goin' to run, and de darkies goin' to stay!"
"Do you know that song?" inquired Noel.
"We shore does! Yas, suh! Yas, suh! We knows it!"
"Then I want you to stand up by the side of the road and sing it while we march back to camp."
Laughingly the dusky crowd arranged themselves in lines along the roadside according to Noel's bidding. Even the huge negress, after some persuasion, reluctantly took her stand at the head of the line on the right.
"Now, then, everybody sing!" called Noel, after he had whispered to Dennis, "Take your gun and pig and start out of this, but don't try to be in too much of a hurry."
"All right," he called loudly, as he passed the negress. There was a laughing response and instantly Noel and Dennis, as they quickly advanced began to sing,—
"Ole massa run, ha! ha!
De darkies stay, ho! ho!
It must be now dat de kingdom's comin'
And de year ob Jubilo."
Glancing neither to the right nor left the two soldiers steadily moved forward and in a brief time passed beyond the strange assembly on the roadside.
"Is she after me, lad?" whispered Dennis loudly, glancing anxiously behind him.