"That is good, Dinah; those scoundrels I overheard talking the other night will no doubt ask if any of the negroes know of any place where we should be likely to hide, and if no one knows it but yourself they would be able to get no information, and it is hardly likely that they would ask the negroes of another plantation. Now, what is the first thing to be done, Dinah?"
"De first ting, sah, is to gader sticks to make fire."
"All right. I will go up the ravine and bring down a bundle of dry sticks from the forest. I will get them as dry as possible, so as not to make a smoke."
"No fear of anyone see smoke, massa. We no want great fire, and smoke all scatter before it get to top of de trees up above."
"Well, I will get them at once," he said.
"I will pluck two of the fowls while you are away," Myra said. "I want to be doing something."
"When you come back, sah, I will go out and gader berries to make colour for your face. When you hab got dat done, not much fear of your being known."
"You will have to get something to colour my hair, too," Nat said. "I never could pass as a mulatto with this yellowish-brown hair."
"Dat for true," Dinah assented. "I'se brought 'tuff to make dat, but had no time to look for berries for skin. When you come back we make fire first; me want boiling water for de med'cine me make for madame."
"Yes, of course, that is the first thing," Nat said. "And when you go anywhere to get provisions, Dinah, it would be a good thing if you could get us a few yards of cord; it would be very handy for tying up faggots, and would be useful in all sorts of ways."