“Mr. Atwood came here the other day,” said Jesse, “I’d hired Mott Erkrap, you know, to work for me, and he left me because I wouldn’t give him 4th of July; and he wanted to come back, and I wouldn’t take him back. The Deacon came concerning him, and he said then that the Republican party, before long, was going to ketch the Devil, (Uncle Jesse lowered his voice as if in awe of his Satanic Majesty.) Says he “There’ll be worse than seventy-seven claps of thunder striking right against them. Of course we was astonished at his speaking so rash and ’reverent right here in the yard. We was all very much astonished, me and my wife, and Mott Erkrap, and a stranger from the city that came with Mott, at his speaking so rash and ’revrent at what would happen to the Republican party in short time.”
“Hark!” exclaimed Aunt Phebe, raising her hands. “Oh, Lord! they be a killing ’em!”
The sound of small arms came unmistakably upon the evening air.
“Oh, no! It takes more’n one bird to make a spring. It a’nt so strange to hear a gun fire!” said Uncle Jesse; at the same time approaching the door to listen.
“But there’s another! and another! and heaps of ’em!” said she, becoming almost frantic with excitement.
“Good Lord! they be a fighting!” exclaimed both Dan and Jesse.
Several of the nearer neighbors soon came running up, breathless and alarmed, to ask what should be done.
“What is all we gwoine to do, Uncle Jesse?” asked a small coal-black man, rushing up to the yard, gun in hand. “Don’t ye think we ought to go down and help ’em!—!—! but it’s awful to hear them guns and stand here with my good rifle in my hands doing nothin’;” and he strode back and forth in front of the door where the group was standing, clasping his trusty weapon to his breast.
“You’d best remember the Lord in such a time as this, anyhow, and not be swearing,” replied Roome. “The more goes there, the worse and the bigger that fuss has got to be, and the more colored people will get killed any how for the whites has got to beat. No, no, Penny you’d best keep away if you don’t want to be killed.”