Then Mammy lowered her voice, and asked, with a mysterious air:
"Hev you done heer'd 'bout dat Hotspur helpin' Mars' Lion get away to Bosting town?"
"How was that?" asked Sally, for indeed not a word of gossip had she heard about the affair.
Mammy went on:
"Ob course Mars' Perc'val won't hev a word said to him on de subjec', and I doan't b'leeve he know what to tink ob tings. But shor's yore born, honey, I b'leeve de folks up at de house tried in some way to keep Mars' Lion from goin' to Bosting with dose odder boys he done go with.
"And, honey,"—Mammy Leezer held up a dark finger to make more dreadful her solemn air,—"one night las' May, dat Hotspur, he done gone from his outside box, and needer hoof, head, or tail ob him lef'. And dar warn't no man come for dat hoss! Bill, he wor awake all night, and lil Jule, she hev a mis'ry in her lil stummick, so I'se up 'bout all night, and no one come round dat stable we knows dat night, yet, in de mornin', dat Hotspur, he clean gone."
Mammy put her hand, edgewise, side of her mouth, and whispered, loudly:
"Sperrits, honey! Sperrits!"
Sally laughed and shook her shining head.
"Oh, no, Mammy," she said, her voice full and bubbling, "no, no! spirits don't come with strong hands and feet and take a horse away. Bill had a nap, little Jule got easy, and you dozed, then some person led Hotspur away."