“I wonder if those outlaws will make trouble for Mrs. Peck for letting us go,” mused Case. “Say, Uncle Zeke!” he said in a moment. “If you’ll send this friend of yours up to a farm house in the interior, we’ll give you a dollar.”
“Ah wants dat dollah!” Zeke exclaimed.
“All right, go yourself if you want to,” Case answered. “We want to know if the woman in the farm house has been troubled at all by the night-riders. We want you to go and tell her that we’re down here in the cove, and will do all we can to help her if she gets into trouble.”
“Dat’s mah dollah!” cried Uncle Zeke already on his way.
In a couple of hours the negro returned with the information that he had talked with the woman, and that she had seemed grateful for the offer made. He stated, too, that there were men about the house, and that they had been highly amused at the message he had delivered.
“Dey sure done laugh at dis ol’ coon!” Uncle Zeke added, “when ah tole ’em you-all wanted to come up an’ fight for de lady what gib you-all pancakes an’ coffee. Dey sure did roar!”
“What did they say about the burning warehouse?” asked Clay.
“Ah sure don’ mention no burnin’ warehouse where dem men is,” replied the darkey. “Mought be dey set dat fire demselves.”
“Well,” Case said handing the darkey a silver dollar. “Here’s your money. I would have given more to have informed the old lady that we felt grateful for what she did for us this morning.”
“She shore glad you-all feel so!” Uncle Zeke replied.