“You love another, then?” asked Walker.
Miss Hayward did not reply.
“Is the favored one Lieutenant Wells?” again asked Walker.
“You are impertinent, Captain Walker,” replied Alibamo. “I must request you to retire. How can you thus, in her brother’s absence, address her in this manner?”
At this moment there was a commotion in the tent of Nettleton. The voice of the negro was heard, exclaiming:
“I he’rd you, massa Nettleton. There ain’t no use in you denyin’ it. I he’rd massa cap’n say, ‘Oh, Nettleton, ye kill me!’ Oh Lord, if eber I get out ob dis scrape, ye’ll neber catch dis chile in such another one.”
“Is the nigger crazy? What is the darn skunk talking about?”
“Oh, you needn’t make b’lieve ignoramus on dis ’ere question. I he’rd ye.”
“Now, look a here, you unconscionable dark; if you have got any thing to say, spit it out. Don’t make a darn skunk of yourself.”
“Oh! won’t I fotch ye up in de morning? Yes, sah!”