These things Aaron told the children, little by little and in a rambling way, begging Buster John and Sweetest Susan to say nothing about the matter to any other person, and threatening Drusilla with uplifted finger that if she opened her mouth about it he would put “the misery” on her. Drusilla had seen negroes who were the victims of “the misery”—which is the plantation name of the spell that conjurers put on people, and she declared over and over again that she wouldn’t tell—“crossing her heart” to show that she meant what she said.
“Can we talk with the animals sure enough—the horses, the cows, the sheep, the dogs, and the hogs?” asked Buster John.
Aaron smiled as he answered: “A little bit now, more pretty soon. The sheep—I don’t know. Sheep don’t talk much around me. But the others are talking all the time. You must watch all the motions they make, shutting the eye, switching the tail, flopping the ear, stamping the foot—all part of the talk.”
“When shall we try?” asked Buster John.
“Right after dinner,” replied Aaron; “we’ll go see old Timoleon.”
“Timoleon!” cried Sweetest Susan, in dismay.
Aaron laughed and nodded his head. “We’ll take him out the stable and see what he says. Timoleon good talker.”
“Oh, I’m afraid to go!” cried Sweetest Susan. “Mamma told me never to go near Timoleon’s stable.”
“I’ll tell you de plain trufe,” said Drusilla vehemently, “I wouldn’t go up dar in dat fiel’ whar dat hoss is—I wouldn’t go dar, not fer money. Ain’t I done see ’im jump on a nigger man an’ tar de cloze off’n ’im? Uh-uh! you don’t ketch me up dar!”
“Little Missy will go with me,” remarked Aaron. Then he pointed to Drusilla. “You go or stay, but, look out! No talk!”