“’Deed he did, Mars Tom. I’se telling you de plain truth. He put me up there when de Tory white men comes along to-day.”
“Tories!” exclaimed Tom. “Where?”
“They am up at de house, sah, at dis moment. And they am carrying on scand’lus with de fambly.”
“But what were you sent into the tree for?”
“To watch for you, sah. Mars Foster sort of thought you’d be along dis way to-day, Mars Tom; and I was told to climb up in de tree and watch for you, and not let you go up to de house, and get cotched by de Tories.”
“Thank you, Mr. Foster.” Tom waved one hand in the direction of the planter’s mansion. “I’ll remember that of you, and will return the favor some day.”
Cole began to make rapid passes and signs to Dogberry; the latter, at the best, was much in dread of the giant dumb-slave, but just now Cole’s earnestness made him very terrible in the other’s eyes, indeed. Cole was asking how Dogberry, if he was watching in the tree, failed to note their approach and neglected to make his presence known to them. Very much frightened at Cole’s gestures, Dogberry clung to Tom.
“Don’t let dat nigger harm me, Mars Tom. Look at dar! He’s making a sign dat he’ll frow me over de fence!”
At this Cole burst into a gale of laughter; and then Tom explained.
“He wants to know why I was in de tree and didn’t make no sound?” Dogberry looked exceedingly foolish, and then continued: “De plain truth, Mars Tom, is dat dis nigger done gone went to sleep, and didn’t wake till a great big yaller-tailed hornet come along and stung him on de nose.”