"What, that old dominecker?"
"Yas, sah, de dominecker."
"Did yon eat him?"
"Yas, sah, I eat him."
"Wall, that was punishment enough. Git up here, boys."
It was the first time that Mrs. Mayfield had ever heard Jim laugh. He roared and he whooped as the wagon rattled along, and she was afraid that he was going to fall off. She asked him a question and he answered with a snort.
When they reached home a man was standing at the gate. Jasper inquired who it was, for in the dark he could not distinguish his visitor, and a voice replied:
"It's me, Gabe Wells—hollered helloa, and you wanted me to fetch you a newsparer an' a can of cove oysters an' about a straw hat full of crackers."
"Why, yes, Gabe, come in. Wondered why you hadn't fotch them oysters over. Next to chitterlin's I reckon they air the best things in the world."
When they were at supper, with Gabe eating as if he had not eaten at home, Jasper related their adventure in the woods, and Gabe declared that he would like to take a hand in such an affair. He swore roundly that Sanderson was a brute, but when he heard that with the rest he had contributed money, he wiped his mouth and said: "You can't allus tell. That feller's a gentleman, an' some time a passel of us must hitch up an' drive over to see him. We can't afford to negleck such neighbors as him."