“Did you feel scared, Uncle Dan’l?”
“No sah! When a man is ’gaged in prah he ain’t ’fraid o’ nuffin—dey can’t nuffin tech him.”
“Well, what did you run for?”
“Well, I—I—Mars Clay, when a man is under de influence ob de sperit, he do-no what he’s ’bout—no sah; dat man do-no what he’s ’bout. You might take an’ tah de head off’n dat man an’ he wouldn’t scasely fine it out. Dah’s de Hebrew chil’en dat went frough de fiah; dey was burnt considable—ob coase dey was; but dey did’nt know nuffin ’bout it—heal right up agin; if dey’d been gals dey’d missed dey long haah (hair), maybe, but dey wouldn’t felt de burn.”
“I don’t know but what they were girls. I think they were.”
“Now, Mars Clay, you knows better’n dat. Sometimes a body can’t tell whedder you’s a sayin’ what you means or whedder you’s a saying what you don’t mean, ’case you says ’em bofe de same way.”
“But how should I know whether they were boys or girls?”
“Goodness sakes, Mars Clay, don’t de good book say? ’Sides don’t it call ’em de He-brew chil’en? If dey was gals wouldn’t dey be de she-brew chil’en? Some people dat kin read don’t ’pear to take no notice when dey do read.”
“Well, Uncle Dan’l, I think that—— My! here comes another one up the river! There can’t be two.”
“We gone dis time—we done gone dis time sho’! Dey ain’t, two, Mars Clay, dat’s de same one. De Lord kin ’pear everywhah in a second. Goodness, how de fiah an’ de smoke do belch up! Dat means business, honey. He comin’ now like he forgot sumfin. Come ’long, chil’en, time you’s gone to roos’. Go ’long wid you—ole Uncle Dan’l gwine out in de woods to rastle in prah—de ole niggah gwine to do what he kin to sabe you agin!”