Bypaths In Dixie Part 15

"I dunno how 'tis, Ma'y Van, but de Lawd fixes owels eyes so dey kin 'ten'

ter der night biznes', an' whin fokes gits ter lovin' an' gits in er tight place like Johnny Squinch wus, de Lawd fixes der eyes so dey kin see th'u de dark an' ev'y which er way, too. One night on de dark er de moon, Big Eye start out ter meet de buzzards. He got fo' hosses, an' two cows, an'

er pa.s.s'l er birds. Big Eye, he wus jes' er takin' in de money I tell yer. He can't see hit, but he kin feel uv hit, an' he know dey darsn't ter cheat him. But Johnny Squinch settin' up on er lim' jes' ov'r his haid,--he kin count de money, ya.s.suh, ev'y cent uv hit, too. Dey ain' no eyes kin see like Johnny Squinch's, 'speshally whin dey's lovin'. De nex'

day, Majer Peafowel fly up ter Pine Tree Holl'r ter see Mist'r Mount'in Fowel 'bout whut Johnny tell him."

"Mammy, could Major Peafowl fly up to the top of Mister Tall Pine?" asked Mary Van in amazement.

"Who sed he fly up ter de top? I sed he wint up ter de Pine Tree Holl'r.

De Majer ain' gwine bus' in n.o.body's room les'n he sen' his cyard up fus',--an' how you know dey ain' got one dem ellumvat'rs like de new hotel got?"

"Oh!" apologetically, she exclaimed.

Phyllis continued, "Whin de Majer ax him 'bout las' night's biznes', Big Eye look him straight in de eye an' bus' out laffin', like hit wus de bes'

joke he ev'r heah. He say he wush ter de Lawd he had er know'd Johnny Squinch wus dar, 'caze he nuv'r wud er bin helt up by dem night rob'rs. He tell him, 'cose he wus countin' money, but hit wus de money de Jedge give 'im, an' he say he bleege ter count hit out fur de rob'rs, 'caze dey belt er pist'l in his ribs.

"De Majer brung de news home ter Tishy, an' she say Johnny jes' tellin'

tales on Mount'in Fowel, but Johnny tell her Mount'in Fowel ain' nuthin'

but er big ole low down buzzard, an' he gwine proof hit ter her.

"De Majer say ef Mount'in Fowel dealin' in car'on, howc.u.m hit dat de od'r er his biznes' ain' stickin' ter him, dat he allus mighty sweet wid colone whin he come ter der house.

"Johnny say he too smart ter tech hit hisse'f, dat he set way off fum hit an' jes' tetches de money.

"Majer dunno which ter b'leef. Tishy car'in on so, busin' one an' lovin'

t'other, dat he make up his mine he gwine lay er trap an' see ef Big Eye 'ud fall in hit. Long 'bout dis time, Big Eye 'gun ter long fur de vit'als he bin rais'd on, an' ev'y time he set an' sell dem dead an'mals ter de buzzards, his mouf dribble so dat he 'termine he gwine tas'e er lit'le ef hit kills him. He done hit too, an' whut's mo' hit tas'e so good, he tas'e hit ergin, an' whut's mo' en dat, he slip out ev'y night an' take er good bate er car'on. Fus' thing yer know, his colone nur his fine doin's neeth'r can' hide dat sumthin' wus pow'ful wrong wid him. Tishy jes' cry an' cry, an' say she doan see nuthin' wrong wid him, dat hits jes'

ev'ybody jellus uv 'im. Oh, she tuk on pow'ful. Johnny Squinch an' Brer Brindle Cow dey confabs er while jes 'fo' de moon git dark ergin, an' de upshot uv hit wus dat Brer Brindle g'long ter de fur een' er de pastur'

an' drap hisse'f down like he done fell dead. Den he lay dar. Big Eye seen him whin he fall, an' hit look like ter him dark nuv'r wud come. Johnny an' de Majer settin' b'hime de fence waitin' ter see whut gwine hap'n."

"What did happen, Mammy Phyllis?" asked Mary Van.

"Hit hap'n dat Big Eye's _buzzard-side_ grow'd fast'r dan his hifalutin'-side, fur 'fo' dark come, he put out ter git some nice lit'le pickin's off'n Brer Brindle, 'fo' de fun'l."

"Did Johnny and the Major catch him?" asked Willis.

"Ketch him, boy? You jes' orter seed Big Eye whin Brer Brindle rise up an'

say: '_cl'ar out_,' an' he cl'ar clean out too, fur n.o.body ain' nuv'r seed er buzzard on Tinker k.n.o.b sense.

"Lawsee, Johnny Squinch's lawyer sense done hit. He say, 'jes watch whar de car'on lays at, ef you tryin' ter ketch er buzzard.'" Then turning a warning look to Willis, "An' you 'mem'r no buzzard ev'r turn hisse'f ter er Eagle in dis woel; an' you let dat Weed boy an' his buzzard aigs erlone, yer heah me?"

"Yes'm," he answered meekly, then forgetful of Mary Van, he jumped suddenly from the joggling board and asked, "What did Tishy do?"

Mary Van fell off. Phyllis hurried to see if she was hurt, and replied, as she put her dress to rights, "Tishy was upsot, jes' like Ma'y Van is now, 'cep'in mo' so."

XII

MISS LILLY DOVE

"Mammy, look at Tishy Peafowl in Mary Van's yard." Willis pointed across the street to a peac.o.c.k in full expression of his feathered pride.

Phyllis went to the window and exclaimed, "You sho'ly ain' callin' Majer Peafowl, dat ugly ole Tishy?"

"You said Tishy was fine and pretty," reminded Mary Van.

"She wus, tell Mist'r Mount'in Fowel tu'n out ter be n.o.body but er ole low down buzzard. I tell yer dat gal act so scand'lous dat all her purty feath'rs start ter drappin' out, 'caze she act so ugly on de inside, dey wusn't nuthin' ter hole de purty on de outside."

"Did all her pretty feathers drop out sho' nuf?" asked the little girl, much concerned.

"Dey ain' all drap out yit, 'caze she ain' loss all her inside purty yit."

"What's Major Peafowel doing?"

"He jes' stan'in' up dar watchin' dat fier on Tinker, an' wushin' hit 'ud bu'n up Lilly Dove's house."

Immediately the children became interested in watching the forest fire which enveloped a part of Tinker k.n.o.b.

"Did Lilly's house burn down?" asked Mary Van with feeling.

"Bu'n up er holy Ghos' bird's house?" exclaimed Phyllis. "Why, gal, dat's de bird de Holy Ghos' sen's, an' exsen's 'pon, whinsomev'r hit come down 'pon de earf! Jes' like Jay burds is Satan's burds,--fokes says dey goes ter de Bad Place ev'y Friday night, an' I 'speck dey sees er heap er fokes useter live heah too."

"Mammy, I'm skeered G.o.d don't know the mountain's on fire," said Willis anxiously.

"Go off, boy, de Lawd ain' needin' you ter hope him 'ten' ter His biznes'--now ef dat wus er Jay burd, hit wud er bin burnt clean up, but bein's. .h.i.t's er Holy Ghos' dove, dat hope ole man Noah ter lan' de Ark, de Lawd ain' gwine let her swing er feath'r. Dis hyah ain' de fus' time Lilly Dove put her trus' in de Lawd. Dat hit 'tain't," as she took from the floor the book of Robin Redbreast, "an' dis hyah c.o.c.k Robin," placing her finger on the picture, "is de ve'y man dat start all de fracus."

"Didn't Robin like Lilly Dove?" Willis left the window to look at the book.

"Him an' Ginny Wren near 'bout foolish 'bout Lilly Dove--dat's howc.u.m Tishy Peafowel ter tu'n 'ginst Lilly like she done."

Mary Van went over to Willis, and together they spread the book upon the floor where the gay-colored pictures of the birds accentuated the feathered characters of Phyllis's mind.

"Tishy Peafowel nev'r wud er got so mean, ef An' Polly Parrit had er mine her own biznes',--'stid er dat, An' Polly ax c.o.c.k Robin whut ail Tishy feath'rs. Robin tell her Tishy ain' got no sense, dat ef she had much sense es Lilly Dove got, she nuv'r wud er bin in de fix she in now.--Whoopee! dat start de fracus.

"An' Polly start right fum dar an' spen' de day wid ev'rybody in de woods--she mixin' de 'pinions fokes got er Tishy an' Lilly. Atter she git bustin' full er news, hyah she come ter spen' de day wid Tishy. Whin ole Lady Peafowel see An' Polly take off her bonnet ter spen' de day, she run an' git out de bes' china, an' she tell de cook ter have fried chick'n fur din'r 'caze she know An' Polly gwine tell all erbout whut dey eats ter de nex' place she go."

She paused to lift a table near the window, when Willis called from the floor:

"Mammy, don't let Aunt Polly have fried chicken for dinner."

"You sho'ly done los' yo' senses, boy. Ole lady Peafowel jes' es skeered er An' Polly es yo' ma is er Miss Tilly Totenews.--'Cose she gwine have fried chick'n an' mo' b'sides,--an' she doan let none de chillun do no talkin' whar An' Polly's at neeth'r," she giggled.

The children needed no further description of Aunt Polly, for they knew a visit from Miss Tilly meant their banishment, as well as the strictest injunction to yea, yea, nay, nay, whenever they chanced to meet her.

"Yas, suh," she unfolded her quilt pieces and prepared to a.s.sort them on the table, "An' Polly talk er nuf wurds ter Tishy dat day ter set her plum on fier wid madnes'. Yer see mos' all Tishy's purty feath'rs wus out, an'

dem whut's lef wus right loose an' straggly, an' dat make Tishy wusser.

Yer see trubble done make Tishy so sour an' mean dat she hate ev'rybody dat's purty'r'n her--an' she hate Lilly wusser en all uv 'em, 'caze Lilly wus so kine, an' treat fokes so sweet, dat ev'rybody jes' nach.e.l.ly love Lilly.