Bypaths In Dixie Part 18

"Jes' den Grab-All th'ow his hat on de flo' an' bow low down ter Miss Inch Wurm an' sez he, 'I jes' come ter tell yo' ole man whar dar's er sight er money waitin' fur somebody ter come 'long an' pick up.'

"Ole lady Inch Wurm sort'r take notice, she do, an' ax 'im ter pa.s.s de news erlong. Grab-All say: 'Nor, you jes' set right still tell me an' yo'

ole man come back an' fetch yer er hat full er money.'

"Old lady Inch Wurm git up an' g'long down town, an' start ter spindin'

dat money right den. Soon es she done out'n de way, Grab-All tell Inch Wurm 'bout de cid'r in de pan b'hime de ash-hopp'r; an', sez he, 'we'll make de Hawnits an' Yall'r Jackits fight derse'fs ter death, den me an'

you'll 'vide de cid'r, dat is ef you kin mea'jer off how much dey is in de pan 'thout lettin' fokes know whut you doin'.'

"Yer see Grab-All sich er big biznes' man dat he bleege ter know how big de pan is, an' how much's in dar, down ter de ve'y drap. So Inch Wurm he put on his ole close an' went er crawlin' off ter mea'jer de cid'r, an'

'tain' long 'fo' hyah he come back ergin wid de news fur Grab-All.

Grab-All tell 'im: 'You done wurk fine, an' you done wurk quick,--in fack,' sez he, 'you done yo' wurk s' good I gwine fix yer, so you doan hatt'r do no mo' wurk long es you live.' Den he laf in his sleeve.

"Mammy, don't let Grab-All hurt Inch Wurm," begged Mary Van.

"Dat can't be hop'd, honey, Inch Wurm know too much 'bout Grab-All's biznes', an' Grab-All got ter shet his mouf some way,--He take an' spin er teenchy-weenchy lit'le web, right whar Inch Wurm got ter git out at. Inch Wurm, he start off, feelin' pow'ful fine he do, an' 'fo' yer knows. .h.i.t, dar he wus all tangle up in Grab-All's web. Grab-All, he run 'roun' like he tryin' ter hope 'im out, but he jes' spinnin' de web tight'r so Inch Wurm nuv'r is ter git out no mo'.--He got ter starve ter death, 'caze he's in Grab-All's way, an' Grab-All gwine see n.o.body doan come 'roun' dar ter hope 'im neeth'r. 'Cose he doan mine Miss Lightnin' Bug pa.s.sin' de time er night wid him, 'caze she can' do nuthin' mo'en ter bright'n 'im up er lit'le,--but he keep his eye on her, too.

"Nex' day, de fight commence! Suh, I tell yer hit wus de pepperes' fight yer ev'r seed. Dem Hawnits fly inter dem Yall'r Jackits, tell yer can't see de groun' fur de dead Jackits; but hyah come de Jackits back at de Hawnits! Lawdee! dey come wid der foots, an' der han's, an' der haids all tergeth'r.--Yas, suh, dey come er b.u.t.tin' an' er bitin' an' er stingin'

mouty nigh at de same time! Yas, my Lawd, de dead Jackits wus kiv'r'd up wid de dead Hawnits! Oh! I tell yer dem varmints fit like sho' nuf war times!

"Whin bofe sides 'ud stop ter sorter blow er lit'le, an' think mebbe dey kin confab de res' er de fight out,--ole Grab-All'd come fus' ter de Hawnits, an' den ter de Jackits, an' tell 'em dey boun' ter whup out de nex' jump. Whin he see de Hawnits gittin' de wus er de charge, he run tell 'em wharbouts ter hit de Jackits. Whin he see too minny er de Jackits gittin' kilt, he run tell dem wharbouts ter cripple de Hawnits. He keep on gwine fus' ter one, den ter de uth'r twell dey wusn't er han' full lef' on bofe sides."

"Why didn't they turn in and beat old Mister Grab-All?" Willis bristled.

"'Caze bofe uv 'em think Grab-All wus on der side. Grab-All ain' lef' no tracks ter pint out whar he bin--nor, suh, he so full er dat spid'r web biznes' er his'n dat he kin swing hisse'f fum ennywhar,--an' fo' yer kin kitch 'im, he done swing 'roun' in ernuth'r place onti'ly."

"Captain Yellow Jacket's side beat the fight, didn't they, Mammy?" Mary Van desired the hornets vanquished.

"No, they didn't," contradicted Willis, "a hornet can beat a Yellow Jacket every time!"

"Jes' hole on dar!" Phyllis steadied the hammock. "I'm de onlies' one dat seen who 'twas whup'd."

"I want Captain Yellow Jacket's side to kill all of the hornets,"

whimpered Mary Van.

"But they can't," persisted Willis vehemently.

Once more Phyllis held the hammock. "You dunno nuthin' tall erbout hit, suh," as she saw the little girl about to cry, "Hawnits is got mo' pow'r en Jackits is got, but er Jackit is mo' smart'r en er Hawnit. I 'speck ef Grab-All had er helt his mouf out'n de fracus, de Jackits wud er outfit de Hawnits, but es. .h.i.t wus, Grab-All keep 'em fightin' tell dem whut wusn't kilt wus. .h.i.t so hard dat hit 'twan' long 'fo' de ve'y las' one uv 'em died. Atter dat hap'n Grab-All, he got de cid'r!

"He spin erlong b'ildin' on some houses he fixin' ter rent tell bimeby Mist'r Blue Bot'le Fly an' his fambly come erlong. Mist'r Blue Bot'le whisper ter his chillun ter give Grab-All plenty er road. I tell yer Grab-All swing hisse'f down, he do, an' ax Mist'r Blue Bot'le whut ail his fambly dat dey look so po'ly.

"Blue Bot'le say: 'I ain' nuv'r see sich er time in m' life! De rich fokes done stretch wire ov'r de vit'als s'tight dat dey ain' nuthin' fur de po'

flies ter do 'cep'n ter starve.'

"Grab-All say, 'Dat's de trufe, Brer Blue Bot'le, an' I feels s' sorry fur yer dat I'm gwine give you an' yo' fambly all de vit'als yer kin eat.'

"Bot'le Fly so glad he gwine git sumthin' fur nuthin', dat he fergit ter 'member how raskilly Grab-All wus, an' whin he do 'member 'bout hit, he think he gwine keep his eye op'n an' git de fus' lick. He jes' nach.e.l.ly can't let dat free vit'als git way fum 'im, doan keer how low down Grab-All wus. So him an' his fambly foll'r Grab-All ter de pan er cider, an' dey so hongry, dey fergits 'bout ev'ythin' 'cep'n eatin'. Grab-All set up on de ash-hopp'r an' mos' kill hisse'f laffin'."

"Why, Mammy?"

"'Caze, son, he jes' fatnin' dem flies ter kill 'em off like yo' ma do chickins. Whin de flies 'gun ter git fat, he spin er teenchy, lit'le web, an' whin dey git kotch'd, he run an' make like he tryin' ter onhitch 'em, but he tie 'em up wusser, an' sting 'em tell dey dies. Den he take 'em ter one dem houses an' sto' 'em erway."

"Did he kill all of Mister Blue Bottle's family?" asked Mary Van.

"Dey wusn't er one uv 'em lef', honey, not eb'n Miss Blue Bot'le's baby gal, an' n.o.body dunno de money Grab-All make on de fly trade dat winter nuth'r."

"Mammy Phyllis, are all spiders kin to Grab-All?"

"Dey's all kin, but dey ain't all got de same name, 'caze yer see all uv 'em ain't got de same slicknes' ter git way wid fokes like Grab-All do,"

she explained.

"Did Mister Grab-All give the other spiders some of Mister Blue Bottle's children to eat?" asked Mary Van, by way of suggestive generosity.

"Nor, suh, Grab-All say he ain' got no pockit book kin--he say he need all he got, an' mo' b'sides." Then she added: "But dey doan need Grab-All ter give 'em nuthin' 'caze none uv 'em wus po'--all uv 'em got nuf spid'r web in 'em ter swing erlong 'dout trackin' up der biznes'."

She reached out to steady the hammock as Willis scrambled out.

"Mammy," he exclaimed, "Captain Yellow Jacket and Captain Hornet didn't get a thing."

"Nor, suh," said Phyllis, lifting Mary Van to the ground, "an' n.o.body nev'r do git nuthin' dat keeps der senses in der fistes 'stid er der haids--Ketch Ma'y Van by de uth'r han' an' come on."

XIV

MISTER RATTLESNAKE

"Whut yer givin' dat boy, Zeek?--I boun' hit 'tain' nuthin' fur no good."

Phyllis started for the garden gate, where a suspicious conference was going on between Willis and the gardener. "Howc.u.m yer can't op'n yer haid whin fokes speaks ter yer?" Seeing his unwillingness to reply, she threw her ap.r.o.n partly over her head and quickened her pace.

"Me an' de lit'le man wus jes' fixin' ter make yer 'quainted wid er present I fotch him fum ov'r t'oth'r side de creek," explained Zeek.

"Whar de present?" she interrupted with annoyance, as she perceived he was trying to tease her.

She took the little boy by the hand and started for the house.

"Wait, Mammy," he begged, pulling back; "Unk Zeek, please gimme the snakes."

"Give you whut, in de name er de Lawd!" exclaimed Phyllis.

"Jes' two lit'le gyarters I kotch an' put in er bottle fur de chile," Zeek explained again.

"Yas," returned Phyllis angrily, "you kotch dem snakes fur nuthin' but ter tu'n 'em loose 'bout my foots, soon es you gits me in er tight place--I knows yer. Yer orter be 'shame er yo'se'f,--an' callin' yo'se'f er deac'n, too!"

Zeek threw his head back and gave a roaring laugh. "Whew!" he finished, "Sis' Phyllis, you is de slickes' 'ooman I ev'r seed. How yer know I gwine tu'n dem gyrters loose on yer?" and Zeek laughed again until he held to the gate for support.

Phyllis turned without deigning a reply.