Bypaths In Dixie Part 3

"Dat's de ve'y hant--yas suh--ole lady Gully ain't skeercely in her grave 'fo' dat rooster hant start ter gwine down in de cellar--an' peckin'

'roun' like he huntin' fur sumthin'.

"Abe tell de boys he seen de ole man take er bag er gole down dar onct, an' he 'speck old Langshan know whar he berry hit--but howsumev'r dat is--one thing wus sho'--dat rooster peck in one cornder er dat celler, tell dem boys pis'n him."

The children moved closer to Phyllis. "Mammy, did he come back in another rooster?"

"No, ma'm, he didn't,--he say he nuv'r speck ter come back in no mo'

creeturs ter git pis'n'd ergin. 'De nex' time I comes back,' sez he, 'hit's gwine be in sumthin' nuth'r fokes can't projick none er der dev'ment wid.' Ahah,--an' yer knows whut dat is, doan yer?"

Both little heads shook a trembling negative.

"Well, hit's er Jack-my-lantern!" said Phyllis, and at her solemn statement the children looked aghast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "HEP! HEP!--SOMEBODY COME HOPE ME!"]

"Yas, ma'm,--an yas, suh," she bowed to each in turn, "he come back straight es he kin float hissef ter de swamp down yond'r on yo' granpa's rice plantation." She waited for this to be entirely absorbed by her eager little listeners, then added: "I seen 'em m'sef winkin', an' blinkin' all erbout dar," suiting facial contortions to her words.

"One day Miss Gully's bigges' boy went down in de cell'r ter git some tat'rs fur dinn'r, an' fus' thing yer know he start ter yellin' 'Hep!

hep!--Somebody come hope me!'

"Abe an' de uth'r boys wint down dar, an' seed de boy layin' flat on de floo' whar de hant thow'd him--"

"Mammy, lemme get in your lap," begged Mary Van, while Willis jumped on one of her knees. Mary Van followed suit, and before Phyllis could reply they had cuddled upon her, almost taking her breath.

"Sakes erlive! you all gittin' 'way wid me wusser'n dem hants done de Gully boys."

"Go on, Mammy," they both urged.

"Well, Abe an' de uth'r two boys fotch him up sta'rs an' lay him on his ma's baid. Dey lef' him er minute ter go git some cam'fer, an' when dey come back, dar sot er crow on de haid er de baid tellin' de boy:

"'Go foll'r de light, Don' feer ter fight, An' yer'll git er bag er gole!'

"He git up, he do, an' go out de do', but hit's s' dark he tell de crow he can't see how ter git erlong. Jes den Jacky-Lantern flash up an' say:

"'Foll'r me, sonny, I got de money.'

"De boy run up ter de light, but hit go out jes es he git clost up ter hit. He say: 'Hole on dar, whar yer takin' me?' Jacky-Lantern say

"'Foll'r me, sonny, I got de money.'

"Johnny Squinch Owel fly b'fo' him an' say:

"'Unch-oo, unch-oo, Doanchu go, doanchu go!'

"Boy tell him, 'Git out'n m' way, Johnny, I'm atter money--I ain' got no time ter talk ter you.'

"Johnny, he keep er foll'rin' de boy an' holl'r:

"'Unch-oo, unch-oo, Doanchu go, doanchu go.'

"Jacky-Lantern light up ergin, an' de boy start up runnin'. 'I'll git yer dis time,' he say; but Jacky-Lantern drap down in de groun' ev'y time he git enywhars near 'bouts him, an' Willie Wisp pop up way ov'r de uth'r side."

"Who was Willie Wisp, Mammy?"

"He wus er nuth'r hant dat tak'n up wid ole man Gully. When de boy see Jacky-Lantern pop up hyah, an' Willie Wisp pop up dar,--he jump fus' dis erway, an' dat erway tell--"

"What was the boy's name?" asked Willis.

"Lemme see, I b'leef dat boy name Jack."

"No, Mammy, Jacky-Lantern's name, Jack," Willis reminded her.

"Dat's so." She dropped her head on one side: "Dat Gully boy's name, Bill--Bill Gully's his name. Dem uth'r two boys an' Abe takes atter Bill an' holl'r ter him ter let dem hants erlone, but Bill tell 'em ter 'ten'

ter der own biznes, dat he atter gole.

"Dey holl'r back, 'Dey's er plenty er gole in de cell'r--come on back an'

hope dig hit out.'

"'I doan want no lit'le gole you fines at home,' sez Bill.

"Abe he holl'r back ergin, 'Please, suh, come back, dar's er heap mo' hyah dan you kin git dar.'

"But he so tie'd runnin' fus' atter Jacky-Lantern, an' den atter Willie Wisp, dat he hatt'r stop an' blow er lit'le. Abe an' de boys dey kotch up wid him, an' dey tussels consid'rble tryin' ter git him back, but dat boy Bill skuffle scand'lus. He thow ev'y one uv 'em flat in de mud.

"'You all ain' nuthin' but er pa.s.sel er gooses,' he say, 'talkin' 'bout huntin' gole at home. Don't yer know yer got ter fight an' scratch, an'

run, an' keep er gwine tell yer gits ter whar dese hyah gol' lights lives--den yer fines de bag er gole?'

"Fo' de boys an' Abe kin git dersefs up of'n de groun' whar Bill knock 'em, Bill wus gwine like er race hoss atter Jacky-Lantern. Bimeby de groun' 'gun ter git pow'ful sof', an' Bill, his foots 'gun ter sink down tur'bul. He can't go fas' no mo',--I tell yer de trufe, hit wus all Bill cud do ter pull hisse'f erlong."

"What was the matter with Bill, Mammy Phyllis?" whispered Mary Van.

"He in de swamp, honey, whar de groun' wus mirey,--an' hit wus full er hants too. Bill feel er hot flash pa.s.s him, an' er Jacky-Lantern'd pop up--hyah come ernuth'r hot sumthin nuth'r, an' Willie Wisp 'u'd pop up right 'long side er him.

"Bill say, 'Is dis whar yer lives?'

"Jacky say:

"'Foll'r me, sonny, I got de money.'

"Johnny Squinch hoot up in de tree: 'Unch-oo, Doanchu go.'

"Brer Bull Frog holl'r: 'Go back, go back.'

"Ole lady Gully's hant come up in er big ball er light, an' she moan ter Bill:

"'Foll'r yer track, Ef yer wanter git back.'

"Bill say: 'Who is you?'