“Yere, tek de plate, Zany, wid my tanks,” said Chunk, rising.  “Sech cream ez you gits orful sour ef de cat doan fin’ it sud’n.  I’se took my ’zert now,” and he caught her up again and kissed her on the way back to the veranda.

This time his performances were seen by Aun’ Suke, who stood in the kitchen door.  She snatched up a pail of water, exclaiming, “I cool you uns off, I sut’ny will.  Sech goin’s on!” But they were too quick for her.  Zany pretended to be as irate as she was secretly pleased, while Chunk caused the old woman to boil over with rage by declaring, “Aun’ Suke, I sen’ a soger yere ter hab you ’rested for ’zorderly conduct.”

“Ef you eber comes ter dis kitchen agin I’se emty de pot ob bilin’ water on you,” cried Aun’ Suke, retreating to her domain.

“Ef you does, you get yosef ober haid en years in hot water,” Chunk answered with exasperating sang froid.  “You niggahs gwine ter fin’ out who’s who on dis plantashun ‘fo’ yo’ nex’ birthday.”

Zany’s only response was a grimace, and he next carried his exaggerated sense of importance to his granny’s cabin.  He had seen Aun’ Jinkey and spoken a few reassuring words as he passed with Scoville’s attacking force.  Since that time she had done a power of “projeckin’” over her corncob pipe, but events were now hurrying toward conclusions beyond her ken.  It has already been observed that Aun’ Jinkey was a neutral power.  As yet, the weight of her decision had been cast neither for the North nor the South, while the question of freedom remained to be smoked over indefinitely.  There was no indecision in her mind, however, in regard to her young mistress, and greater even than her fears when she heard the sounds of conflict was her solicitude over the possibility of a forced marriage.  Since she was under the impression that her cabin might soon become again the refuge of one or the other of the contending powers, possibly of Miss Lou herself, she left the door ajar and was on the alert.

“Hi dar! granny,” cried Chunk, the first to appear, “dat’s right.  Now you kin smoke in peace, fer you own yosef.  Nobody come bossin’ you yere any mo’.”

“Doan you git so bumptious all ter oncet,” said Aun’ Jinkey.  “Does you ’spect de hull top’s gwine ter be tu’ned right ober down’erds in er day?  But dar! you ain’ no ‘sper’ience.  Yo’ stomack emty en you’ haid light.  Draw up now en tell me de news.  Tell me sud’n ’bout Miss Lou.  Did dey git her mar’d?”

“Yah! yah!  Marse Scoville’s so’d ud cut de knot ef dey had.”

“Dat’s des ez much ez you knows.  All de so’ds ober flash kyant cut dat ar knot ’less dey kill Marse Whately.”

“Dat ’min’s me ob someting ter’ble quar.  Marse Scoville had he so’d pintin’ right agin Mad Whately’s neck en yit he ain’ jab ’im.  Dat same Mad Whately gwine ter mek a heap ob trouble fer he got clean off.”

“Marse Scoville know dat ef he kill a man right straight wid he own han’ he spook come and mek a heap mo’ trouble.”