Den dey done routed me up fer ter hustle up
sum grub."
"Sikes; who is Sikes?"
"He lives down by de lower pike, Sah; he's an abolitionist, sah."
"Oh, I see; he and Shrunk worked together. He helped with the runaway
slaves."
"Yas, sah. Ah's bin called up thet way afore. So Ah just nat'larly
went ter work cookin', an' purty soon dey all ov 'em cum stragglin' in
ter de cabin fer ter eat. Dar was four ov 'em, sah," her voice a husky
whisper. "Bill Sikes, totin' a gun in his han', a free nigger whut dey
called Pete, an' two wimin. Furst like, bein' Ah wus right busy, Ah
didn't take no heed ov dere faces, fer dey wus all muffled 'round like;
but dey hed fer ter unwrap dem veils fore dey cud eat--tho' de Lord
knows dey didn't no one ov 'em eat much. De bigger one was a quadroon,
maybe 'bout forty years ol', an' de odder she wan't much more'n a gal;
an' dar wan't nuthin' ov de nigger 'bout her, 'cept it mought be de
hair, an' de eyes--dem was sure black 'nough. Ah just nat'larly felt
mighty sorry fer her, fer she done cried all de time, an' cudn't eat
nuthin'."
"You learned who they were? how they came there?"
"Course Ah did. Sikes he 'splained all 'bout 'em ter Massa Shrunk, an'
Ah heerd whut he sed. Ah wus a waitin' on 'em. Seems like, dey hed
run off frum de Beaucaire plantation, sumwhar down ribber on de
Missouri side, 'cause ol' Beaucaire hed died, an' dey wus goin' fer ter
be sold down soufe. De free nigger he wus helpin' fer ter git 'em away
in his boat.
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