The Littlest Rebel | Page 6

everywhere but at the helpless rooster.
"What's what?" he asked. "Aw, dat? Why--why, dat ain' nothin' 'tall, Miss Hallie. Dat's--dat's des a rooster. Yas'm."
Mrs. Cary came down from the steps and looked carefully at the unfamiliar bird. No fear that she would not recognize it if it were hers. "Whose is he?" she asked.
"You--you mean who he b'longs to?" queried Uncle Billy, fencing for time in which to prepare a quasi-truthful reply. "He--he don' b'long to nobody. He's his own rooster."
"William!" commanded Mrs. Cary, severely. "Look at me. Where did you get him?"
Here was a situation which Uncle Billy knew must be handled promptly, and he picked up the rooster and made an attempt to escape. "Down on de low grouns--dis mornin'. Dat's right," he said, as he saw dawning unbelief in his mistress' face. "Now you have to skuse me, Miss Hallie. I got my wuck to do."
"One moment, William," interposed Mrs. Cary, completely unconvinced. "You are sure he was on the low grounds?"
"Cose I is!" asseverated Uncle Billy, meanwhile backing farther away.
"What was he doing there?"
Uncle Billy stammered.
"He--he--he, he was trespassin', dat's what he was doin'--des natcherly trespassin'."
At this marvel of testimony, Mrs. Cary's lips relaxed in a smile and she warned him with an upraised finger.
"Be careful, Uncle Billy! Be careful."
"Yas, _mar'm_" chuckled the old man. "I had to be. I never would a-got him! Oh, I's tellin' de trufe, Miss Hallie. Dis' here ol' sinner tooken flewed off a boat what was comin' up de river. Yas'm. And he sure was old enough to know better."
"And you saw him fly off the boat?"
"Oh, yas'm. I seed him. I seed him," and Uncle Billy floundered for a moment, caught in his own trap. "Dat is, not wid my own eyes. But I see him settin' in de woods, lookin' dat lonesome and losted like, I felt real sorry for him. Yas'm," and to prove his deep sympathy for the unfortunate bird he stroked its breast lovingly.
Mrs. Cary turned away to hide her laughter. "How did you catch him?"
"How?" repeated Uncle Billy, while his ancient mind worked with unusual rapidity. "I got down on all fo's in the thick weeds, an' cluk like a hen. An' den ol' Mr. Rooster, he came 'long over to see ef I done laid an aig--an' I des reach right out an' take him home to de Lawd."
"Oh, Uncle Billy," his mistress laughed. "I'm afraid you're incorrigible. It's a dreadful thing to doubt one's very dinner. Isn't it?"
"Yas'm. An' I was des 'bout to say ef you an' Miss Virgie kin worry down de white meat, maybe den dis here bird 'll kinder git eben wid me when I tackle his drum sticks. Yas'm," and with a final chuckle of joy over his success the old man hobbled quickly away in the direction of the kitchen.
Mrs. Cary, still smiling, went back to play Mrs. Fatima to a dusky moss-covered Blue Beard.
"Oh goody, goody, here is Mrs. Fatima again!" and Virgie's dancing feet seemed hardly to touch the ground. "We've just finished building the castle. Look!" She pointed proudly to a square of twigs and leaves around the garden seat. "Come on, Sally Ann. We can play it now and use Mamma's keys."
"Wait dar! Whar'd I put my s'wode?" And Sally Ann snatched up her dangerous weapon and thrust it into a rope around her waist. "Now I'se ready fo' killin' folks."
"But we have to begin where Blue Beard goes away on a journey," Virgie cried. "Susan Jemima, you sit there on the bench and clap your hands. Get up, Mamma. Go ahead, Sally Ann!"
"'Ooman," said Sally Ann, strutting up to her mistress and frowning terribly. "I'se gwine away fer a night an' a day. Dese yere is de keys to de castle."
"Yes, sir," was the meek response.
Sally Ann Blue Beard pointed to an imaginary door halfway between them and where Virgie sat on the steps, wriggling with delight. "You kin look in ev'ry room in de house--castle, I means--'cept in des dat one. Orn'estan me? _Des dat one!_ But ef yo' looks in _dar_,--Gawd he'p you. I gwine cut yo' haid off," and the fearful sword whizzed threateningly through the air. "Fyarwell--fyarwell."
"Farewell, my lord," said Mrs. Cary, and then in a whisper, as Blue Beard stalked away to hide behind a tree. "What do we do now? _Quick_!"
"Now I come in," cried Virgie. "I'm 'Sister Anne' that looks for the horseman in the cloud of dust." And jumping up, the child managed to change the tones of her voice in a surprising manner.
"Good morning, fair sister. Blue Beard has gone away, and now we can look in his secret room."
"No, Sister Anne, No! I dare not," and Mrs. Fatima shrank back full of fear from the imaginary door. "Urge me no more. I