ochee spotted dog what wildcat kill.' She know then me
tell no lie, and unlock door and come out, and take my hand. 'You big
man now, Tachachobee,' she say. 'Me got big man job, Echochee,' me say,
and tell her how me take 'em 'way."

I was charmed with the way Echochee had put Smilax through the third
degree, so to speak, because it proved that Sylvia had a shrewd
protector; one who would at least not be outmatched except by
force--and, judging from the tray episode, even force would have to be
considerable.

"She go in," Smilax continued, "and tell Lady, then Lady come out and
say: 'Good. We be ready. How we know when you come?' And me tell her
this, Mister Jack, so you listen for you have to do um. Me say: 'You
hear men call what time?' She say she do. Me say: 'You hear 'em call
all's well?' She say she do, and me say: 'When you hear one call
all's-er-well, unlock door for me come quick.'"

"You want me to call all's-er-well, instead of all's-well? Is that the
idea?"

"Good. We slip up on guard; you take man at One, me man at Two; we kill
'em quick and make no noise. Man at Three far off; him no count. Me wait
then till time for next call. If me hear all's-er-well, me know you no
dead, and go in water. Then you come quick and quiet to place where Two
is dead and make call for him. Then Three will answer; we no care 'bout
Three. If me take long, and come time for 'nother call, you do um same
as first. Soon we be over."

"You won't have a punt," I suggested.

"No need um; water so," he drew his hand across his waist. "Tote Lady,
then Echochee."

"She doesn't know I'm to be there?"

"No; plenty time."

That night I slept heavily, as a man who has regained the bloom of
health, and awoke with the rosy dawn. A few fiery bars shot across the
sky, which the trees, brush and grass reflected. Red, everywhere red;
and I thought how much more red the night would be after Smilax and I
had silenced Posts One and Two. I raised my head and looked for him. The
fire was burning, our breakfast was cooking. He had doubtless gone to
the spring for water, so I rolled out of my lean-to and started to the
pool; but stopped, listening.

Somewhere ahead of me I heard his voice, deep and musical, droning a
weird kind of chant that seemed to be utterly everlasting. It was not
loud, but rather like a deep organ note that carries a long distance. In
a while he came nearer, walking unconcernedly with his face to the sky.
Over and over