mo' count'nence den er stewed punkin. I neber seed sich er
lick in my life."

"Oh, I'm glad," she cried, clapping her hands.

"Yas'm, an' I wallered dar like er hot hog in wet leaves, tickled mighty
nigh ter death; an' den I run off caze da mout want me ter go ez er
witness--an' mo'n dat, da might want ter sen' me ter de pennytenchy caze
I grind de co'n."

The last word alarmed her. "Do you think they will send him there? Do
you?"

"Oh, no'm, I doan think dat. He'll git out all right caze he's er white
man while I's er nigger, an' nuthin' tickel de white folks mo' den ter
send er nigger ter de pen."

"Well, I want you to go over an' tell Old Miz Barker to come an' stay
with me; an' you better put Laz or Mose on a hoss an' let him go as near
as he kin an' lissun for news."

"Oh, dem two boys gwine git all de news da wants, ma'm. Er man dat wuz
over ter de Peter's house say da gwine take 'em erlong as witnesses, an'
dat's whut skeered me. I's mighty glad ter see you ain't takin' on no
wus den you is. I wuz erfeared dat you gwine ter holler like er
devil-skeered lady at er camp-meetin'."

"Kintchin, I have put my faith in the Lord."

"Yas'm, dat's whut I done--'bout ha'f my faif in de Lord an' tuther ha'f
in my laigs. An' now I gwine pitch in ter work like puttin' out wild
fire. Yas'm, I is. Dat's de way I gwine 'spress my sympathy."

CHAPTER XXI.

INTO THE WORLD BEYOND THE HILLS.

"You are a wise man," said the commanding officer as the wagon toiled
along. "You don't begin to plead your innocence."

"Maybe I haven't any. What is your name?"

"Foster."

"It may come my way to do you a favor, Mr. Foster. You have been kind to
me. But why do we turn up here?"

"To pick up one Laz Spencer, witness."

"One Laz Spencer," mused the old man. "It would be a tug of nature to
have two. But I'm sorry you are goin' to take him. Let him go and I'll
agree to deliver the testimony expected of him."

"No, that can't be. We have our orders."

Out by the fence and with laborious stroke Laz was cutting wood. Leaving
off his work as the wagon drew near he gazed with hand-shaded eye, and
recognizing Jasper, threw down his axe and began to scramble over the
fence, but one of the men fired a shot to scare him and he dropped
back, took off his hat, scratched his head and remarked: "Sorter 'pears
like you got me. Helloa, Jasper. Didn't know folks war a comin' around a
takin' you a ridin'."

"Get up into the wagon,