r waiting for me down by the tracks?"

"I did, seh. Thah she a-set'n' on a pile o' ceda'-tree poles, lookin'
like the las' o' pea-time--p-he-he-he!

"Majo' Gyarnit? O yass, seh, he thah, too. Thass how come I lingud thah,
seh, yass, seh, in espiration o' Johanna. Mr. Mahch, I loves that
creatu' yit, seh!--I means Johanna."

"Oh!--not Major Garnet," laughed John, gathering the reins.

Cornelius sputtered with delight, and kept between the wheels. "Mr.
Mahch,"--he straightened, solemnly, and held himself sober--"I was jess
about to tell you what I jess evise Majo' Gyarnit espressin' to yo'
maw--jess accidental as I was earwhilin' aroun' Johanna, you know."

"What was it? What did he say?"

"O, it wan't much, what he say. He say, 'Sis' Mahch, you e'zac'ly right.
Don't you on no accounts paht with so much's a' acre o' them lan's
lessn----"

"Lord!--the lands--take care for the wheel."

But Mr. Leggett leaned heavily on the buggy. "Mr. Mahch, I evince an'
repose you in confidence to wit: that long as you do like Gyarnit
say----"

John gave a stare of menace. "Major Garnet, if you please."

"Yass, seh, o' co'se; Majo' Gyarnit. I say, long as you do like he say,
Widewood stay jess like it is, an' which it suit him like grapes suit a
coon!" The informant's booziness had returned. One foot kept slipping
from a spoke of the fore-wheel. With pretence of perplexity he examined
the wheel. "Mr. Mahch, this wheel sick; she mighty sick; got to see
blacksmiff befo' she can eveh see Widewood."

John looked. The word was true. He swore. The mulatto snickered, sagged
against it and cocked his face importantly.

"Mr. Mahch, if you an' me was on'y in cahoots! En we _kin_ be, seh, we
kin--why, hafe o' yo' lan's 'u'd be public lan's in no time, an' the
res' 'u'd belong to a stawk comp'ny, an' me'n' you 'u'd be a-cuttin' off
kewponds an' a-drivin' fas' hawses an' a-drinkin' champagne suppuz, an'
champagne faw ow real frien's an' real pain faw ow sham frien's, an'
plenty o' both kine--thah goes Majo' Gyarnit's kerrige to him." It
passed.

"But, why, Cornelius, should it suit Major Garnet for my lands to lie
idle?"

"Mr. Mahch, has you neveh inspec' the absence o' green in my eye? It
suit him faw a reason known on'y to yo's truly, yit which the said yo's
truly would accede to transfawm to you, seh; yass, seh; in
considerations o' us goin' in cahoots, aw else a call loan, an' yit mo'
stric'ly a call-ag'in loan, a sawt o' continia