“HEP! HEP!—SOMEBODY COME HOPE ME!”

[Pg 61]“Yas, ma’m,—an yas, suh,” she bowed to each in turn, “he come back straight es he kin float hissef ter de swamp down yond’r on yo’ granpa’s rice plantation.” She waited for this to be entirely absorbed by her eager little listeners, then added: “I seen ’em m’sef winkin’, an’ blinkin’ all erbout dar,” suiting facial contortions to her words.

[Pg 61]

“One day Miss Gully’s bigges’ boy went down in de cell’r ter git some tat’rs fur dinn’r, an’ fus’ thing yer know he start ter yellin’ ‘Hep! hep!—Somebody come hope me!’

“Abe an’ de uth’r boys wint down dar, an’ seed de boy layin’ flat on de floo’ whar de hant thow’d him—”

“Mammy, lemme get in your lap,” begged Mary Van, while Willis jumped on one of[Pg 62] her knees. Mary Van followed suit, and before Phyllis could reply they had cuddled upon her, almost taking her breath.

[Pg 62]

“Sakes erlive! you all gittin’ ’way wid me wusser’n dem hants done de Gully boys.”

“Go on, Mammy,” they both urged.

“Well, Abe an’ de uth’r two boys fotch him up sta’rs an’ lay him on his ma’s baid. Dey lef’ him er minute ter go git some cam’fer, an’ when dey come back, dar sot er crow on de haid er de baid tellin’ de boy:

“‘Go foll’r de light, Don’ feer ter fight, An’ yer’ll git er bag er gole!’

“He git up, he do, an’ go out de do’, but hit’s s’ dark he tell de crow he can’t see how ter git erlong. Jes den Jacky-Lantern flash up an’ say:

[Pg 63] “‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’

[Pg 63]

“De boy run up ter de light, but hit go out jes es he git clost up ter hit. He say: ‘Hole on dar, whar yer takin’ me?’ Jacky-Lantern say

“‘Foll’r me, sonny, I got de money.’

“Johnny Squinch Owel fly b’fo’ him an’ say:

“‘Unch-oo, unch-oo, Doanchu go, doanchu go!’

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