[_She lifts the mannikin on the stick and looks at it._] Now, my Lightfoot, yore tu’n’s come. Dis is Lightfoot, Ole Marsteh. Let me slit ’im an’ bu’n ’im an’ was’e ’im an’ cut ’im an’ choke an’ weah ’im an’ teah ’im as Sam ’uz slit an’ choked an’ bu’nt an’ was’e an’ cut an’ woah an’ toah. [_She waves the mannikin to the four points of the compass._] Fo’ times fo’ times fo’ times fo’, Fly an’ call an’ open de do’. De chains is ready, de man is neah, an’ almos’ heah an’ de chahm shill hol’. Spile ’im as I spile ’im. [_She casts the mannikin and the sticks with ferocity into the fire on the tripod and then bends down staring intently into the fire. There is a moment’s silence and then she gives a cry, as she looks into the fire._] Sam! Is dat you in da? You instid er he? W’ut dis? Is we bin trick? ’Tain’t you—’tis you—Sam! Ah-h! [_With a cry she snatches the blazing mannikin from the brazier and folds it in her caught-up apron, staggering and beating the air as though battling with unseen forces. Suddenly a gust of wind blows open the door at the right and a breeze fills the room, blowing the smoke and fluttering the garments of the women. The drum and rattle cease and fall to the floor. Immediately GRANNY raises her face in awe, seeing a vision. She stretches out her arms toward it, speaking brokenly._] Sam! Yes, I sees yo’. I heahs yo’. Yes, my Babe-um.—Talk on.—Tell me.—W’at! [_She pauses, listening intently, with eyes fixed on the unseen._] Leave ’im go!—Oh, how kin I?—Gi’ me stren’th. [_She pauses again and bows her head. After a moment she again raises her face to the vision._] I knows.—I fuhgot. I’ll do hit.—I des wen’ backerds but I’m wif yo’ now.—Yas—Ez we fuhgives uthehs—yas—I knows—we’ll do hit.—We will be tuhgetheh.—Ez we fuhgives uthehs. [_A knocking is heard on the door back, at left of the fireplace. GRANNY turns her head and listens. After a pause the knocking begins again more imperatively. She turns, seizes the tripod brazier, casts it into the fireplace, and staggers toward the door, taking her stand beside it. The knocking pauses._] Go back, w’ite man. Roll back, w’ite wave er de fiery lek. Once you lit de fieh an’ bu’n me. Once you po’ de blood an’ pizen me, but dis time Sam an’ me we’s de stronges’ an’ we leaves you go, we leaves you live tuh mek yore peace wif Gawd. We’re puore bloods heah, royal black—all but one an’ we’ll do de bes’ we kin erbout ’im. He shill be name Sam. Go back, w’ite man, an’ sin no mo’. [_She pauses and listens. There is no further sound from without. GRANNY staggers over to the sisters and shakes them, saying in a faint voice_:] Wake up, Sapphie; come tuh, Puhl. [_As she does so she looks upward again and cries out_:] Sam, we done hit, an’ we stays tuhgetheh!