Then clasping hands all--"_Right and left_!" All swiftly weave the measure deft Across the woof in loving weft, And the Money Musk is done! Oh, dancers of the rustling husk, Good night, sweet hearts, 'tis growing dusk, Good night for aye to Money Musk, For the heavy march begun! THE ONE-LEGGED GOOSE[75] F. HOPKINSON SMITH The Colonel had been detained at his office, but had sent word that I was to wait for him. Chad was serving the coffee. "My Marsa John," he remarked, filling the cup with the smoking beverage, "never drank nuffin' but tea, eben at de big dinners when all de gemmen had coffee in de little cups--dat's one ob 'em you's drinkin' out ob now; dey ain't mo' 'an fo' on 'em left. Old marsa would have his pot of tea. Henny useter make it for him; makes it now for Miss Nancy. "Henny was a young gal den, long 'fo' we was married. Henny b'longed to Colonel Lloyd Barbour, on de next plantation to ourn. "Mo' coffee, Major?" I handed Chad the empty cup. He refilled it, and went straight on without drawing breath. "Wust scrape I eber got into wid old Marsa John was ober Henny. I tell ye she was a harricane in dem days. She come into de kitchen one time where I was helpin' git de dinner ready an' de cook had gone to de spring-house, an' she says: "'Chad, what ye cookin' dat smells so nice?' "'Dat's a goose,' I says, 'cookin' for Marsa John's dinner. We got quality,' says I, pintin' to de dinin'-room do'. "'Quality!' she says. 'Spec' I know what de quality is. Dat's for you and de cook.' "Wid dat she grabs a caarvin' knife from de table, opens de do' ob de big oven, cuts off a leg ob de goose, an' dis'pears round de kitchen corner wid de leg in her mouf. "'Fo' I knowed whar I was Marsa John come to de kitchen do' an' says, 'Gittin' late, Chad; bring in de dinner.' You see, Major, dey ain't no up an' down-stairs in de big house, like it is yer; kitchen an' dinin'-room all on de same flo'. "Well, sah, I was scared to def, but I tuk dat goose an' laid him wid de cut side down on de bottom of de pan 'fo' de cook got back, put some dressin' an' stuffin' ober him, an' shet de stove do'. Den I tuk de sweet potatoes an' de hominy an' put 'em on de table, an' den I went back in de kitchen to git de baked ham. I put on de ham an' some mo' dishes, an' marsa says, lookin' up: "'I t'ought dere was a roast goose, Chad?' "'I ain't yerd nothin' 'bout no goose,' I says. 'I'll ask de cook.' "Next minute I hyerd old marsa a-hollerin: "'Mammy Jane, ain't we got a goose?' "'Lord-a-massy! yes, marsa. Chad, you wu'thless nigger, ain't you tuk dat goose out yit?' "'Is we got a goose?' said I. "'Is we got a goose? Didn't you help pick it?' "I see whar my hair was short, an' I snatched up a hot dish from de hearth, opened de oven do', an' slide de goose in jes as he was, an' lay him down befo' Marsa John.