Fult shook his head emphatically. "Not that kind," he said. "Them women
are the ladyest women you ever seed, and the friendliest. And hit's a
pure sight, all the pretties they got, and all the things that goes on.
I never in life enjoyed the like."
Aunt Ailsie followed him around to the sweet-apple tree, and helped him
fill his saddlebags.
"Keep a-telling about 'em," she begged. "Seems like I hain't heared or
seed nothing for so long I'm nigh starved to death."
"Well, they come up from the level country--the Blue Grass. You
ricollect me telling you how I passed through hit on my way to
Frankfort--as smooth, pretty country as ever was made; though, being
level, hit looked lonesome to me. And from what they have said, I allow
Uncle Ephraim Kent fotched 'em up here, some way or 'nother, I don't
rightly know how. And they put up at our house till me 'n' the boys
could lay floors and set up their tents."
The saddlebags were full now, and they turned back.
"Stay and set with me a while," she begged him.
"Couldn't noways think of hit," he said; "might miss my sewing-lesson."
"Sewing-lesson!" she exclaimed.
"Hadn't you heared about me becoming a man of peace, setting down
sewing handkerchers and sech every morning?" he laughed.
"Now I know you are lying to me," she said, in an injured tone.
"Nary grain," he protested. "Come get up behind and go in along and see
if I hain't speaking the pure truth!"
"I would, too, if there was anybody to stay with the place and the
property," she replied, "'Pears like your grandpaw will set on that
grand jury tell doomsday! How many indictments have they drawed up
again' you this time, Fulty?" she asked, anxiously.
Fult threw back his handsome dark head, and laughed again as he sprang
into the saddle. "Not more 'n 'leven or twelve!" he said. "They're
about wound up, now, I allow, and grandpaw will likely be in by
sundown. You ride in to-morrow to see them women!"
It was past sundown, however, when Uncle Lot rode up, grave and silent
as usual. Aunt Ailsie hardly waited for him to hang his saddle on the
porch-peg before inquiring,--
"What about them quare women on the p'int?"
Uncle Lot frowned. "What should I know about quare women?" he demanded.
"Hain't I a God-fearing man and a Old Primitive?"
"But setting on the grand jury all week, right there under the p'int,
you must have seed 'em, 'pears like?"
"I did _see_ 'em," he admitted, disapprovingly. "Uncle Ephraim Kent, he
come in whilst we was a-starting up court a-Monday morning, and says,
'Citizens, the best thing that ever come up Troublesome is a-coming in
now!' And the jedge he journeyed court, and all hands went out to see.
And here was four wagons, one with a passel of women, three loaded with
all manner of plunder."
"What did they look like?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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