Mrs. Mayfield walked down the road, and Kintchin with an improvised tune took up the axe which Jasper had stuck into the log. But just as he was about to begin the work of grinding it, Mose Blake, shoving a wheelbarrow, came into the yard. "Whar's S--S--S--S--Star--" "Talkin' ter me?" "Ye--y--y--y--yes." "Den why don't you?" "I a--a--a--am." "You ain't said so." "Shut yo' b--b--b--black mouth." "Huh, I could do dat an' den talk better den you does." "I can b--b--b--beat you t--t--t--talkin'." "Yas, you kin beat any pusson I eber seed." "Don't y--y--y--you furgit you a--a--a--ain't nuthin' but a n--n--n--n--nigger." [Illustration: "GO ON ERWAY AN' LET ME TALK TER MYSE'F. YOU KAIN'T TALK."] "Huh, da kin tell dat by lookin' at me; but atter lookin' at you da kain't tell whut you is. Why, you ain't nuthin'. Go on erway an' let me talk ter myse'f. You kain't talk." "Talk better t--t--t--t--than you k--k--kin. I could p--p--preach." "Yes, ter deef folks. Say, you puts me in mind o' er chicken with de gapes." "You air a f--f--f--f--" "You needn't try ter tell me. I knows it." "That's a--a--a--about all you d--d--d--d--do know. Mother sent me atter the wash k--k--k--kittle." "She don't need it much den. Go on erway." "I'm goin' t--t--t--to git a g--g--gun an' come atter you." "If you kain't shoot it off no better'n you does yo' mouf you kain't hurt me much." From a corner of the fence Mose took up a wash-kettle and put it upon the wheelbarrow. "You'll b--b--b--be dead b--b--before night. Be easier t--t--to take what I come atter than to try t--t--to tell 'em w--w--what I want." As he turned his wheelbarrow about he saw Lije Peters standing in the gap. "L--l--l--look out, I'll r--r--run over you," and he lunged forward with his load, just missing Peters, who jumping to one side cried out: "Yes, you stuttering pig, if you can't wheel no strai'ter than you can talk." When Mose was gone Peters inquired of Kintchin: "Whar's Starbuck?" "He wuz out yander jest now an' he'll come ez soon as he know you yere. Whut I tell you?" he added as Jasper made his sudden appearance. "Here, nigger," said Peters, "go on away; I want to talk to Starbuck." Jasper told the negro to go and then he stood looking at Peters. "I didn't expect to see you here ag'in after what passed the other day. Didn't I tell you--" Peters held up his hand. "Ricolleck I ain't in yo' house. You told me not to darken yo' door ag'in, and I hain't. Don't overlook that fact. And I wouldn't be here, but my app'intment has come." "Wall." "An' I go on duty day atter to-morrer. Do you know what that means?" "I told you not long ago what it mout mean." "But it mout not turn out that way." "Shot fo' an' stobbed three," muttered the old man, his mind reverting to the story paper. "Starbuck, is that young feller Elliott any kin to Jedge Elliott in Nashville?" "That's for you to fin' out." "Wall, I didn't know, an' I come mighty nigh havin' trouble with him not long ago."