dar. Bettah stop yo' mouf wid yo' supper."

This Scoville was well contented to do for a time, while Aun' Jinkey
smoked and listened with all her ears. Faint sounds came from the
house and the negro quarters, but all was still about the cabin.
Suddenly she took her pipe from her mouth and muttered, "Dar goes a
squinch-owl tootin'. Dat doan mean no good."

"Aunt Jinkey," said Scoville, who was watching her, "that screech-
owl worries you, doesn't it?"

"Dere's mo' kin's ob squinch-owls dan you 'lows on, mars'r. Some
toots fer de sake ob tootin' en some toots in warnin'."

"That one tooted in warning. Don't be surprised if you hear another
very near." He crawled to the cranny under the eaves and Aun' Jinkey
fairly jumped out of her chair as she heard an owl apparently
hooting on the roof with a vigor and truth to nature that utterly
deceived her senses. Scoville repeated the signal, and then crept
back to the chink in the floor. The old woman was trembling and
looking round in dismayed uncertainty. "There," he said, with a low
laugh, "that squinch-owl was I, and the first you heard was one of
my men. Now, like a good soul, make pones and fry bacon for five
men, and you'll have friends who will take good care of you and
Chunk."

"De Lawd he'p me! w'at comin' nex'? Miss Lou wuz a wishin' sump'n ud
hap'n--w'at ain' gwinter hap'n?"

"Nothing will happen to harm you if you do as I say. Our men may