"Well, yer see, sah, de major git home kinder sudden like en' I wuz jest er little oneasy 'bout dis here new suit er close er mine----"

"Well, that's not the first suit of his clothes you've swiped--you needn't be scared."

"Scared--who me? Man, I ain't er skeered er yo' Pa."

Minerva banged the dining-room door and Andy jumped and started to run. Tom laughed and seized his arm:

"Oh, don't be a fool! There's no danger."

"Nasah--I knows dey's no danger--but"--he glanced over his shoulder to be sure that the master hadn't come down stairs--"but yer know de ole sayin'

is dat indiscretion is de better part er value----"

"I see!" Tom smiled in perfect agreement.

"An' I des has er little indiscretion----"

"Oh, you make me tired, how can I help a coward?"

Andy looked grieved:

"Lordy, Mister Tom--don't say dat, sah. I ain't no coward--I'se des cautious. Ye know I wuz in dat fus' battle er Bull's Run wid de major. I git separated from him in a close place an' hatter move my headquarters.

Dey said I wuz er coward den 'cause I run. But twan't so, sah! Twan't cause I wuz er coward. I knowed zactly what I wuz doin'. I run 'cause I didn't hab no wings! I done de very bes' I could wid what I had. An' fuddermo', sah, de fellers dat wuz whar I wuz en' didn't run--dey's all dar yit at Bull's Run! Nasah, I ain't no coward. I des got de indiscretion----"

Another door slammed and Andy dodged.

"What's the matter with you anyhow, you old fool, are you having fits?" Tom cried.

Andy looked around the room cautiously and took hold of the boy's coat:

"You listen to me, Mister Tom. I'se gwine tell yer somfin' now----"

"Well?"

"I ain't er skeered er de major--but he's dangous----"

"Bosh!"

"Dey's sumfin' de matter wid him!"

"Had a few mint juleps with a friend, no doubt."

"Mint juleps! Huh! He kin swim in 'em--dive in 'em an' stay down er whole day an' never come up ter blow his bref--licker don't faze him!"

"It's politics. He's leading this devilish campaign and he's worried over politics."

"Nasah!" Andy protested with a laugh. "Dem fool n.i.g.g.e.rs des well give up--dey ain't gwine ter vote no mo'. De odder feller's doin' all de worryin'. He ain't worrin'----"

"Yes, he is, too," the boy replied. "He put a revolver in his pocket when he started on that trip."

"Ya.s.sah!" Andy laughed. "I know, but yer don't understan'. Dat pistol's his flatform!"

"His platform?"

"You ain' hear what he bin er doin' wid dat pistol?"

"No--what?"

"Man erlive, yer des oughter see 'im yistiddy when I take 'im dem papers ter dat speakin', down in one er dem po' white counties full er Radicals dat vote wid n.i.g.g.e.rs. Er Kermittee comes up an' say dat de Internal Constertooshion er de Nunited States give 'em free speech an' he gwine ter hear from 'em. De Lordy, man, but his bristles riz! I 'lows ter myself, folks yer sho is thumpin' de wrong watermillion dis time!"

"And what did he say to the Committee?"

"I nebber hear nary word. He des turn 'roun an' step up on dat flatform, kinder peart like, an' yer oughter see 'im open dat meetin'"--Andy paused and broke into a loud laugh.

"How did he open it?" Tom asked with indulgent interest.

Andy scratched his woolly head:

"Well, sah, hit warn't opened wid prayer--I kin tell ye dat! De fust thing he done, he reach back in his britches, kinder kereless lak, an' pull dat big pistol an' lay hit down afore him on' de table beside his pitcher er lemonade. Man, you oughter see de eyes er dat crowd er dirty-lookin' po'

whites! Dey fairly popped outen der heads! I hump myself an' move out towards de outskirts----"

Tom smiled:

"I bet you did!"

"Oh, I didn't run!" Andy protested.

"Of course not--far be it from you!"

"Nasah, I des tucken drawed out----"

"I understand, just a little caution, so to speak!"

"Ya.s.sah--dat's. .h.i.t! Des tucken drawed out, whar I'd have elbow room in de mergency----"

"In other words," the boy interrupted, "just used a little indiscretion!"

Andy chuckled:

"Ya.s.sah! Dat's. .h.i.t! Well, sah, he pat dat pistol kinder familious like an'

say: 'Ef dey's any er you lowlife po' white scoundrels here ter-day that don't want ter hear my speech--git! But ef yer stay an' yer don't feel comfortable, I got six little lead pills here in a box dat'll ease yer pain. Walk right up to de prescription counter!'"

"And they walked right up?"

"Well, sah, dey didn't _crowd up!_--nasah!" Andy paused and laughed immoderately. "An' wid dat he des folded his arms an' look at dat crowd er minute an' his eyes began to spit fire. When I see dat, I feels my very shoes commin' ontied. I sez ter myself, now folks he's gwine ter magnify----"

Tom laughed:

"Magnified, did he?"