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The attention of Nimbus was first directed to it by a neighbor-woman who, stopping in front of the gate, called out to him in great excitement, as he sat with Berry Lawson on his porch waiting for his breakfast: "Oh, Bre'er Nimbus, what in de libbin' yairth is dis h'yer on your gate? La sakes, but de Kluckers is after you now, shore 'nough!"
Of course, there were some who envied him his good-fortune, but such was his good-nature and readiness to render all the assistance in his power that this dangerous leaven did not spread. "Bre'er Nimbus" was still the heart and life of the community which had its center at Red Wing.
"Shan't do it," said the bright-eyed woman saucily. "Kase why?" queried her husband. "Kase Bre'er 'Liab don't come oftener. Dat's why." "Dar, now, jes see what yer done git fer being so contrary-like, will yer?" said the master to his guest.
"Is that you, Nimbus?" asked the stricken man in surprise. "How do you come to be here?" "Jes tuk it inter my head ter come home atter de funeril, an' done got here jest in time ter take a han' in what was gwine on." "Is the church all burned down, Nimbus?" "De ruf hez all fell in. De sides 'll burn a long while yet. Dey'se logs, yer know." "Did 'Gena get away, Nimbus?" "Here I is, Bre'er 'Liab."
"Yer's growed away from me, Bre'er 'Liab," he said at length, when they had held each other's hands and looked into each other's faces for a long time. "Yer wouldn't know how ter take a holt o' Nimbus ter hev him tote yer roun', now. Yer's growed away from him clean away," he added sadly. "You, too, have changed, Brother Nimbus," said Eliab soothingly.
Dat mus' be de church, Berry. Den I members 'bout de Ku Kluckers, an' I sez ter myself agin, sez I, 'Berry, dem rascals hez come ter Red Wing an' is raisin' de debble dar now, jes dere own way. Den I runs de mule and de carryall inter de woods, 'bout a mile down de road, an' I takes out Bre'er 'Liab's gun, dat I'd borrered fer company, yer know, an' hed got some cattridges fer, ober at Lewyburg, an' I comes on ter take a han' in ef dar wa'n't no danger, yer know, honey.
I don't know whar, but it's somewhar not fur from 'Liab dat yer may be shore on, honey. Now, yer see, Miss Mollie, dar's two or tree tings makes me tink so. In de fus' place, yer know, I see dat feller, Berry, atter all dis ting wuz ober, an' talked wid him an' told him dat Nimbus lef all right, an' dat he tuk 'Liab wid him, an' dat Bre'er 'Liab wuz mighty bad hurt.
I hain't got no ill-will gin Marse Desmit, not a mite only 'bout dat ar lickin, an' dat ain't nuffin now; but I ain't gwine ter war his name ner giv it ter my chillen ter mind 'em dat der daddy wuz jes anudder man's critter one time. I tell you I can't do hit, nohow; an' I won't, Bre'er 'Liab.
As he spoke Nimbus took an envelope from the inside pocket of his soldier jacket and laid it on the bench where the other sat. 'Liab looked up in surprise, but in obedience to a gesture from Nimbus opened it and counted the contents. "Mos' five hundred dollars!" he said at length, in amazement. "Dis yours too, Bre'er Nimbus?" "Co'se it is. Didn't I tell yer dar wuz a good time comin'?"
"Jes so, Bre'er Hill, but yer see I was dat ar flustered by my ole woman takin' on so 'bout dat ar sneakin' cuss ob a Marse Sykes a turnin' on us off, dat I hardly knowed which from todder, an' when Cousin Nimbus 'greed ter take me up jes de minnit he dropped me down, hit kinder tuk me off my whoopendickilar, yer know."
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