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Sam Wiles then spoke: "Next to these officer dorgs who hunt us on the hills and mountains, I hate them shoutin' hypercrits who air holdin' that camp meetin' near Poplar Crick. They're tryin' to make the whul county pious, and you fellers know how their head men have jined with others around here to appint a vigilance committee to drive all such as we'uns air out'n the State.
De time befo' Velox passed me; but now I'm ridin' him, an' I'd like to see de debil hisself overtake me." "We'uns air safe," said Wiles, "but we'uns must hold back our hosses sum, for we uns hev a good jaunt to take, an' it won't do to tire 'em out at fust." Both acted at once on this sensible advice, and they brought the ready animals down to a moderate trot.
"It would be snitchin'." "Not to me, Sam. You know I belong to you all." "But you've got new notions." "Yes," admitted Michael, "I can't help that, but I don't go back on you, do I?" "No, you don't go back on we'uns, that's so. But you don't like we's doin's." "Never mind. Tell me, Sam. I think I must know." "He kep a gamein' den " "Oh, Sam!"
Bushrod and two others were for killing the two boys then and there and ending the matter. "They orter be killed, Ike, right here," said Bushrod to the leader. "They deserve it, and we'uns hain't got no time to fool. We'uns can't take they'uns back with we'uns, ef we wanted to, and I for one don't want to. I'd ez soon have a rattlesnake around me." But Ike, the leader, was farther-seeing.
"The rebels come around here dressed all sorts o' ways, and sometimes they pretend to be Union, jest to lay a snare for we'uns. They'uns all know I'm Union, but I'm too old t' do 'em harm. Hit's my neighbors they'uns is arter. But, thank God, they'uns 's never kotched any o' them through me."
The dispute invariably began by their asking: "Well, what are you 'uns down here a-fightin' we 'uns for?" As this was replied to the newt one followed: "Why are you'uns takin' our niggers away from we 'uns for?" Then came: "What do you 'uns put our niggers to fightin' we'uns for?" The windup always was: "Well, let me tell you, sir, you can never whip people that are fighting for liberty, sir."
You expected me to come back some day, didn't you, Sam?" Michael was surprised to find how eager he was for the answer to this question. "Aw, what ye givin' us?" responded the suspicious Sam. "D'yous s'pose I b'lieve all that gag about yer comin' here to he'p we'uns? Wot would a guy like yous wid all dem togs an' all dem fine looks want wid us? Yous has got above us.
She hain't done nothin' wrong, I'll sw'ar it, t' yo'uns. We'uns 's for the Union, but that hain't no reason why we'uns should be molested. We'uns 's peaceable, law-abidin' folks, an' ain't never done nothin' agin the Southern Confederacy. All our neighbors knows that. Ax any o' they'uns. If yo'uns must punish someone, take me. I'm the one that's responsible for their Unionism.
We'uns air Babtists ourselves, but, thank the Lord, not o' your kind. Babtists air honest people. Babtists don't go about the country robbin' and murderin' and stealin' folks' corn. Don't tell me you air a Babtist, for I know you air a-lyin', and that's the next thing to killin' and stealin'."
Well, 'tain't de fust time we'uns hev borrowed a hoss an' fergot to return 'im, but we'uns never struck so high up as de Jedge's stock. What hosses air you thinkin' on?" Wiles: "What ones do you suppose? De best ones, o' course. We'uns must take Velox for de money he will bring in Paducky, an' I want to bring down de pride o' dat young upstart, George LeMonde.
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