“Huh! Huh! There don’t seem to be but two of us here tonight!”
It was then that Uncle Mose looked around for the first time. As he did so he exclaimed:
“Yas; an’ f’um dis out dah won’t be but one!” And with that he jumped through the window, taking a part of the sash with him.
The judges had been waiting in the open air near the house, so as to watch the proceedings. They called to the fleeing Uncle Mose, as he passed them, and ordered him to stop. They said that they were all there and would protect him. But Uncle Mose, as he kept on running, hallooed back:
He ran at the top of his speed for more than a mile, for he was well nigh scared to death. By-and-by, from sheer exhaustion, he was compelled to stop for a little rest. He was wet with perspiration from head to foot, and his clothes were as limp as a wet dishrag. But the poor old man had no sooner seated himself on a stone by the roadside than up jumps the ghost and sits down beside him once more.
“Huh!” said the ghost. “You seem to have made pretty good time tonight.”
“Yas,” said Uncle Mose; “but what I hase done ain’t nothin’ to what I’se gwinter do!” And up he jumped and lit out once more.
He had not gone far on his second trip before an old rabbit ran out of the bushes and took out down the road ahead of him. Uncle Mose hallooed at the rabbit and said:
“Git out uv de way, rabbit, an’ let somebody run what kin run!”
On and on the poor old man, almost scared to death, ran and ran. Perhaps he would have been running until now but for a very unfortunate accident. About five miles from the Widow Smith’s house he came in contact with the limb of a weeping willow tree that hung across the road. The poor old fellow, already tired out, was knocked speechless and senseless. Toward the break of day the judges, who had followed him, found him lying on the ground doubled up near the tree. Dim consciousness was slowly returning when they picked him up. They rubbed him, and walked him around for a little while, and soon he was able to move himself.
“Tell Noah not to min’ ’bout dem watermillions. I stayed in dat house des ez long ez I could keep my conscience quiet. My ole mammy allus tole me dat hit wuz a sin an’ a shame to bet, an’ now I b’lieves hit!”