"_Monjee_, Mr. Tom, we’ll got for stop de job!"
"If you’ll not b’lieve what I told, den you go’n’ see for you’se’f."
"Confound you! can’t you say what it is?"
"Eet’s de—it ain’t safe for told its name out loud, for dass de way it come—if it’s call by its name!"
"I’ll know its track jus’ as quick’s I see it."
"Do you mean you have seen a Windego track?"
"_Monjee_, seh, _don’t_ say its name! Let us go back," said Jawnny. "Baptiste was at Madores’ shanty with us when it took Hermidas Dubois."
"Yesseh. That’s de way I’ll come for know de track soon’s I see it," said Baptiste. "Before den I mos’ don’ b’lieve dere was any of it. But ain’t it take Hermidas Dubois only last New Year’s?"
"That was all nonsense about Dubois. I’ll bet it was a joke to scare you all."
"Who’s kill a man for a joke?" said Baptiste.
"Did you see Hermidas Dubois killed? Did you see him dead? No! I heard all about it. All you know is that he went away on New Year’s morning, when the rest of the men were too scared to leave the shanty, because some one said there was a Windego track outside."
"I’ll bet he went away home. You’ll find him at Saint Agathe in the spring. You can’t be such fools as to believe in Windegos."
"Don’t you say dat name some more!" yelled Big Baptiste, now fierce with fright. "Hain’t I just seen de track? I’m go’n’ back, me, if I don’t get a copper of pay for de whole winter!"
"Wait a little now, Baptiste," said Tom, alarmed lest his party should desert him and the job. "I’ll soon find out what’s at the bottom of the track."
"Dere is blood at de bottom—I seen it!" said Baptiste.
"No! I go back, me," said Baptiste, and started up the slope with the others at his heels.
"Halt! Stop there! Halt, you fools! Don’t you understand that if there was any such monster it would as easily catch you in one place as another?"
"Boys, look here! I say, are you going to desert me like cowards?"
"Hain’t goin’ for desert you, Mr. Tom, no seh!" said Baptiste, halting. "Honly I’ll hain’ go for cross de track." They all faced round.
Tom was acquainted with a considerable number of Windego superstitions.
"There’s no danger unless it’s a fresh track," he said. "Perhaps it’s an old one."
"Well, wait till I go and see it. You’re all right, you know, if you don’t cross it. Isn’t that the idea?"