"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----"
"I ain't er skeered er de major--but he's dangous----"
"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 niggers 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."
"Yassah!" Andy laughed. "I know, but yer don't understan'. Dat pistol's his flatform!"
"You ain' hear what he bin er doin' wid dat pistol?"
"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 niggers. 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!"
"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.
"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----"
"I understand, just a little caution, so to speak!"
"Yassah--dat's hit! Des tucken drawed out, whar I'd have elbow room in de mergency----"
"In other words," the boy interrupted, "just used a little indiscretion!"