"
"Never mind, Rad. He asked questions about the plant, that's
all I want to know. But you didn't tell him much, did you?"
Eradicate looked reproachfully at his master.
"Yo' all done knows me bettah dan dat, Massa Tom," the old
colored man said. "Yo' all know yo' done gib orders fo' nobody t'
talk about yo' projections."
"Yes, I know I gave those orders," Tom said, with a smile, "but
I want to make sure that they have been followed."
"Well, I done follered 'em, Massa Tom."
"Then you didn't tell this queer stranger, Frenchman, or
whatever he is, much about my place?"
"I didn't tell him nuffin', sah. I done frowed dust in his
eyes."
Ned uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Eradicate is speaking figuratively," Tom said, with a laugh.
"Dat's what I means," the colored man went on. "I done fooled
him. When he asted me about de fire I said it didn't do no damage
at all--in fack dat we'd rather hab de fire dan not hab it,
'case it done gib us a chance t' practice our hose drill."
"That's good," laughed Tom. "What else?"
"Well, he done sort ob hinted t' me ef we all knowed how de
fire done start. I says as how we did, dat we done start it
ourse'ves fo' practice, an dat we done expected it all along, an'
were ready fo' it.
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