“Well, den, Miss Sophia’s run off! ’deed she has. She run off in de night some time⁠—nobody don’t know jis’ when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson, you know⁠—leastways, so dey ’spec. De fambly foun’ it out ’bout half an hour ago⁠—maybe a little mo’⁠—en’ I tell you dey warn’t no time los’. Sich another hurryin’ up guns en hosses you never see! De women folks has gone for to stir up de relations, en ole Mars Saul en de boys tuck dey guns en rode up de river road for to try to ketch dat young man en kill him ’fo’ he kin git acrost de river wid Miss Sophia. I reck’n dey’s gwyne to be mighty rough times.”

“Buck went off ’thout waking me up.”