The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-11-25
WHOLE NO. 1l75I

"WeD, never mind that. What did
You bag, old boy 2"
"Nothing, young reverend"
"Never knew you to miss before,
Cartwright"
"Well, | don't often miss, when the
game is as easy--as l mostly find it
whenever have the pleasure Of crack
with you, my young friend"
In this sprightly conversation Mr.
Philip Cartwright was still exercising
his wit and humor, when that ''blsck
blockhead," as his master called him,
entered the arbor, looking as white as
black man can look, and whispered
something to him.
Returned? Impossible:" cried
Cartwright, springing up.
"What's the matter ?" cried the two
other gentlemen, Auckland back again7''
"No, but the mares back again,
riderless, covered with foam, and the
saddle turned, the mare | lent him.
Told You he'd come to grief with
her. Shouldn't wonder if she's broke
his neck" exclaimed the betting young
gentleman, with joyful exultation.
"Tell Sam to saddle my horse in
stantly," cried Cartwright. "Not the
one l had ont to-day, but fresh one. "
"Why, where are you going, Cart
wright" asked the Judge, not very
well pleased at the prospect of inter-
rupted potations and a dull evening.
Ito, TO look for poor Ackland,
and at once.'
"But it s a good twelve miles ride"
"Can't help that, Judge. If any
thing has happened to my poor friend,
if the mare has thrown him, he may be
in want of assistance. / saw him safe
through the plantation. If anything
has happened to him, it cannot have
been long after l left him, or the mare
would hardly have got home by now,
even at a gallop. Stay, I'd better take
the, wagon, l think. If he's hurt we
shallEwant it. Who will come with
me 7"
''Not l." said the Judge. "Pm too
old. But | tell you what, Cartwright,
if you'll order another bottle I'll sit up
for you"
"I'll come," said the bet ting young
gentleman.
"Pook!'' cried Cartwright With ID
effable contempt "Yorre no use.
must be off, And off he went.
When he returned to Glenoak about
three O'Clock in the morning, the Judge
had kept his word, and was sitting up
for him, having nearly finished his SEQ
ond bottle. Cartwright dropped into
a chair haggard and exhausted He
had been to - and back, but had
discovered nothing, except, indeed, that
neither horse nor rider had arrived that
evening from Glenoak at the inn at that
town, and that the Charleston coach
had taken in no passengers at "a
The whole thing is mystery" be
said, at fairly beats me-"
"And beat you look" said the Judge;
you'd best take cocktail and go to
bed. Found no trace of him on the
road p as
"Nothing." a'
"Nor heard anything of him :"
Nothing, absolutely nothing"
The next morning all the slaves on
Mr.. Cartwright's estate were assembled
and interrogated about the missing
gentleman. Judge Griffin himself con-
Quoted the inquiry, and very severely
be did it. Of course. they all contra
dicted each other and themselves and
fioundered about in fathomless slough
of unintelligibility, for, whatever natur4
al intelligence they possessed was ex+;
tinguished by the terror of the great
Judge, or lost in the labyrinths 6f
cross examination. One old negro IN
particular, "whose name was Uncle
Ned" revealed such a profnndity of
stupidity, that the Judge said, "Cart-
wright, that niger Of yours is the stu
pidest nigger in all niggerdom."
"He is" said Cartwright, sand il
the black beast don't mind what he's
about, III sell him-whip him first, and
sell him afterwards"
"He won't fetch much, | reckon"
said the Judge.
'TlI skin him alive and make squah
pie of him with pepper, and salt, and
vinegar" said Cartwright, showing all
the teeth in his handsome mouth, and
looking very much like hungry ogre.
81 have my eye on him." he added,
sand he knows it." tHaass
Poor Uncle Ned did appear to have
a very lively sense of the uncomforta-
BILE honor Of having Mr.. Cartwrights
eye on him. For he trembled Violent
ly, and looked like an old black um-
brella with all the whalebone working
in high wind.
One thing, however, resulted from
this investigation. None of Mr.. Cart
wright's negroes had seen anything,
none of them had heard anything, none
of them knew anything, that could
shed the smallest light on the fate ol
John Ackland.
TO BE CONTINUED.
10
A farmerlfriend visited a gentlemani
n a. a