The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-01-09
One-A-rn Jake.
PROM THE FRENCH OF A. GABRRAU, By
HENRY l.. WILLIAMS.

III they do not catch that buck mig
ger" said Mr.. d., Of st. John Bayou,
Lake Pontchartrain, "J'm dead man y
When q slave-owner Of 1886 had such
an alternative case presented him,
the events that set him up ~ Il target to
his serf must have been serious.
Indeed, the finest and best negro on
the plantation, "Virginny" Jake, was at
loggerheads with the authorities and had
already signalized his outbreak with
deed Of such ferocious vengeance that
even the bondmen Of his color named
him with bated breath.
Only few weeks before Jake had
been happy enough; he lived in con
tent with his wife; he was strong, good.
looking, equable III temper, active above
all and not too fond Of drink and the
dance. No one had blamed him for any
thing, in short, but his stubbornness
he was both bull-necked and bull.
headed.
Suddenly his simple fortunes and
bounded future were marred by the ar
rest Of his wife, Elsie, for theft at the
grocery. The trader, Hinkley, swore
that she had robbed him in all to the
sum Of twenty dollars, and that, more
over, he had proof that her mate had
offered him twelve dollars, all that Jake
could raise, TO compromise the
felony. Perhaps, had Jake, in his
eagerness to save the poor woman, man.
aged the negotiation less publicly, no
nna ,ynuId hoya bnarI nf IA. .nn,a,
ton. Elsie's master, Mr.. d., was
hard one; he was particularly man Of
probity, and he had ever vowed to make
nm example Of thief on his estate
The young woman was logged, and,
though the whip wielder mercifully let
tho strokes fall with more Of loud
crack than actual hurt, tho shame Of
her punishment caused her to furiously
declare on her release that her master
should lose by it. She had never thieved
she asseveratod, but now, "Pse gwlne
to rob you, Massa ID. Use gwine to
row myself In dc by-youp
Mr.. ID. turned pale with fury mt the
threat Of loss and drew a pistol from hia
waist-belt.
LET her go her way" he cried TO the
cIecutioner and his assistant, "and all
Of you stay where you are"
Meanwhile, tho poor creature was
staggering toward the waterway, but,
naturally, tho ebullition OF pain soon
cooled, and before she reached the
brink she paused. On CHANGING back ut
thesonnd Oft steady step, she perceived
her master, pistol in hand. She stopped
altogether, shivering. He came nearer.
She Numbered forward few steps, but
the green water turned her with loath-
Ing and she half faced Mr.. ID.
swell sneered he, "you were going
to throw yourself in the canal. Do 10
alive, or in you go-dead p and clapped
the iircarm TO her head. She receded,
and being on the little rim of the bayou
the crest gave way and she slipped down
into the water with cry Of terror. II
was only for M instant that she disap-
penred, and when she came up again,
the smart to her tortured back from that
Btagnant water, fermenting in tho torrid
sun. caused her to utter pltcous
scream. Twice she nearly clambcred
forth, but each trial the remorselcss
man made It failure by presenting tho
gaping muzzles. For the final time
she sank, and the planter could replace
his pistol in his belt with the charge
saved. He was the poorer by one
wonch. but he seemed TO take his dinner
JUST aS tranquility M ever. He even
slept soundly, but he was awakened in
the darkest hour of the dawn by the up-
roar on the plantrtion, the big bell toll.
ing, and flames reflected through his
mosquito net. When no sprang up. he
Aaw that the incendiary was Mt work, not
within his property, but ut Hinkley's
store; someone had burst into it after
closing, butchered the trader, plum
dered 1t, and finally applied the torch to
whisky casks and piles Of calico. On
joining the two or three planters come
by boat or horse in the morning to ill.,
vestigate, they could only conclude that
the pilfering was IN aftor thought, per-
haps not by the murdcrer's hand, and
that vengeance had guided that hand.
In the crowd Of ashen-faced negroes, and
among the overseers. the name of "D's
big buck, that "Virglnny Jake, and 30
on, circulated.
Mr.. ID. returned home hastily, con
vinced similarly that Jake had avenged
bis wifes death.
Now, il the negro had barbarously
etfied scores mt the grocery, what |
night not the gentleman expect who
nd directly driven the unhappy young
oman to death?
Nevertheless, the day passed, and tho
|anter, supping with more lavish liba-
ons than commonly, went to rest his
Verseer at his door and brace of dogs
nder the window on the verandah.
70 slumbered heavily, remembering very
aiguely some dream in which Jake and
Isle figured Enthusiastically. When he
'% dressing, whistling gaily at the sun.
ght ne was suddenly paralyzed with
urp.rise and horror; instead OF tak,no
lp his own neckcloth, the long yoln.
ainous cravat that Southern gentlemen
Injected In these days, he had seized n
article--the gay handker.
mel OF the drowned Elsie, damp vet
nth the froth of DEATH
1t was the negro widower's mode of
rowing down the gage. Then were
e authorities set on the alert, $3.50 was
tered for the fugitive, and Mr.. d.
omised MS much to boot. But il was
rec months of anxiety for Mr.. d..
ioh aged him plainly, ere Jake was
'tured in the brake whilst asleep, like
nson, whom he 80 much resembled I
n athletic point Of view. At the finale
the struggle of one man against q a
en-, no might have escaped tempor- b
=, at least, but the der mty sheriff %