The National tribune., 1886-08-12

| stood dar scratchin my head, looking arter
dem. When dey was gwine by one Of dem
done holler, Say, red top are you fattenin' dat
COW fer beef; she Looks like she would make
one Of de kline gifts lots of" tell you, S1assa,
/ done laf at dat fool speech till thinks fall
ODER. We is all bin laughin' ober old Suse's
ribs dis long time, kGse if she was fat de sogers
would 'fscate her; den what would old Missus
do. She jes KANT drink her coffee widout cream
no way you fixes it. Missus she mighty 'ticular
dat way
"'You say they were going toward Berry
vile, and were Yanks?' said one of the men, as
they turned to go.
Fer shure, l knows dey were dem Yankee
sogers:'
"' How do you know they wero?'
kase dey wore dem blue coats wild shiny
buttons on an dey was slick, clean, and fat
lookin', like dey allus hab good time
- All pretty good reasons Aunty,' said one
OF them with laugh. Again they turned to 60,
and as 'Cinda followed them to tho door she
said:
Massa, does you tink dat if any oh dc men
comes in from DER hidin' places befo mornin',
dat me an one oh dem would dar TO go to de
ole mill wild grist Oh corn? You know young
! Missus bin sick dis long time, an amt got no
! appetite. She done griebe ober young Massa
gittin' killed till l believe unless she gifts
somethin' 10 help her, she's gwine to die. When
takes her anything to eat she looks at me SO
pitiful like, an says: Oh 'Cinda, if it was
| only some good cOrnbread like we used to hab
befo' the wah, an your Massa was standin' here
| live and well, den believe | could eat Den
she falls 70 cryin', an dat nearly kills me. So
done Shell bushel Of Gavin, an got ID hid
| away, an l done promise her dat when our
men gifts session agir, arm gwine 70 tote il TO
de ole mill an get some meal an make somethin'
fur her that knows she kin eat. An if you
| knows dc road is clsr is gwine fore lie morn
in sun shine. done know whar Simple Dan
is hid, an l could git him to 20, if he warn't
| sich fool bout bein' afeard OBJ be sOgers'
"'You can go in safety, think, said one of
the men, as he stood leaning with one hand on
the decreasing and looked down into the dark,
| earnest, upturned face Of the woman. We have
made arrangements for men belonging around
here TO serve as pIcketS tonight in every dIrec-
ton around the mill, and Mr.. Grub will run the
mill all night. You VIII only have to pass one
set Of pickets, and you tell them you are Gen.
| ThOmpson's people, and they will never even
stop you, when they see you are going to mill
They know that every person goes there as
soon rs we get possession Of this region. IL you
can get hold of Dan 70 go with you, that will
| keepyou from being afraid, and if you coax him
| up by promising him tobacco he will do won
ders for you Here he dived down into his
| pants pocket and brought out small bit, and
alter biting off corner from it reached il to
| her and said: Here, that is enough to toll him
along
"In an instant they were gone. 'Cinda stood
a while listening to them as they passed down
| the pike She then closed and bOlted the door,
and could hear her light step here and there
as she passed around the cabin. Presently she
came with some clothes and whispered:
| 80 You take dem of you is got on an put
desc on
Then she set a large gourd behind the quilt
| and whispered:
TnCf 10 q - l..
| dat, an jes' let 'em dry
Il could hear her 90 up ladder into the
| loft and come down, rs if she was bearing q
heavy burden, then the sound Of corn pouring
| from one sack TO another. Now again the foot
steps sounded along the floor, and this time
could hear her at the cupboard. Then she
neared my place of coucealment, and again
hosting the corner of the quit in front of me,
reached her hand in ard said in low voice:
| 80 Glib me dem clothes you done took oil, den
| take dis an eat IT., and again she was gone
What got 10 eat was piece of fat meat
some cold hominy and cup of old Suse's milk.
| AS ] ate l heard the door quietly open and
| close and i knew by the death-like Stiffness
| that was alone. She had gone 10 put my
clothes somewhere where they would tel no
tales. resolved to quietly slip down on the
| door and enjoy my supper, and / did. / pre-
| sumo no man ever ate meal that tasted better.
IL was the first morsel had eaten since early
in the morning, and had been on the go con-
stantly, except while l had been standing up
behind that quilt; and that had wellnigh
made me so stiff that | could not bend. As
soon as l was through eating / Strengthened up
| again. had scarcely done so until the door
| softly opened aud closed. Quietly 'Cinda glided
along until she came TO where was and slip
ping behind the quilt, whispered:
80 Now, You listen good to what tells you.
| is gwine to tote some Gavin to de MILL an you
/ "a mi AM ia Unffa all
all you got 20 do when we comes to de pickets
! is jes 10 wait an let me do de talkin', an If
| any oh dem goes to plaguin' you, jes you kim OBJ
! hang back like an say 'bacca,' an when |
| promises you some, den you come right long
| wild me. Now you sure YOU min me, an am
/ gwine 20 git you safe back to dc Union lines
| Here she started out and pulled me along.
On one corner of the wide stone hearth stood
| two sacks, probably half bushel of corn in
| each. She threw one OH my shoulder and
! then took the other. Reaching me a stout
! club and taking one herself she passed out |
/ following, ana alter softly closing the door she
4 led the way. Soon We were treading a narrow
path through deep, dark body of woods On,
on, we went; sometimes 1 nearly fell, and my
sack grew very heavy. i was oh SO tired
| Soon We began 10 near the edge of the wood
then heard the challenges:
90 Halt! Who goes there!'
! My gaide answered, Me- MGssa Grobes. I
/ kuONS your VOICE. IL IL Is TOO DARK 10 YOU.
/ We is two oh Gin'ral ThOmps0n's people gwine
/ 10 de ole mill fer meal. Massa Patterson saw
dat dey gwine 10 grin all night. You know
! young MisSus Is sick, an she wants her GAVIN
/ bread powerful bad Ise got Simple Dan here
| long Wild me-
80 Pass along 'Cinda, you faithful creature!
wish there Were mC<e a5 true AS you are, said
the picket.
"'Come long Dan said 'Cinda, looking back
| to where l stood like a Cu.prit. Why don't
you come long. Don't go to gittin' one ob
| your fool spells hereI'
80 Bacca!' said. trembling from head to
foot
"'Come right long she said, pulling me by
the sleeve past the picket. i amt gwine TO
stop here wild dis hebby sack to glib ye 'bacca.
IF you goes along wild me all de way, an back
| agin, am got big piece in my bosom fer ye,
| bat if yer takes one oh yer triiin spells an
| leabs me 70 git back TO ole MaSsa's house I is
| nebber gwine 10 glib you q bite
| Onward We trudged with our heavy sacks
/ now across a field, now ON the outskirts OF a
wood, but never in the open rOa! AT length
| We REACHED a small body OF woods and halted
! My guide mCt!oncd me 10 stand still. Passing
around ledge of riek. after several minutes
| absence Sue returned aud babe Inc drop MY
sack. Size piloted he over the same route by
which she had just returned. around the rock
| 10 an opening. Here two staiWaTt negro men
met us. One Of them whispered TO mo to follow
him, and we staTtsd 'Cinda leaned forward
| aud said:
and she fitted away.
No nj -, 81.