The Springdale news., 1889-08-16

and that he learned that he was wounded and got some very nice soldiers to show him to the place Upon examination of Albert s wound Luke was soon satisfied that 1t was not necessarily fatal But it was evident that Colonel Morgan was dying, and could live but a few hours alt most He was still strong, however, and told them that hc was shot on the second day when the fighting was almost over. He had fallen back sew eral hundred rods from the enemy and was riding along a ridge when single rife shot rang out from the bushes on his left and ne fell pierced in the breast by bullet
 My boy, my brave Jasper, made his es- cape, trust. hope, Colonel Mason, if ever you meet him you will be as kind to him as you were to my daughter when you protect ed our home from the recruits. He and Elsie are all have unless unless"
 "Unless what" asked the Colonel. '"Ihc other one be living"
 "Of whom are you talkingl What other one do you mean, Colonel Morgan!" Luke asked, knowing full well that the man had not long tolive, and that whatever he had to say must be said immediately.
 "l once had q child two years older than Jasper. But when an nfant--a mere in-
 
 broke down and wept, as recollectons of his loss came to the dying man. "Ah, if | could but know that he was alive, and had been trained to be an honorable man, I could die happy
 "Massa Morgan, l kin tolo ye," said Blackhawk, at thls moment stepping for ward The words of tho dying man had melted the stony heart of the African.
 "Who are youp asked Mr Morgan, gag ing at the negro as if he had never seen him before.
 "Doan' ye know me massa-doan' yc know Big Pete who ye use ter own down in ole Tennessee, an who Dick Snced, yer oberseer, use ter whup!"
 "Pete-Petc Pete; is it you! Where have you been!"
 It am too much to tell, massa but doan' yc remember sendin' of my po' wife an lcctle baby to New Orleans to be sold. I guess it war Snccd who tole ye to- case he hate me wus den de debll, and use ter like ter whup me. Wall, massa, l stood all de whuppin', but 1 loved my wife an rc' lectle black baby s much dat, when ye sole cm, 1 sad I'd make ye sorry, too 1 run away an lived for six weeks in the Tonnes see mountains like CT ground hog, an one day 1 stole back to de house an when de black nuss one day brought de baby to de field stole it from wha' she'd sot 1t down to pick some berries. Oar WET a yallcr handkerchief dat de gal had gib dc baby to lay wid, an when ! run off wid him inter de woods he hel on ter dat handkerchief. l didn't know what to do wid de baby. fus' thought I'd kill it, but it looked up at me so pretty wid its sweet little eyes dat couldn't. I wandered about Wid it for weeks, an stayed wid it long time in dis ole cabin. l stole grub for it an myself, too, den l black its face an go to a Quaker, an tole hlm 1 was a runaway nlgger an Wld my baby an he tulk me by night, hidln' cbery day till we got inter Missouri, an den he foun' one day dat de black come off de baby's face, an dat it war white. He war goin' to tell on me, but run away rum hlm wid de chile, an trabel up de Missouri river long way Itried to throw the baby in de water ter drown, but ebery time l try it de little baby look in my face an smile, an l can't
 "One day I went to a house way up de river to steal sumfin to eat for me am de chile. Ebery body war in de field, an in de place war an ole big wooden cradle. 1 stole it and corked it up tight as boat, an tyin' de yaller handkerchief bout de baby's head put 1t asleep in de cradle and pushed it out in de river.n
 Luke here was about to interrupt the narrator, but Mir. Neff said
 ''No, don't do t now. Let m go on." The negro resumed:
 II was cotched by some nigger-stealcrs, taken to St. Louis, sold at auction, den my new massa tux me to Lexington, Mo-, ,an' sold me to Mir. Netf, who keep me till de war heard him say dat he find de baby he tell de young massa 50, an when Massa Morgan