Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-03-07
CHAPTER XIX.
Exit FULANo.

Il
| -A.>-A
"Deys gone sot de dogs on me-"
Two days Biddulph solaced himself on
those rare luxuries Of Ruby's menage
the third we started.
Brent was himself again. We rode
hard. Biddulph was as fine fellow a
my grandmother England has mothered.
Find an Englishman vital enough to be
q comeouter, and you have found man
worthy to I've the peer Of an American
with Yankee education, western scope
and California irrepressibility.
Winter chased US close. Often we
woke at night and found our bivouac
sheeted with cold snow-a cool sheet,
but luckily outside our warm blankets.
Il was full December when the plains
left us, fell back and beached us upon
the outer edge Of civilization, at lnde-
pendence, Missouri.
The muddy Missouri was running
dregs. Steamboats, were tired Of skip'
ping from sandbar to sandbar. We
must travel by land to st. Louis and
railroads.
We could go with our horses as fast
rs the stagecoaches. So we sold ouI
pack beasts and started to continue our
gallop Of three across Missouri.
Half way across we stopped one even
ing at the mean best tavern In o mean
town-a frowsy country town, with 9
dusty public square, boxy church and
q spittley court house.
Fit entertainment for beast the tavern
offered. We saw our horses stabbed and
had our supper.
Two and half beds, one broken
backed chair, washstand, decked with
an ancient fringed towel. and an aban.
doned toothbrush, one torn slipper and
Q stovepipe hole furnished our bed
chamber.
We were about to cast lots for the
half bed when we heard two men enter
the next room. The partition was only
paper pasted over lath and cut up as II q
border ruffian member Of congress had
practiced ut 1t with q bowie knife before
q street fight. Every word Of our neigh.
bors came to us. They were talking OF
slave bargain. eliminate their oaths,
though such filtration does them injus-
tice.
Eight hundred dollars" said the first
speaker, and his voice startled rs as II a
dead man we knew had spoken. Eight
hundred-that's the top Of my pile fur
that boy. Ef he warn't SO old and hadn't
one eye poked out agree he'd be wuth
a heap more"
"waal. trades trade. I'll take yer
stump"
THAT ares wut call screechin good
price fur an old one eyed Niger. Four
teen hundred dollars-an all fired price.
Slight hundred, you mean"
"No; fourteen. You see, you're not mp
ter taime ON the nigger question. know
'em like q church steeple. When ]
bought that ar boy, now comm three
year. I seed he wuz a sprightly niger,
one er yer ambitious sort, what would he
mighty apt to git fractions an be maxim
tracks onless got holt on him. So sez
I to him, Ham, you're a sprightly mig
ger, one Of the raal ambitious sort, now
ainchery He allowed he warn't nothin
else, WAL ser I. Ham how'd you like
to buy yourself. an be free niger, an
hev house of yer own, an woman OF
yer own, all Jess like white folksy 'Lor,
seq he, 'Massa. I'd like II heap 'waal,
ser I, you Jess scrabble round an raise
me seven hundred dollars an I'll sell you
to yerself, an cheap at that Waal, he
picked up the bits and quarters right
smart. He's ben at It, lammin ahead
raal ambitious, for bout three year. Last
Sunday after church he pinted up the
last ten Of the six hundred. So ! al.
lowed I wuz come time to sell him. He
wuz gettin his head drawed an his idees
sot on freedom very unhealthy. ! didn't
like to disappint him to ther last, 30
allowed 'twuz Jest rs well to let you hev
him cheap to go down river. That's
how to work them fractious runaway
niggers. That ares my patent. You
ken hev 1t for nothin. Hswi hawi"
"Haw, haw. hswi You are one or
ther boys. I'm dunn sorry that are trick
can't be did twicet ON the same Niger.
I reckon he knows too much for that.
WAL, s'pose we walk round to the Gala.
boose fore we 60 to bed an zee ef he''
chained mp all right"
They went out.
Biddulph spoke first.
"What are we going to do nowr
"Try 10 abolish slavery In Hams case.
Come; well 60 buy him file.
We bought our files and made for the
calaboose. II was stout log structure,
with grated windows. At one Of these,
by the low moonlight. we saw . negro.
II was cold and late. Nobody was near.
We hailed the man:
"Ham."
"That's me, massa-"
"You are sold to 60 south tomorrow
morning. II you want to get free,
catchr'
Brent tossed him mp the hles.
"Catch againr' said Biddulph, and up
went . rattling purse. England's sub
sidy.
Hams white teeth and genteel man.
nen appeared at once. He grinned and
whispered thsnkA
"Is that all we can do" asked the
baronet, ~ we walked Oh.
"Yes," said Brent "Trust him 10
gnaw himself free with that Connecticut
rat tail"
"Ham against Jsphs.; I hope han
-"What horse beyond al horses yours
ls!" said Biddulph TO me next morning.
- we rode along cheerily through the
fresh, frosty air Of December. think,
whom your continent gets 70 It, hnality
| In horseHssh, you win beat our island-
"Think what training such . trip W
This comrsde Of mine has come two
thousand miles with me-blg thought,
shi-and hs frsshens mp with the osons
Of this morning ~ II he had been N the
stable week. champing asphodsl'
Fulano felt my conmendation hs
became electrified. He stirred under
me. Igxvs him rein. He shook him
self out and began 10 recits his accom-
plishments.
He doubled his lsgs under him and
went or In high, jsrky lsapA twice his
llsugth svry one. .-.-