The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-13
A YANKEE IN GRAY
By CHARLES B. LEWIS IN. QUAD.
lCopyrisht, 1894, by American Press Associa-
tionl
[coNTINUED.1


the Shenandoah guards. All the house
servants about the Percy mansion were
colored people and slaves, Like others
of their color, the general excitement
had made them half crazy. They had
left the house for the street to see and
hear and were ready to catch up and
believe the most absurd tales. There
were two men and four women. Buck,
who was young man of 25, joined a
party of the fleeing inhabitants hurry
ing up the valley. Uncle Ben, as he
was called, was man of 50 born and
reared in the Percy family, and though
sharing to some extent in the general
excitement he would not leave his post
of duty. He had said to the female
servants:
Il nehber dun did see no Yankees in
all my life, but hain't gwine to be
afraid an run away. l didn't bring on
dis wah. / hain't killed nobody. What
dem Yankees want to hurt mo fur?
Miss Marian hain't skeered. Her mud
der hahn IL skeered. II dey hain't skeered,
what yo all want to be skeered fur2"
The four women were on a street cor
ner in a group when Captain Wyle
passed by and recognized them as be-
longing to the Percy family. He had
heard from the gossips of the town long
ago that Kenton was to carry off the
prize. He had written to Marian with
considerable fervor and without men
tioning the news, and she had replied in
a very brief and formal manner. To
revenge himself on a woman was quite
foreign to his nature, but as he saw the
four servants and noted their state of
alarm he remembered that he and Ike
Baxter had plan TO carry out. Ten
minutes later one of his company was
saying to the coloIed women:
THE Yankees are only couple of
miles away IL you all don't hurry,
you will be taken prisoners, and that
means that every one of you will be
burned at the stake! They shoot down
white folks and burn niggers"
That was sufficient to start them off
to join the fleeing throng. Not one of
them returned to the house. Jackson
sent out couriers to advise the panic
stricken people to return, but hundreds
had gone too far to be overtaken. Among
them were the four women. Shields
entered Winchester without opposition.
Within an hour the excitement had sub
sided. The Yankee soldiers had neither
horns nor hoofs. No one was molested
nor made afraid. Where timid women
requested it guards were placed at their
doors, and instead of the merchants be-
ing robbed and ruined, as most of them
had fully expected, their properties
were safely cared for.
Didn't dun told you all so!' ex-
claimed Uncle Ben on the street that
evening as he was ont looking for the
missing servants. Yankees am jist dc
same folks as anybody. I'ze bin lookir
at heaps of 'em, an cant see no differ.
enco. All dem folks who got skeered
an run'd away was fools! Yankees
hain't gwina ter hurt nobody onlcss yo
unbehaye yc'self fustn'
Captain Wyle knew where to find Ike
BaSttr's wife. She had moved int
town two weeks before, leaving thefarn
/, to take care OF itself. That was one oi
the points in the plan presented by Ike
and accepted by her. She knew that
Jackson had been beaten and was on thC
retreat, but she did not know of th,
fate of Ike and many of his comrades
Some Of those who escaped beth death
and capture had seen Ike 20 down, anG
1t was certain he had fallen into Fed
eral hands. Mrs. Baxter fell to sobbint
as she heard the news from the captain
but her sorrow did not last long.
| I pt.tt hnt Ia ftt1 n al, rt11
denly exclaimed ns grief gave place It
indignation. Didn't he un promis'
me last thing befo' him went back tina
If him ever got into another fout he III
would scrouch down so the bullets
would fly over himl It's in him-al
lus wautin and heyin his own way spit
of all / kin dol"
g Ike and the others wonld have beer
all right if they had not been betrayed, ;
observed the captain.
"Shoo, that's what Ike was afraid of
Was it that Yankee asin-that Lawye
Kenton?"
The captain nodded his head.
Ike hates him. So do l. If he III
hadn't stood in Ike's way, Ike woul'
hey bin gineIal befe' this The oner,
skunk, to betray his own comrades! ]
l could git hands on he un, I'D xii
him! III never rest till hev his life
even if Ike lets upi'
Have you seen the-the Percys late
lyf" asked the captain as Mrs. Baxte
got ready for another wave of sorrow.
Did Ike tell yo'!" she whispered.
Partly" ,"
I've bin tryin to do as we planned
hut couldn't fetch it. Ike thought a
might get place in the house, bu
they uns hev got too many niggers ful
that"
"All their women have cut and Tul
NOT one left. If you should happel
to offer yonr services there now, | thin
they'd be accepted. -
"Shoo. Niger women all gomez"
~ know it for fact"
I'm go over thar this very hour!'
said Mrs. Baxter as she reached for he
sunbonnet. "Capting, was Ike righ
when he said this yere Yankee stood il
his way?"
Yes. he waJ."
"Was he right when he said IL W
uns could get tho Percy gal to hate hir
he would bother nobody no mop
"Yes. +"
IF the Yankee was shot or killed o
sunthin, would Ike ride around on
critter and danglo sword?"
ITS quite likely. What plan hav
you got?'
"Jest leave that to me! Mebbe
haven't got any, aud lnebbe I've got
hemp of EN-"
Here is what You are to remem