Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-07-13
JOCKS LII BOY.


postulated impaticntly. "These lines
must be run by Saturday, and you are the
best chopper have Can't you wait till
next week."
Jock looked down at me a little re-
proachfully thought.
"I'ze blecged ter go, boss, " he said de-
cisivcly Il done tole yo' my li'l' boys
wuss. Marg'et's Tobe jes' fotchcd me de
news. I'd like pow 'ful ter hep yo' all,
but jes' cayn't, dorf7o' seeF"
VERY WELL" 1 ahSwered irritably as
I opened my pockctbook and counted out
the money due him. "Only don't come
whining around after more work. 1 can't
be forever taking on new hands and learn.
ing them the ropes. / want men who will
stand by me"
| spoke rather moro vehemently than
meant to, but / liked Jock and was very
unwilling to have him go. He had only
cen with me few weeks, but was al
ready worth any two men 1 had. Consid
erably over 6 feet in height and strong
and massive in proportion, he was at once
fertile in eXpedients and perfectly obcdient
to orders. These two unusual attributes
were what had recommended him to me
in the first place, for my experience with
negroes had taught me that they were
usually dull and shiftless But Jock was
different from any man l had ever met,
white or black. He was an indefatigable
hunter and fisherman, and there was not a
bird or beast or phase of wood life with
which he did not seem to be familiar. And
his familiarity was not that of ignorance.
l was often astonished at the stray bits of
scientific information which came uncon-
sciously from his lips. He never seemed
to get weary, and out of work hours was
usually off in the woods or busy about
the campfire. Most of our game was
caught by him during the night, and in
deed most of it was prepared by him also
for he seemed to know more about cook
ing than our camp boy himself. Nearly
every day he brought me a delicious stew
or roast which he had prepared himself,
and always presented it with some such
remark as, DE doctor show me bout
dis, - or, Dis de way de doctor done hit 8"
Twas thinking regretfully of these extra
dishes as I turned my instrument around
and sighted back over the line. Every
thing was all right, and l signnled the
rear man to come forward. AS took out
my field book to make some notes l was
,
what, not gone yeti" l asked.
mo boss; l cayn't go dis away Ell
aln't come back no mo-, l don wan yo'
t'ink oh me rs no count niger jcs'
'bleeged ter co.
''Oh, that's all right" I answered, a
little ashamed Of my i'll temper. You
needn't mind what l said about not COM
ing back. was out of sorts. If have
place, l shall be glad to take you ON any
time -
The black face cleared instantly.
at ank yo', boss! Tank yo', sab!
like yo' all's wrk. Yo'se de bes' boss I'ze
had cet'n de doctor"
glanced down the line. The rear man
was fully one-fourth of mile away and
walking slowly. 1t would be 10 minutes
before he would arrive. l slipped the field
book into my pocket and sat down upon
a stump.
'Who is this doctor you are forever
talking about, jock" l asked. II am
getting curious about him"
Jock S face became grave once more.
fancied l could see tears glistening in his
eyes
He's de hes man dat cher lib, sah de
bes' man de good Gawd cher made. l been
his body sarbent for 10 year. an wuk for
him, an watch ober him, an nuss him.
watch him so ! almos know wat he t'ink
bout. He didn't hab no folks, nowhars
an he ulster say dat l war his'ns family
He TUX me in de woods wen he hunt
bugs an things, an he TUX me in de city
wen he wuk for dc pore folks. He done
let me hep in mos eberyt'ing he do"
"How came you to leave himP'
Il didn't leabe him, sab; he done lef'
me. De good Gawd TUX him. Wen de yal-
Ter fever bruk out, he wuk night an day,
lax he alters do. Mos eberybody git outen
de city, but dc pore folks halter stay, an
de doctors an misses halter stay ter look
arter 'em. DIR. Hatton stan hit for seben
week, den he TUX de fever an die"
DIR. Hatton!" l exclaimed. "That
name sounds familiar.
Co Sc hit do, sab. De papers war full
oh hit. De doctor war a rich man, an he
done glib bofe his life an money to de
cause. reckon de whole worl done hear
bout'n him. He wuk night an day, all de
time, an nebbcr fought OBJ res"
And you remained with him through
it all!" l asked.
lob co'se!' Jock answered simply
"De doctor lowed war good hep. wal
big an strong an could wuk roun an lif
| de SICK 10 KS
And you didn't get the feverf"
mo, sah.' showing his teeth little
II reckon dis nigger's skin too tick fol
! fever git frou. Wen de doctor die, / hal
no wuk, so l nuss roun till de winter
come an brek de fever. Den pick up al
de doctors things. Yo' see," his voice
growing low and tremulous, de doctor
done tole me sell eberyt'ing he hab lef
an buy me liz home somewhar gil
TO hundred dollar an come isaway. 70
know"
nodded. had often seen and admired
Jocks little vine covered cottage ant
wondered at his exquisite taste in shrub
and flowers. On one occasion l had me
him walking back and forth, grooming
some strange Africa melody to pitifu
mite of humanity in his arms. Perhap