The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-16
The "UnCOnpctent Oath.
By MARTHA MOULL0OH WILLIAMS,
Copyright, 1895, by the Author.l
CHAPTER l.
Continued
Continued

westerly. where the Cumberland, after
, long dip through the rich midland,
makes again toward its native Ken
lucky, through which it runs to the
Ohio. Far to eastward Morgan and his
merry men swooped north on lines of
From the Cumberland
westward to the Mississippi Forrest
rode and raided, hardly asking or Civ
ing quarter.
A Bellsboro legion rode with him.
What so natural, then, as that Bells
boro's commander should fear spies in
his camp? Men had eyes to see, women
tongues to tell-how could he doubt
that word would go straight to the en-
envy of all he most cared to keep hidden!
Worse still, his own scouts might be so
thwartcd, blinded misled, by this hos
tile populace as to make surprise mat
ter of course, Something must be done |
Colonel Grice wrote to the authorities
In response there came Il proclamation.
Old Major Powell sat on his porch
deeply Illuminating. The big silver pop
lars flung all his front yard into shad-
ow. A paling fence ran 30 yards away,
with a sagging green gate leading over
a broken stile to long front lot sparse
" set with white and red oaks. An
abortive gravel walk ran half way from
porch to stile. Guinea fowls were peck
ing amid its stones; hen turkey, with
her brood, busting themselves in the
dry earth at one side of it. Two huge
mock orange bushes in full flower made
a blossomy arch over the garden gate.
From beyond there came the smell of
calvcanthus, Glove pink and early hon
eysuckle.
A cock, gorgeous and golden red,
walked out before the door to crow
three times, loud and clear. A voice
from within said: Somebody's comm,
the sign ter fail when the red rooster
crowed three times. "
He pears ter have knowed it after
the fact Yonder's yo' man now" the
major said, nodding toward the outer
gate, through which horseman had
just ridden.
81 wonder, now, who it isl Cousin
Tom Greg'ry, l reckon, " Mrs. Powell
said, looking sharply at the advancing
figure from under a shading hand.
! The major nodded. Eyes, it's Tom. "
Then, as the rider halted at the stile,
"Nee inter- hello, Tom. We're at home.
Light an look at yer saddle.
Tom got down precipitately. 81 CANT
stop er minute. l jest wanter tell ye
the news, - he said, mopping a perspir-
ing brow as he mounted the steps.
"Whut is it? News sho 'nough, or
Jest grapevine? You told us las time
| Inglum an France had recognized the
Confederacy an raised the blockade,
but amt heard nothin more about it. "
"Oh, that wus jest grapevine. Recol-
lect l tole ye so at the time, Mr.
Gregory said, nowise abashed. Il reck-
on it wus erbout this way, Uncle jim
mie-'t least that's Their story. They
wanted ter recognize us, but Lincoln
an Seward are mighty sharp, l tell ye
They sent er man ter Queen Victoria ter
say: You jest wait 80 days longer, an
, we'll have our little family difference
> all settled. Eff ye don't, by lingo
| Thar's Canady layin handy ter make
up ter us fer losin the Confederacy. Al
, SO the recognizin is put off, but it's
boun ter come-boun ter come Jest yor
wait er bit. Why, they re a-fightin az in
out in Virginyeh, an Gen! Lee an Stone
wall Jackson whippin 'em worse'n ev-
er. Have killed an wounded an took
, pris'ners more men than wus in theil
own army, an jest dom whit they
please with whutever comes against
'em. Genl Lee, ye know, is mighty
pitiful. 1t wus such er slaughter il
3 turned him right sick, but ole Stonewal
] our boys are with him, remember
~ he jest stood up with the bullets hailir
round, his chin stuck out, one eye shet
4 an all he said was, Shoot low, boys
r shoot lowp
D "Stonewall's er great man-er yer.
: great man. Orter be old Hickery's sol
or nephew. How do the Yankees il
0 town take it-so many er thar men git
t tin Slaughtered"
: "Oh, they're jest as sullen as 20,
: please. That's the reason they've pu
Q out that there proclamation.
D what proolamation?"
4 "Why, haven't you heard? It's sticki
Q up on the courthouse an strowed al
Q round town. ,"
: whats it about?"
= "Well, sir, it caps the climax-say
: that, beginnin with Monday week, ey
t erybody in town an county-everybod
white, that is, over / 5 years old-has &c
to march i'll ter headquarters an tax
, the OATH
r "Wbat? I'll be shot if do itp'
q "Now, see here, Uncle Jimmie, mos
b likely you'll be shot if you don't. l tel
6 you it don't do ter fool with them fel
. lers. You know eff thar'd "a been any
/, way around it I'd never done it-neve
. in the world. / had my family tie
. think about, else I'd "a seen them i
e Halifax -
D I'm not blamin you, Tommy.
: man must judge fer himself on ther
. things. But about this yere proclama
ton. 1t means jest men an boys, don
it?'
mo- stree. not by a jugful. That
the worst part Nobody amt left out
Fact is, / believe it's more'n half aim
: ed at the women. Up at headquarter
the other day l was talkin to the Van
kee colonel. Grice his name is. Yo
know he's boardin with the McNeils
All three of their boys are with tn
Confederacy, SO they took this Yanke
for protection. Had to, don't you see
when he asked if they wouldn't. The
have er heap Of company, you know-al
ways most somebody to dinner an sur
per- Grice has been thar two month
an seen right smart of folks. He sal
to me: They show me nothin but tn