The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-09

.r ,xae very fond OF the little master
from the first. The white-haired master
fonnd me IN a drove OF mules and horses
in a pen I'm town. We had travelled hun
dreds of miles, and though | was young
and tough, / was very SUN ana tired
But the drover cracked ms WHIP, separat-
"a me from the rest. and ran mo into
a corner of the pen, where | stood trem-
Hing because / did not know what mo-
monf the lash would crack on my back.
a. IL had cracked many times before.
The uhite-haired rnaster-his hair was as
gray as mine even then-held the little
master i'm his arms, and when they came
near / stood still and allowed the little
fellow to pat my back and stroke my
neck The little master cried: Father
buy him-I like him.
THAT was enough. a negro came and
put halter on me. and led me from the
pen. Soon some one brought a bride, ana
then a small saddle. After a while the
little master was placed on my back. and
some one handed him two heavy sticks.
I was alarmed at frst, fearing | was to
be beaten with them but when i finched
the little master stroked my neck, and
/ had no more fear. The sticks he car
rled along 10 help him along over the
ground when he was not riding. and he
used them nimbly.
$50 we came home and grew TO know
each other. In cold weather | had a
warm stable to rest In, and a heavy blan-
ket to sleep under. In pleasant weather
| had cool water twice day and young
corn and green barley. People used TO
say he rode me too hard at times. but
IL was not So il was pleasure TO him
and 10 harm to me.
zone day there came TO him from far
away teacher-a young man with
brown hair and blue eyes-and for a time
the Little Master was troubled. lie had
no desire 10 sit in the house for hours
and do nothing but read In the books
/ used 10 watch for him through the
fence, and ne was very proud indeed
when he found that / knew his voice
from the rest and would follow him
about without bride or halter. / missed
him when the teacher came. and / used
10 20 10 the fence and call him.
But / missed him only a day or two.
The teacher was a wise young man, and
he soon saw that II the little master was
TO be taught at all. the teaching must
20 on I'm the open air with no more books
TO bother with than he could carry in
one hand. So II came to pass that every
day the little master would call for me,
and then We would go on long Journeys
through the woods and fields. the teacher
walking with me-
Sometimes the teacher would carry
books in his hand. but he carried more
in his head. He was wise lie knew the
POISONOUS plants and vines almost as
well as ] did, and / used to wonder how
me found them out. not having to eat
them. This went on whenever the wealth
or was pleasant. and ] heard the teacher
from far away say TO the little master
that he was learning great deal more
Of the things that were i'm the books than
If he were shut up in tight room with
the books themselves. If ! could have
remembered all l heard, ia be pretty
we'll educated myself.
zone morning / was fed carly. I heard
the negroes say that the white-haired
master, the little master. and the teacher
were going TO town. IL was court week.
they said. The judge and jury were go
ing 10 sit and punish men for being
meaner than the animals. / thought It
was very funny. But ! ate my breakfast
with better appetite. because | knew
that none Of my kith and kin were 10 be
hauled up before the judge and jury for
cheating and swindling and drinking and
gambling
SO we went 10 town. the little mas
ter and ]. The white-haircd master and
tho teacher rode in the buggy. We kept
them little way, but the weather was
fine and the roads were good. and after
awhile the little master gave me the rein,
which I had ben asking for ever so long.
and | cantered forward, leaving the
buggy far behind and out 0f sight
II cantered on in this way up Hill and
down hill-fOr IL was an easy as walking
until we came nearly 20 town Then
suddenly the little master reached for
ward and touched me on the shoulder
IL was way he had Of warning me We
were coming TO a point where another
road led into ours. and it was well the
little master warned me when ne did
Else when I saw what 7 did / should
nave given "A start that would have I'M
seated him, for right before me, coming
slowly into our road, was a train Of huge
wagons, covered with white cloth. There
were i've wagons. each pulled by two
mules. In front OF the foremost wagon a
10 OF negroes was marching, two by
two. There must have been forty-odd In
ALL At first / thought they were pulling
the wagon, for there was stout rome
reaching from the end or the wagon tongue
TO the foremost negro Of the file. and
the end was fastened TO his waist on
each side OF this rope the other negroes
walked, and ] soon saw that every one
was handcuffed TO the rope.
To BE Continued