The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-01
Continued from last Sunday
RAMBLER, THE TRACK DOG, CON-
CLUDES HIS STORY.
CHAPTER VII.

Aaron.
''He came right here, said Rambler.
81 know it, because when old Grizzly
whistled to me and my companions
and started home, / went back, picked
up the scent of the FLY, and followed
it here At the lot, the Son of Ben Ali
took the saddle off, hung it under the
shed, and then came to this house.
THAT is so" remarked Aaron. IAN
old man by the name of Abe lived
here.
why, / remember old Uncle Abe"
said Buster John. He used to sit in the
sun and make horse collars and bas-
kets and tell tales"
''He was a great hand for that" as
scented Aaron.
Il followed him here" continued
Rambler, "but found the door shut. /
scratched at it and whined. The man
named Abe opened it, and | came in,
but / didn't see anything of the Son of
Ben Ali. But | knew he was in here.
My nose told me so. | noticed some
planks across the rafters-they are
there yet, as YOU can see-and | look
ed up and whined. The man named
Abe looked around until he found his
axe. SO you are Gossett's niger dog.
he said We'll, you'll never hunt any
more niggers for him.
"'What is that?' said the Son OF Ben
Ali from the loft.
"'Gossett's niger dog, said the man
named Abe. He has followed you
here. What shall / do with him?'
Give him something TO eat an
swered the Son of Ben Ali, and this
II 4 ell
hot, and hard chase.
What shall ] do the" asked the
man named Abe.
Give him a drink of clean water,
replied the Son of Ben Ali.
"'What then?'
Then let him alone.
s'Now / was very glad of that" con-
tinued Rambler, licking his chops, and
keeping one eye on the suffering pine
knot that gave out a Pickering light,
''for wanted bread, and ! wanted wa
ter, and / wanted to lie down and rest
somewhere where / wouldn't have to
fight the flies.
$50 the man AIMED Abe went into his
cup-board-that same cupboard there
and gave me big chunk of ash
cake, and placed a pan of water close
by. Then he sat in the door and began
to weave his baskets. / ate all he gave
me, drank as much water as / wanted,
and crept under a low bedstead that
stood in the corner yonder.
II don't know how long / slept, but
when ] woke ] knew it was night, for
/ heard the man named Abe frying
his bacon, and the smell of it crept
under the bed where / was, and made
me as hungry as | had been before |
ate. After a while / heard voices. The
Son Of Ben Ali was asking the man
named Abe If he would have to stay in
the loft on the planks all night. The
man named Abe said no, that he had a
snug place for the Son of Ben Ali.
9Now at that time there was sort
of a closet or something near where the
chimney iuts out here. The man nam
ed Abe had nailed some planks across
from the wall to the edge Of the CHM
ney. and in between the wall and the
planks there was room enough for a
man to stand up, or to lie down if he
lay on his side.
AFTER while, when everything was
quiet. the Son of Ben Ali clambered
down the wall, but when he touched
the floor he stumbled and fell over,
grooming. The man named Abe was
scared nearly to death, but it was moth
ing. / had been running hard, and |
was stiff and sore. The Son of Ben Ali
had been running hard, and he was
stiff and sore. Besides, he had been
living on the Dlanks in the loft in a
cranped position. not daring to move,
for fear he would be discovered, and
IL. Il IL
was nothing after ALL The Son of Ben
Ali raised himself, laughing, and
limped into the closet.
s'But he didn't stay there long. He
came out to stretch himself. This
made the man named Abe uneasy, and
then he became angry. But the son OF
Ben Ali simply laughed at him. This
made him still angrier. and he threat
ened to go to the white folks house
that's what he called it-and tell them
that runaway negro had taken pos
session of his cabin. The man named
Abe started out. ] don't know wheth-
er he would have gone If he had been
let alone, but he was not let alone. The
Son OF Ben Ali seized him by the
shoulders and jammed him down on his
stool, and then stood over him. The
man HdIteQ .Aj3E NOutd iietfI 1A411 ObAs
but the Son of Ben Ali placed his hand
softly on the mans mouth and spoke
one word, Listen but that was e.
nough.
"The man named Abe quoted down
at once. But he said he would be kill
ed if the white people caught him hid
ing q runaway. At this the Son Of Ben
Ali called me to him and said:
g Go out and stand by the door there.
When you hear any one coming, say
so
II iimped ont from under the bed
the best / could, for I was very stiff,
and scratched at the door and asked
to be let out. The man named Abe
opened the door, and watched to see
what / would do. ] only went d few
steps away from the door, and then
sat down, turning my head in all direc-
tions and listening When the man
named Abe shut the door again / went
and sat on the steps. | heard the man
ask the Son of Ben Ali II he was
L,