The times., 1897-04-11


and said good night.
Mait!" exclaimed Mr.. Gossett. Where's
my pistol?'
Inside the buggy seat" replied Aaron,
and disappeared in the darkness.
Mr.. Gossett called a negro to take the
horse, and it seemed as if one sprang from
the ground to answer the call with q Yes,
marster,' Oh the end of his tongue. 1t was
Chunky Riley.
How long have you been standing here?''
asked Mr. Gossett, suspiciously.
Nc, time, marSter. Des come a-runnin'
whea hear de buggy wheels scruashin on
de gravel 1 hear you talkin' to de boss
whites / comm froo de big gate down
yander by de barn
You're a mighty swift runner, then, y
remarked Mr.. Gossctt, doubtfully.
"Yasser I'm a right peart niger. I'm
short, but SOON Thereupon Chunky Riley
pretended to laugh. Then he made a discov-
cry and became very serious. Marster,
dey amt no sign er 40 bride on dish yer
hoss. And whar de lines Is anybody ever
see de beat er dat? Marster, how in de
name er goodness kin you drive dish yer
hoSs without bride er lines"'
Its easy enough when you know how, p"
replied Mr.. Gossett, compiacently, He was
flattered aud soothed by the idea that
Chunky Riley would believe him to be a
greater man than ever. Give the horse a
good feed commanded Mr.. Gossett. He
has Travelled Tar toligat, and he and have
seen some queer sights
We'll suh!' exclaimed Chunky Riley,
with well-atrecteI anazcment. He caught
the horse 10y the roreIock and led it care
fully through the gate into the lot. thence
to the buggy shelter. where he proceeded
to take off the harness.
He shook his head and muttered to him
self all the while. for he was wrestling
with the most mysterious problem that
had ever been presented to his mind. He
had seen Aaron in the buggy with his mas
ter; he had heard his master begging Aaron
not To stay IN the woods. He had seen and
heard these things with his own eyes and
ears. and they were too mysterious for his
simple mind to eX plain Didn't Aaron be-
long to Chunky Riley's master? Wash t
he a runa way? Didn't his master try TO
catch him? Diiu't he have the Simmons
nigger- logs after him that very day? Wen,
then. why didn't his master keep Aaron
while he had him in the buggy? Why did
he sit stiT and allow the runaway to go
back TO the woods?
This was much more mysterious 20
Chunky Riley than anything he had ever
heard Of lie could make neither head nor
tail Of il. He knew that Aaron had some
mysterious influence over the animals,
both wild ana tame. That could be ac-
counted for on grounds that were en-
tirely plausible and satisfactory to the
suggestions of Chunky Riley's supersti-
ton But, did Aaron have the same power
over his own master? 1t certainly seemed
so, for he rode in the buggy with him.
and went off into the woods again right
before Mr. GoSsett's eyes.
But wait a niinutel II Aaron really had
any influence over his own master, why
didn't he stay at home instead Of going
into the woods? This was problem too
complicated for Chunky Riley to work out.
But IL worried him so that he whispered
1T among the other negroes on the place,
and so it spread through all that region.
A fortnight afterward it was nothing un-
common for negroes TO come at night from
plantations miles away so that they might
hear from Chunky Riley's own lips W ha / he
had seen.
The tale that Chunky Riley told was he
yond belief, but it was all the more i'm
preSsive on that account. And it was very
fortunate for Aaron, too, in one respect.
After the story that Chunky Riley told
became bruited about there was not
negro to I've found who could be bribed or
frightened into spying on AaTon's move
mentS, or Who could he induced to say that
he had seen him
It was observed, too. by all the negrpes,
as well as by many OF the white people,
that Mr. GosSett seemed to lose interest
in his fugitive slave. He made TO more
effort to capture Aaron, and, when twitted
about it by some OF his near ncighDors,
his iuvariahie remark was: "oh, the
niggerll come home soon enough when
cold weather sets in. a nigger can stand
everything except cold weather" Yet tsr.
Gosseit's ueighbors all knew that nothing
wss easier than for a runaway to make a
fire in the woods and keep himself fairly
comfortable They wondered, therefore,
why the well known energy of Mr.. Gossett
ia capturing his runaway negroes-and he
had q remarkable experience in the matter
of rmawavs should suddenly cool down
with respect to Aaron.
BUTT must not be supposed thatt this made
anv real difference On the contrary as
soon as George Gossett found that his
father was willing to allow matters to
take their course as far as Aaron was con-
cerned, he took upon himself the task Of
z the fugitive, and in this business
he was able TO enlist the interest of the
Young men of the neighborhoon, who,
without asking anybody's advice, con-
stituted themselves the patrol. George
Gossetts explanation to his companions
in engaging their assistance was: Pap
is getting old, and he amt got time to he
setting up late at night and galloping about
all day trying to catch runaway nigger."
These young fellows were quite willing
20 pledge themselves to George Gossett's
plaus They had arrived at the age when
the vigor of youth seeks an outlet and it
was merel in the nature of frolic for them
20 ride half the night patroIling and sit out
the other half watching for Aaron.
But there was one popularity about the
vgils that were kept on account Of Aaron.
They were carried on, for the most part,
within tasting distance Of the stillhouse
run by Mr.. Fullalove, which was ON
small watercourse, not far from the Aber-
crombie place. Mr.. FBnalove was en-
ployed SIMPLY to superintend the dlstilling
OF peach and apple brandy and corn
and, although 1t was his duty to
taste of the low wines as they trickled
from the spout of the worm he could
boast. as he frequently did, that
not a drop Of liquor had gone down his
throat for forty years" Being a tenn
perance man, and feeling himself respon-
sible for the stuff at the still, he was
inclined to resent the freedom with Which
The young men conducted themselves.