The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-04-05
copxrlghted. 1897. by Joel Chandler Harris.
TX
THE UPSETTING OF MIR. GOSSETT.

THE UPSETTING OF MR.. GOSSETT.
If Aaron had known 1t was Mr.. Gossett's
voice he heard and Mr.. Gossetts hand That
brought the buggy whip down on the poor
horses back with such cruel energy, the
probability is that he would have taken
to his heels; and yet 1t Is impossible TO
say with certainty. The Son of Zen All
such curious compound that his &c
lions depended entirely on the mood ne
CHANGED TO be I'm. lie was full of courage
and yet was terribly afraid at times. lie
was dlgnlhed and proud. and yet no str&nB-
er to humility. His whole nature resent
ed the idea OF serving as a slave. yet ne
would have asked nothing better thah
to be Little Crochett's slave. and he was
glad to cali Mr.. Abercrombie master. 30
that after all It may be that he would
have stood his ground knowing that the
voice and hand were Mr. Gossetts. Wheh
his ears told him. they now did, that the
horse made furious by the cruel etrGk" 81
the whip was running away, coming Gown
the hill at breakneck speed.
Mr. Gossett had been on frui-lcss er-
rand. When his son George tt1ched nome
that morning and told MIN that Mr.. jim
Smmons's dogs had followed the tran 70
the river and there lost IT, Mr.. 'fossetI
remarked that he was glad he dld not
go on n fools Grand and he made va
rlous statements about Mr.. SiIamons and
his dogs that were not at an polite. l-Ater
IN the day. howver. Though the hour
was stin early. when Mr.. Sossct was
making the customary round ~ ms pam
tatfon he fell In win a negro VINO had
been hunting for some stray sheep. Inc
negro. after giving an account OF MS
movements. made this further remark.
II sholy 's1ccted you'd De over Narder
wild Mr.. Jim Simmons. Marstar. His dogs
done struck trail leadn' inter dc swamp
an dey sho went callyh Do-in'
"When was that2" Mr.. COssntt inquired.
"Not mo- dan two hours age. g; dat"
responded the negro. Il lis'n NJ uin & .,
an dey went right spang lords "e swamp
/ know'd the dogs k2se / done hear um
soon dis mornin'."
Giving the NEGRO some instruc' on, that
would Keep him busy the rest of the az
e he carried them out. Nr. GosSftt iutn-
cd his horses head in the direction Fl lLe
Swamp and rode sloly thither. Tho blue
falcon scared high IN The ma and p31d 80
attention to- Mr. Gossett. For various ic2-
sons that the Swamp knew about the Tur-
key Buzzard was not IN sight. The swamp
Itself was fun of reposeful silence that
daylight usually brought e.. Mr.. Gossett
rode about and iistene1. but if all the
DOGS IN the world h1d suddenly disap-
peared. the region round about coLh rot
have been freor of their barking All hay
Ing than Il was at thar moment
n
turn about and ride back home. But he
was very much puzzled. If Mr. simmons
had trailed a runaway into the swamp
ana caught him. or if he had made TWO
failures in one morning. Mr.. Gossctt would
Ike very much TO know it, In point Of
fact he was such practical business man
that ne felt ii was Mr.. Simmonss duty
n make some sort Of report TO him. IN
matters of this kind Mr. Gossett was very
precise.
But after dinner he felt IN a more jocu-
lar mood. He informed his son George
that he thought he would so over aad
worry Mr.. Simmons a little over MS fan
ure to catch Aaron. and he had his horse
put 10 the buggy. and rode six or s. ven
miles to Mr. simmons home. smiling
grimly rs ne went.
Mr.. Simmons was at home. but was not
feeling very well MS his wife informed
Arr Gossett. Mrs. Simmons herself was IN
no very amiable mood. as Mr.. Gossett very
soon found out But She asked him IN 20
utelv enough an said she'd go and tell
Jimmy that company had come. She went
to the garden gate. not very Tar IRON the
house. and called out to her husband IN L
thrill voice;
OF a Gossett IS IN the house. Come see
what he wants And do put on your coat
before YOU come I'm the house And wash
your hands. They're dirter than sin. Ana
hit that shock of yours one Ac6 with
the comb and brush. And come right on
now If I have to sit there ana tank 70
the old rascal long I'll have iit Amt
Won coming? I'll run back before he ran
sacks the whole house"
Mr. Simmons came sauntering IN AFTER
while. and his wife made that the excuse
for disappearing. though she went no fur-
Their than the other side of the door where
she listened with all hear ears. being iulcd
with n consuming curiosity To know what
business brought Mr.. Gossett to that house.
she had not long to wait. for the visitor
plunged into the subject At once.
you may know | was anxious about
Won simmons, or I wouldn't he hete."
i,The old hypocrte' remarked Mrs. Sim
mons on the other side of the ioor). "Ycu
didn't come by when your hunt ended. and
l allowed maybe that YOU had caught the
Niger and either killed or crippled him.
and-ahen-felt sort of bac Iwardncss IN
telling me about 1t. So l thought l would
come over and see you. If only to say
lint whether you caught the Niger or
killed him. he's responsible for It ana not
you"
"No. Colonel. I'm not in The practice OF
killing niggers nor Gripping them. I've
cauoht a many of 'em. but I've reYer
hurt one vet. But. Colonel! If you'd "a
gone through with what I've been thLi day,
you'd "a done exactly what / done. YOU'D
"a went right straight home without stop
ping to asst questions or TO aswer en-
much less tell tales"
Thereupon Mr. Simmons told tie story Of
his adventure in the Swamp, vanishing
mn the facts as he thought he kcew them,
and adding some details calculated TO make
ne episode much more interesting from
his Doint of view. 1t will Ice remembered
mat Mr.. Simmons was in total ignorance
of what really had happened in the swamp.
He had conceived the theory that MS dogs
nd nit uDon the trail of a wildcat gong
from the river to its den in the Swamp,
ard that when the dogs had followed II
there they had been attacked, not by one
Wildcat, but by the whole "cahoodle' or
vildcatg to use Mr. Simmons's expression.
Having conceived this theory. Nr. Sim
mons not only stuck to 1t. but added vari-
Gus incidents that did credit to his magma
ton For instance. he made this statement
In reply To a question from Mr.. Gossett:
What did ] think when l heard all the
racket and saw Sound come out mangled?
Well, III tell you, Colonel, l didn't know