Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-19

had revived at sound Of that never for
gotten harsh voice Of hers. Once more
she and Seth and Charlie were three
abject little wretches, creeping about
the house in awful terror Of old Whey,
who had come up from the stock mind
er's cabin in the fats to nurse her foster
son through scarlet fever. OF the time
when black Suzanne and Strong had
drawn their life nourishment from those
withered breasts, ~impartially offered,
she knew only as a matter Of family
history. Time had not improved Viney's
temper nor added to her beauty, but
if she was good to Strong Liza was
quite ready to condone all personal
Sights.
All these revived reflections went with
her as she began the steep and stepless
ascent of the cliff, holding fast by every
branch and root that offered to support
her, trusting blindly to stumble on the
steps Strong had told her of. But pres
emily there was nothing in her mind
but that green, endless wall stretching
up, up before her. Between the wind
tossed branches Of the trees she could
catch glimpses Of high piled cumulus
clouds that were pregnant with thunder
and rain, Whey was right, after all,
pleton.
A sharp reverberating report, follow
ing almost Immediately on a zigzag
line of light that seemed fairly to cleave
the heavens in twain, completed her
dismay. Blinded, bewildered, terrified,
she glanced wildly about her and recog-
nized the extremity of her foolish dar-
ing. She was lost OH the cliffs and knew
not which direction to give her next
steps.
Like a veritable babe in the woods
she sat down Oh the nearest tree root,
lifted up her voice and wept.
A gentle, Intellectual protest against
fate's malicious treatment Of her was
that wall, mingling with the ominous
cracking of dead limbs suddenly part
ing with the parent stem, pealing thun-
der and the impetuous rush Of countless
rivulets dashing headlong down the
cliff to pay tribute to the black pond at
it's base. But that human cry was most
unexpectedly answered i'll human fash
ion. At her very feet, apparently, a
question was asked i'll a wondering,
sympathizing voice:
"Gord-a-mity! Wat you dom here:
Is you los, little mistis?"
"Oh, Abram, lost and frightened tc
DEATH"
Then she recoiled in a greater terror
than any hat had gone before, but
only a fieeting distrust seized upon hel
and it left her full Of remorse.
"You ketch your def NV col settin OIL
dem wet roots. l gwine git you out Ell
here, little mistis, in Il hurry, even ct
dey bags me fur it,"
From a hollow in the trunk of an
immense tree, a leaf strewn and ca
pacious cave, the tattered shoulders
were first thrust, then the agile limbs,
and French Abe, already a degree less
wolfish about the eyes, stood fully re-
vealed.
"You amt skeered to follow Abe, is
you, little mistis?"
The negative he waited for SO anx'
iously did not come readily. Liza's dry
tongue refused to shape it.
"You ben good to Abe, an Abe dom
never forgit. Mars Ran good to Abe
too, and Abe aim never run way tel
Mars Ran go way and lef' him. He
~gentleman's body sarvint. That wa
this niger is. gwine git you QUITE
here eff you'll follow me. Abe know
desc woods tolluble well by dis time"
Liza rose with trust in her eyes ant
in her voice. After all, why should b.
not be as good as his promise? Was sh'
not getting back the bread-Strong'j
bread-which she bad cast upon thu
waters with unexpected promptness
Now she could speaE that word Of com
fort:
"Abram, you neel not be afraid tt
pilot me out of these woods. Mr.. Ran
dial has come back. You cal 60 to Lau
! rel Dell this morning, if you want to
without fear Of punishment.
MARS Ran come back? Den dis mig
! ger gwine quit his foolishness. don
tole myself I gwine stay in de cane tel
Mars Ran sen me word to come back
He didn't b'leeve me, dat good fu
nothin po' wife trash NV a overseer
! wen ! say l couldn' pick cotton. H
aim with a niger, nary niger NV hi
own. | don teached him a less'n."
This in m%onologue as he rapid.
wound his way ~unwaveringly through
the wet green maze about them, closet.
followed by Liza. So, wen this poo
s~tarveling, this battered fugitive slave
could afford to despise her father-al
overseer! The very abject of the cart
could fearlessly spit upon the name o
Martini And there was no man anon,
them all ready to wipe out the smirch
II gwine tex you to Unc' Scip'
house. Unc' Scip live right on top tn
cliff. Is you tired, little mistis' Hit
the fus' house we come to.
mo, go Onslaught on. am nc
tired. l will pay you for guiding M
out of this"
She was conscious Of a lifting Of tn
clouds-''of a Frightening in the skies.
The thunderstorm was passing as
had come. with magical suddenness
They were winning their upward wa
rapidly. The trees were thinner, bu
the underbrush more dense as the
gained the uplands. The briers caugh
her soft serge skirts and held them wit
thorny, devastating fingers; cold, we
limbs sprinkled her with their surplu
moisture. Abrams bare feet bore hi1
over the rough ground much more raj
idly than she could possibly follow him
But she was not taking note of any on
Of her many physical discomforts. Th