Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-21

gentle voice, lyon don't think Of going
inter 1t at all, jedge, Strong"
Without altering his position Strong
removed his eyes from the dancing
sparks to Seth's anxious face. Some Of
the sparks seemed TO have been insnar-
ed in their sombers depths, they glowed
with such intense fire as he slowly
ground out his reply between his clinch-
ed teeth.
"Go into it? No, I'll EFF dol"
For a second of reflective silence Seth
smoothed the creased kneecaps Of his
jean trousers with his long freckled
hands. Then his courage came back to
him.
"The Martins amt cuttin very
good fgger in this row nohow, and it
amt particularly creditable to us, see
ing how many Of US there is-men Mar
tins, mean. The old man is out of the
question. The niggers are so upset they
don't know whether they be standin on
their heads er on their heels, and he 8
just holdin himself in readiness to stam-
pede 'em all, mules and niggers, over
Ou W tlt MdCOu uAlAs no eOOu 10 iChb-
burg falls, which it is p'ison sure to do,
In my estimation. And he needs all the
help can give him while we stay here
or if we slscdaddle. We're jus waitin
for the gov'ner to give the word, and
the gov'ner he's just waitin to hear
from some army friend he's wrote to
for advice OH the situation. And Char
lie, he's such delicate chap that ma
would just fret herself plum crazy if
he was to list. And so''-
Strong split the sentence in twain
with All unpleasant laugh.
"And so, as ] am not needed any
where in particular, and no one is at
all likely to fret themselves plum era
zy' if were to be picked off by Yam
kee bullet or snuffed out by camp fever,
you came down this afternoon to urge
my enlistment.
Seth looked at him with sorrowfpl
rebuke.
"You air as raw these days, Strong,
az a piece Of liver. l reckon it comes Of
not being quite satisfied with yourself.
But you needn't cut up rough with me.
God knows, and so do you, Strong Mar
tin, that nothin on the top of this
green earth would please me better than
to be foot loose right now, when there's
so much man work to be done. ] dent
suppose you are quite ready yet 10 tell
me to my face that am liar and .
coward, are you?'
He had taken tight hold Of his coat
lapels with his wrinkled, freckled
hands, as if feeling the necessity for
strong personal restraint. His lean,
stopping figure was uplifted defiantly.
All the temper he could possibly COM
mand OH such short notice flashed from
his protruding blue eyes
Strong laughed as he leaned over and
passed a soothing hand over his broth
er's baggy kneed trousers.
"Save your ammunition for the enc
my, buddy Seth. / wasn't flinging at
you. l don't think any Of the Martins
are towards, and you are the pluckiest
Martin of the whole tribe. But, Seth
Martin" seizing the tongs and giving
another savage lunge at the fire, this
is not the Martins fight 1t is Adrien
Strong's fight, curse him, and it is Ran
dal Chambliss' fight. 1t is fight for
and about the niger. And the only
ones concerned in it are those who own
the nigger and those who dont want
him to be owned. 1t is not your fight,
it is not fathers nor mine. If every
black skin III the universe was freed to-
morrow, it would be better for you and
the rest of the Martins.
Seth laughed incredulously.
"Mebbe SO, but as they amt never 60
in to be free reckon us Martins will
just have to bother long with 'em like
we've been doin, father and son, since
the year one. l don't much fancy that
trip over to the Macon hills 1t won't be
no play work movin all the hands and
the work stock back 40 miles from the
river, to say nothin of the sheep and
cattle 1t might abb en- q easy job in
the days of father Abram and Isaac and
Jacob, but it will be somethin Of an un-
dertakin for the old man and ME. "
Suppose the negroes won't go?"
Wont go!" Seth roared. "Well, I
reckon we don't expect to waste no
time consultin their wishes on the sub
ject. The plan Of the campaign is al
ready mapped out We are just waitin
for the word go from the gov'ner. Pa
will lead the van with the men and the
mules, and will be rearguard to the
women and children and cattle. You
see the gov v'ner wants 'em all run back
to the hills before he starts out him
SELF"
"Starts out where to?"
"To join the army and Adrien'
II thought he was a Union man."
$50 he was. So he was He wanted
to save the Union. You know he did.
Ole man Strong is true grit to the back
bone. Don't you mind his speech at the
big ratification meetin? How he begged
'em almos' with the tears in his eyes
not to do nothin that couldn't be un-
done? How he warned 'em they was
playing with sword that could cut
two ways? Don't you recollec, Strong,
when the ord nance of secesh was pass
ed an everybody was a-whoopin an a.
hollerin all grabbin for blue cockades,
how the ole man S head dropped till his
white beard touched the bottom button
OH his vest? was a-lookin square at
him, and could almos' a-swore, Strong,
that | saw the water a-standin in his