Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-14
COPYRIGHT, 1897 sY THE AUTHOR

Just holdin himself in readiness to STAN
pede 'em all, mules and niggers, over
on to the Macon hills as soon as Vicks-
burg falls, which it is p'ison sure to do,
in my estimation. And he needs all the
help I can give him while we stay here
OF If we skedaddle. 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 on the situation. And Char
lie, he's such a delicate chap that ma
would just fret herself plum crazy if
he was to list. And so'-
Strong split the sentence in twain
with an unpleasant laugh.
"And 80, as l am not needed any
where in particular, and no one is at
all likely to fret themselves plum era
ny if / were to be picked off by a Yam
kee bullet or snuffed out by camp fever,
you came down this afternoon to urge
my enlistment.
Seth looked at him with sorrowful
rebuke.
"You air as raw these days, Strong,
as 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
60 much mans work to be done. ! don't
suppose you are quite ready yet to tell
me to my face that ! am q liar and a
coward, n 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 ON such short notice flashed from
his %protruding blue eyes.
Strong laughed as he leaned over and
passed a soothing hand ove his broth
er's baggy kneed trousers.
"Save your ammunition for the Il Q
my, buddy Seth. l wasn't 1inging at
you. 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. It is Adrien
Strong's fight, curse him, and it is Ran
dial Chambliss' fight. 1t is a fight for
and about the niger. And the only
mes concerned in it are those who own
the niger and those who don't want
him to be owned. 1t is not your fight,
it is not fathers nor mine. If every
black skin in 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 I reckon us Martins will
just have to bother long with 'em like
we've been doin, father and son., since
the year one. I 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 a-b'en a easy job in
the days of father Abram and Isaac and
Jacob, but it will be somethin Of an I'M
dertakin for the old man and me-"
Suppose the negroes won't go?"
won't gor' Seth reared. well,
reckon we don't expect to waste no
time c~onsultin 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 g~ov'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'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
EN- 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 q sword that could cut
two ways? Don't you recollec', Strong,
when the ord finance of secesh was pass
ed-an everybody was a-whoopin an a
hollerin an grabbin for blue cockades,
how the ole mans head dropped till his
white beard touched the bottom button
on his vest? I was a-lookin square al
him, and I could almos' a.swore, Strong,
that | saw the water a-standin in his
ole eyes"
Perhaps you did. The governor il
rather emotional, and he was a Union
man all the way through" said Strong
coldly.
"You make me feel like I had took a
drink of ice water when I wasn't thirs-
ty, Strong. Well, Union man or no,
the gov'ner is gettin ready to go on,
himself"
"Go out where?"
ITO the front, or wherever there's
1ghtin to do. He says he can't sit in
the chimbly corner sucking his thum's
while other men are taking their
chances for the bullets. Oh, I tell you
there amt no discount on ole man
Strong"
Strong WINGED and involuntarily
moved farther away from the chimney
corner. Presently he broke out passion
ately:
"It isa--s shame. The whole thing
san internal mistake. Making butch
ers out Of men who wouldn't harm 8
hair on q dogs back il left to their owr
devices Now, If the army was made
up exclusively Of such sneaks as Adrier
Strong, the country could survive it,
loss
ID A 1-l-.. CA---- - N..--l