Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-08-17
The Color Line
By E. crayton Mccants
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

lie long, not AFTERNOON wore slowly
away-too slowly it seemed to the
tired little fellows who sat on the rough
pine benches of the little log school
house. The teacher dozed in his chair
and the bald spot on the top of his
head wagged invitingly. The boys
nudged each other, pointed at it, and
began to chew paper. Presently soft
wad of the macerated material struck
the wall high above the head of the
drowsy pedagogue. The boys sudden
~ became interested in their books
and watched from the corners only of
their eyes. The teacher did not stir,
the bald spot dropped little lower,
that was all. Therefore the paper
chewing was resumed and went on
vigorously. The next shot struck lit
tie lower, and as it produced no alarm
ing movement, they all began to throw.
What an exciting game it was to come
just as near as possible to that bald
spot without hitting it.
Presently there was a catastrophe.
An unusually large wad landed just
in the middle of the nodding target.
Mighty in his wrath at all times was
this pedagogue of by-gone days, but
they who saw him said that never did
lie seem so terrible as at this moment
when he dragged the culprit-a little,
delicate, yellow-haired lad-from the
bench. \ logging was nothing to most
of the sturdy, rioting lads who COM
posed the school, but to this delicate
child, who had never had blow in his
life, it was like facing death. Accord
ing to the unwritten law his punish
ment was just, therefore he made no
plea. The CLEAN of mischief was gone
from his face and naught was left but
stark, wild-eyed terror; yet he set his
jaws, clenched his little fists to keep
them from shaking, and tried to be
brave.
As the teacher bent the supple "hick-
cries. in his hands to make sure of their
strength, the features of another lad
began twitching with emotion. He was
sort of social "outlander," this lat
ter boy-the son of an overseer. There
was little in common between the fair
haired heir of wealthy planter and
the dark, robust son of the driver of
slaves, and yet, of them all, he alone
understood. Tile KANT stand it," he
muttered. "An' he looks like little jim
my whut died.
Already the 1.-THE rods were aloft.
''Hol' on minute, teacher. throwed
that spitbali myself
The pupils looked at the speaker in
amazement. They could not UNDER
stand that kind of lie. The small boy
made some ntprotest, but the teacher
was too angry to heed. The son of the
overseer carried sore bones home that
night.
It was 50 years afterward. The
bones of the pedagogue and the logs of
the schoolhouse had long ago crumbled
into dust. A lantern hung on a corner
of rail fence and lighted dimly Sec
ton Of the hard road bed. Back beyond
the fields a half-dozen cabins were
family outlined against the sky line
and near them the reflected glare of
a fire told that meeting of some sort
was in progress. Out in the shadows
where the feeble rays of the lantern
could not penetrate score of stamp
ing horses sawed at their bits impa-
tiently. Two men lifted a body from
the ground. A great hole gaped in the
side of the head and the coarse hair
was matted with blood. The lips were
drawn by the sardonic smile of death
and the white face cleaned beneath
the red mustache.
: man with shotgun in his hand
suddenly began throwing the rails
from the fence.
''They killed him because he was
white" he said, jerking his thumb over
mis- shoulder toward the thing in the
road. Suppose we go over there and
kiln few because they are black"
This logic seemed good to those who