Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-24

Gas for his race, it's anomalous: His parents
blood was almost white, but he bred back
ward, as men sometimes do, and is blacker
than the average negro. And he has talent
for go.between, He can mimic 80 that the
evil one might take him for double. Did
he not fool thee? All! Nick" he contin-
ued, apostrophizing the absent man, IAN
were it not for thy color thy name would be
great in the field, though not SO great as is
thy big hearth"
"Would | had known il" answered. u
would have atoned for the black thoughts I
had of him, And now, friend Ames," con-
tinued, II have fancied you other than you
are. Had ] known what | now know,
'twould have saved deal of trouble. But,
first, owe you my life for what you did for
me, as, had you not sighted the redcpats and
acted, would"
"Were quits, friend, we're quits, did thee
but know it." he interrupted. Let us not
stand here; we have Turtle bay ahead and
no bed nearer. The way is long and rough,
seeiag we are debarred the highway. Thee
be well armed; give me pistol, for as
Quaker have nat SO much as bodkin."
"Being no Quaker, then spare me your
thees and thous," said i, thrnsting pistol
into his hands.
"But am Quaker, in truth, friend" he
answered.
"a Quaker, and 6ght!"
II am follower Of one Elias Hicks, who
takes q wider path than the orthodox. But
the blood is not thick in me, though Fam OF
the Quaker stock. fall into the style when
in need of concealment, and carry it out
fairly well-eh, friend?"
Faith said l, 81 take 1t you're on
broader path than Hicks e'er trod That
blow would have read you out OF meeting
were you true broad-brim. And how did
You cezep the party at the tavern" asked,
as we steppea out. :,
"By sending most of them to the north
after thee" be answered. "ro the rest l
Quilted the father Of lies, and ended by get
ting them into fair state of drunkenness,
and after, as an old man, pleaded fatigue
and went to bed ! am in bed pow, friend,
to them"
Though he still chung to the Quaker style
of speaking, he had laid aside the voice and
actions of the old man he had represented,
making q strange combination with his long,
white hair, broad-brimmed hat, youthful
tones, and sprigatly behavior. Through all
his words there was an lndercurrent OF dry
humor, which seemed to take no account OF
the deep danger we were in, or the, to me,
| absolute blankncss Of the future,
! Nor was this due to bravado or wonderful
courage Though he lacked none of the lat
ter), but, as he afterward told me, to the
tact that with the failure to get help from
Stfyker-a help he had accounted as certain
-he had given over hoping, and took des-
perately calm view OF the next day or two,
surely believing that by then all would be
over. Yet withal he in no wise abated his
vigilance, though he considered the hand OF
death was near him, and when, finally,
there opened up bare chance for our es-
cape from the island, he said it was as
though he had come back from the grave.
Ay, and so did l. 1t was as though a suf-
! locating hand placed over my mouth had
been suddenly withdrawn.
| Or the start he told me little of himself
Though bad thought to find him communi-
cative), and had TO drag from him that he
had left brother at Turtle bay, whom he
was now journeying to sejGin. The youth
was but year or two younger tnau himself,
fand fairly helpless, having been stricken by
the Almighty with dumbness from birth,
though not with it's usual accompanying
curse-deafness From helping the great
cause in some way both brothers were under
a ban, and my eompanion's life was forfeit
If he was taken.
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