The San Francisco call., 1899-04-09

hear no bugles blow"
Just then Big Sal, who had fixed up
her hair, and was quite presentable,
having put on her Sunday clothes.
came into the cabin and stood over
against the fireplace.
'Wuz dey many er we-all wild dem
ar white folks?" she asked.
''Well'um, 1 should sesso!" exclaimed
Fountain; too many, lots too many;
more den dey'1 find rashuns fur eff
amt mighty much mistaken"
What dey all gwine long fur?"
asked Big Sal.
"Dey er feared eff dey stay at home
dey won't be free. Now, how bout
dat?" suggested Fountain.
why, grandfather and pap both say
the negroes are free. whether they go
or stay" said Buster John. Grand
father says he is mighty glad the
black folks across the creek are free"
"Dey been prayin' fer it long 'nuff,''
remarked Big Sal.
I'VE all is free 'nuff," said Johnny
Bapter, but who gwine ter feed us?"
Dat is so; dat is sho' one way fer
ter look at it," exclaimed Fountain.
uneasily.
OtC l Ills oil uCI olll l"OJ ~ AoNAASA
starve right here, whar l been born
at dan starve way off in de woods
whar nobody don't know me-"
shadow darkened the door, and
there stood Aaron, his right hand
raised well, we'll! What's all this?
Everything to do, and nobody to do it,
He whistled low under his breath.
Horses and mules to feed, hogs to
call, sheep to salt, calves to take away
from the COWS. Well, well! 1 :.ear
calls for meal, meat syrup"
Hits a fac" assented Fountain.
"Yo hear my min workin'," said
Johnny Bapter. Make me hoss out'n
meal, meat an syrup, an I'll eat i'm
up 70 yo' eyes" He rose, stretched
himself, let one side of his face drop
with affected sorrow, while the other
side was laughing, winked at the chill
dren and darted out into the mist and
rain. Presently the children heard him
calling, first the hogs, and then the
sheep.
Aaron and Fountain followed more
sedately, and in the course of half an
hour the horses and mules could be
heard tearing the fodder from the racks
and munching the ears of corn. By
dinner time, according to Aaron's re-
port, there was but one hand missing
from the place; and as he had been
hired from the Myrick estate, 1t was
not expected that he would take up his
abode on the Abercrombie plantation.
The fact that all the men, women
and children came back after taking
a short holiday would have been some
what puZzling 70 the children's father
if he had been at home; he had i'm
bibed some of the modern ideas of
business 1t would cost something to
clothe and feed them during the winter
months, and all this would be clear
loss since their labor would not be
profitable until the planting season be-
gan But there was no problem in 1t
for the white-haired master, the child
ren's grandfather He looked for
ward to a period of chaos and confu-
sion, when labor would be hard to
secure Besides, as he said, the ne
groes had helped to make the ample
supply of provisions with which the
smokehouse was stocked, and they
were entitled to a share of it, espe-
ciaIly if they were willing to remain.
Moreover, nearly all were born at the
place and knew no other home.
And the plantation seemed to be
very lucky in all respects. There were
twenty bales of cotton stored under the
ginhouse shed. and before Christmas
day were sold at an average OF $250
apiece-cotton was high directly after
the war. This put $4,000 in greenbacks
in the plantation treasury; and in that,
as in other things, the Abercrombie
place was mere fortunate than any of
the other plantations for miles and
miles around.
But Buster John and Sweetest Susan
didn't think so. Everybody was so
busy-even Johnny Bapter, who used
to laugh and loaf every chance he had
that the children were driven back
upon themselves. They could talk to
the other animals on the place, but
that sort of thing ceased to be inter
esting when you have nothing else to
do. They made signals to Mrs. Mead
ows and waited patiently about the
spring, hoping to catch glimpse of
Little Mr. Thimblefinger. But all to NO
purpose Buster John was disgusted
and said so: but Sweetest Susan had
clearer ideas about the matter.
What can you eXpect?' she asked.
"If you were Mr.. Thimblefnger what
would you have done when you saw
that great crowd of men and wagons,
and heard the drums and the brass
horns? Why, you wouldn't show your
head in year And as for Mrs. Mead
ows, one Of the soldiers let his horse
drink from the spring. What do you
suppose Mrs. Meadows thought when
she saw that kind of shadow staring
at her through the water?"
''Well, grandfather says war is the
worst thing that ever happened in the
world" said Buster John, "and I
reckon it is
(To Be Continued)
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