Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-09-09

we Shant be overheard here" said
my companion I'm make a smoke to
save us from being devoured alive"
He lit a cigar and consumed it with
short, emphatic puffs- watched his
face anxiously, and saw that his square
under-jaw was set, and that he was
thinking hard. Suddenly he put the
question TO me:
What do you think of me, anyway,
Dorr Jewett?"
A little disconnected by the abrupt
ness of the question, / presently an
severed, and told him the exact truth:
''When | first came here, j thought
you were rough and cruel TO the
negroes Afterward found out that
you were more rough than cruel; and
still later, / have known you for
good friend"
"Yes; that's pretty near the truth.
Before tell you my plan, want you
10 know enough about me to under
stand that I am not coming to your
help blindfolded- l know the risk, and
III face it; and you must know it. !
told you l was born in Pennsylvania.
Ten years and more, I've been in
Louisiana came down here with
head full of the horrors OF slavery, as it
had been pictured to me. suppose
the real thing strikes different people
from the north in different ways;
some might have seen all that I've
seen, and be confirmed in their notions
of the institution. I haven't been.
Contact with the negro in this state,
where there are as many OF him as
there is of the white man, has made me
believe that a condition of slavery is a
good thing, the only thing for hin-"
but Coralie---'
Hold on; I'm coming TO her. Such
has been my opinion. In single day
/ am brought face to face with the ug-
LEST aspect of the whole problem. I've
heard of such things as this ! never
knew any such personally. ! have
supposed that the facts must be dis
torted and exaggerated. Now, there is
no mistake. We knoic what has hap
pened on this plantation / won't
siclxen you by reminding you of what
may happen You'd say, ] would say,
almost every planter in the La Fourche
would agree, that the treatment which
that beautiful sohite girl tell you it
just as it isis likely TO receive at the
hands of her own kin, her half-broth-
er, just as You heard him threaten it.
is more than brutal Sir, it is damna-
bler
He stamped his foot in his excite
ment.
''And the law would permit it?"
The law would ask just one ques-
ton: Was her mother a slave? We
know what the answer would be in
this case Nothing else would be re-
garded."
"Must we submit to such mon
strous condition of law?'' 1 cried
He looked fixedly at me.
boy, you've got spirit; you need to
be guided, but you've the true stuff
The girls safety and deliverance are a
thousand times more to you than to
me; yet hang me if the fix she's in
don't appeal to me in a way that can't
stand And if you ask me if we shall
submit to have Coralie sent to New Or
leans and sold like horse to a condi-
ton worse than death say mol by the
good mother that bore me, won'tr'
pass the words / said to him, the
thanks l tried to give him. He cut
them all short
Never mind that, Dorr. I'm with
you, heart and hand; you be guided by
me, and we'll save her Or
He stopped
Perhaps you didn't know that if
you are caught trying toabducta slave
in Louisiana they'll send you to the
Baton Rouge penitentiary for term
of years"
Il did not know it, and don't care for
it. Tell me what we shall do
His own excited feelings found re-
lief in a laugh at my eager reckless
ness. Rapidly he laid his plans before
me- ! considered it as he spoke, and
saw that it offered chance of success.
He said that men of the class of Con-
rad Bostoclx and his companions. upon
such an occasion as this, would be
very sure to spend the night over the
wine bottle and cards. He proposed
to communicate stealthily with Coralie
| through the faithful house servants,
and after midnight get her quietly out
of the house and drive to Donaldson
vile, taking carriage and ponies from
the place. He knew that the Cotton
Queen stopped at Donaldsonville about
daylight, going up, and that to-mor
row was her day. We would go fal
enough to reach the vicinity of a rail
road, short of any of the cities where
we might be overtaken by telegraph
and there go ashore.
I'VE can throw off the pursuit il
this way" he said. I'VE can land a
some obscure wood station. 1t mus
be this side OF Baton Rouge, if tn,
Queen stops there, for there the tele
graph can overhaul us, and we viii
strike across the country to som,
equally obscure railroad station. IL
/ dafxy fbar, - a,1 80 -, - -