Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-04-04
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER xviii.
The strange thrill that passed through
me upon hearing the declaration that
Miss Esther Mansley had sent letter 10
me by the hand Of her servant quickly
vanished when came to consider the
announcement.
The negro believed me 70 be Hank
Boyer, for no addressed me as such and
showed it in everything he did and said
His mistress held the same belief when
she left her home and raised the win
dow Of my prison and helped mo to cs.
cape. Even il Erastus had the missive
with him I could not open it, for il
was intended for another person.
Ny interest centered upon the basket
at his feet
"what have you in that:" l asked.
"Dat? I like to furgot bout IL. OATS
full oh wittles dat Miss Esther told me
TO glib to yo'. She put 'em up fur yo'
herse'f and told me TO keep huntin fur
yo' till found yo', as she reckoned yo'
must be powerful hungry. Hab yo' got
any appetite left. Marse Hank?"
"Have / any appetite left" repeat
cd. almost dazcd by the glorious It'd.
ings "Ah, but let me test the question"
Erastus handed me the basket, and.
restraining my cagerness, gently re-
moved the snowy napkin inolosing the
pone, the corn cake and the game and
gazed enraptured upon the contents
There are some scenes too sacred to bc
dwelt upon and to which the pen can
not do justice. Let it suffice to say that
when passed the basket back to the
servant he remarked. with n grin:
"Yo' hain't left . crumb. Marse
Hank. Shall I 60 and got cartload
more fur yo'!''
~ have plenty. thank you, replied
dignifedly, "but you must remember
that that is the first mouthful l have
had since last night"
Hiseyes expanded, and he twisted his
thick lips into form to emit whistle.
"Gorrynaiion. il dat had been me I'd
died two, free days ago"
looked toward Black Mans swamp
Still il gave no sign OF life.
"Well. Erastus, now that the hun
cry has been fed. what do you think !
ought next TO do!"
"Hanged IL know Miss Esther had
writ 1t all down in dat letter and said
as how dat would explanify matters. F."
And the worried fellow renewed his
search for the missing missive, making
II so thorough that he removed each
,hoe and shook it out, but the former
tunt had established the fact that II
was nowhere about him.
felt uneasy in remaining near the
swamp. from which my pursuers were
likely to emerge at any moment.
"Erastus, nm going home with you.
Lead on"
~ guess dnt's what Miss Esther ex.
poets from de way she looked ut me
when she handed me dat letter"
Don't think any more about IL,
remarked. with an odd pang OF jealousy
that NO unworthy person should be the
recipient Of q missive from the dainty
hand Of Colonel Mansley's only daugh-
ter.
Beats do debbil!' muttered Eras-
tus, finally giving up the hunt through
his clothing and scrutinizing the ground
as he walked onward, with me beside
him. furtiyely glancing every few SEC
onds over my shoulder.
"Do You know darky named Pete
who lives in Black Mans swamp"
asked, with view OF diverting his at
tention from the subject that distressed
him.
Erastus stopped short, with sort Of
gasp, aud stared at me-
"why do yo' ask dat question, Marse
Hank? Yo' knows dat eberbody in de
world knows dat wuthless niger. He's
. bad man. Doan' yo' trust him.
~ must say don't fancy his looks
and manner and might have known
that you are acquainted with him. Why
does he make his home in the swamp"
Ny companion must have thought !
was pretending ignorance, but all the
same he answered with engaging frank
ness:
"His fader was Big Tom, who runned
away afo' de wah. He war de slave OBJ
Gin raj Witherspoon and one day killed
his oberseer. He TUX to do woods, slew
ed de dogs dey hunted him wild and lib
cd dar till be died.
"His wife accompanied him, / sup
poseI'
"Yaas, and dar son Pete was bohn dar
and hab libed dar eber since"
"What is there 80 bad about Peter"
"why, hab heerd it said, replied
Erastus, lowering his voice to q conf.
Dental key, "dat he amt none too good
to stole chickens. What yo' t'ink oh
dat, Marse Hank?"
"It is awful. / replied, with shud.
der. II have my suspicious that he is
degraded enough to indulge in such
wicked doings"
81 doan' say SO myself, fur / nebber
hab met him when-dat isl
"You have never met him wheni"
"When-dat is, when ! sometimes
takes walk by moonlight" explained
ErastuA with considerable embarrass-
ment
This was amusing in its way, but !
was eager to question the servant about
the family Of Colonel Mansley and saw
no way Of doing 30. Evidently he had
not grain of doubt that was the real
Henry Boyer, who as the accepted suitor
Of Miss Mansley. could impart informa-
tion to others. The questions which /
would have asked, therefore, would have
made me ridiculous in his eyes. His
mistress, having reason to believe was
in hiding somewhere In the neighbor-
hood and knowing my personal danger.
had sent her servant with food and o
letter which, unfortunately, he had lost
on the way.
There were other points. however,
upon which 1t was safe to question the
African.
"Erastus what made you leave me 30
suddenly last night"
"Yo' knows, Marse Hank. It war de
CRY ob dat bloodhound.
"But he was looking for me. not for
you
81 know dat. but war wild yo'.
Dem critters sometimes get t'ings