The National tribune., 1900-09-13
DREAD DAYS IN DIXIE.
Continued from frs, page. }

we, travel on so long as the woods extend
ed in the right direction. The other boys
agreeing, we plodded along for perhaps
a mile, when we heard the sound of axes
ahead. Going as near the choppers us
possible without being seen, we found
there was but two of them, SO waiting till
they stopped work for the night Brannan
and i went up to them to ask for food,
trusting in our legs to get away should
they prove unfriendly. We found them to
be negroes cutting wood for their master,
whose house was about mile away.
These negroes told us that most of the
white men of the neighborhood were away
in the army: that their master was the
only white man on his plantation; that he
was old and feeble and, further, that II
we would wait till they could go home
and do their chores they would bring us
| some food.
We of course assented to their PROPOSE
| ton, called the other boys and proceeded
| to dispose ourselves around the fire which
| the negroes had left for good warm. 1t
was soon dark, and bega- showing. Alto
gether it came to be very disagreeable, and
! | almost wished | had let well enough
alone and stayed with the wood squad.
While these thoughts were passing
through my mind one of the boys suggest
| ed that maybe the negroes would fool us.
and instead OF food bring men to march
us back to the stockade. This suggestion
so excited our fears that we piled on a
| fresh supply of wood to keep the fire burn
| ing, and then retired to a safe distance
to watch and waited the return of our
dusky friends. They soon came up to the
| fire, and not finding us, began peering
around in the darkness to see what had
become of us, giving several low whistles
| to attract our attention.
| We still remained hidden, for fear that
they might have left an armed party near.
but soon seeing that they were preparing
| to leave the fire again we came up and
| told them the reason for our strange be
| havior. One of them said, IVES not dat
| kind OBJ niggers" They were satisfied,
however, with our explanation, and we
| were soon busy devouring the hoecake and
bacon they had brought. They told us
that if we would go to their quarters they
would give us more food, and that it would
be perfectly safe for us to do so. We We're
surprised to learn from them that we were
| now only IL miles from Salisbury. As it
| was still showing we were easily persuad-
| ed to go home with these negroes, and
were soon on the way to their cabins.
Arrived there we found all the hands
on the plantation gathered at one of
| them, anxious to see and talk with the real
| live Yankees from the stOckade. These
| simple people treated us with the defer
ence accorded to princes Of the royal fam
| lilies in other lands, and the thought struck
| me that heretofore l must have greatly
underestimated my consequence and
| standing in the world. and that from now
| on l would hold my head up and be some
body. They gave us the best seats and
| the warmest places near the hre. The
women folks soon prepared us supper
| from the best they had, to which we did
ample justice, regardless of the fact that
we had already eaten bountiful meal at
their expense. They were exceedingly
kind to us. one of the men staying outside
to keep watch on the masters house to
see that he did not "slip up on us, as
they said he often inspected the quarters
at night to see that none Of the hands
we're absent without leave.
EXPLAINING EMANCIPATION.
One Of the black women had husband
who was able to read and write, but he
was the property Of planter who lived
20 miles away. She said he was allowed
20 visit her once every three months, hay
ing three days in which to come and re-
turn, and she begged us to write him n
letter, which she would give him on his
next visit. This was u rather serious I'M
dertaking, as none Of US had writing ma
terials handy. After strict search, how
ever, we found some blank leaves in an
old book which they had, and one Of our
party producing the stub of a lead-pencil,
we. each wrote the man q short letter.
They asked MS then to read what we had
written. ! had given the substance of
i,resldeht Lihcein s emancipation Irocia
nation, ana wheh 1 READ II mere WIS a a
Sreat coln1n9tion among my AUDITORS. Ihes
had never neafu OF ~ oeiore, ana were
SOW TO DeieVe that thls documeht coulc
ever make them 1ree. ihey ASKED us over
again ana again aboht IL, ana hhslly
seemed about ready TO start North with
us;
we were so coIniortabiy nXe9 Inere thht
IL must nave Decn past inldhigmt peiore
we even hihteu at gong on. Inc hlSh'
vas very DARK ana cloudy ana sho" was
sun faiiihg. SO Wnen the negroes proposed
10 mae US IN the nay ioft OF the Dig barn
ana that we wait tiil the next nlght 10 re-
sumo our tramp, we were not very marc
,Uorn coon cra,vj;nn into Tho b,y Thnrs
we had good sleep.
The man who went with us said that the
master had one fine mare which he would
never trust any of them to feed, and that
he often came into the loft to get hay for
her, and sure enough up the ladder the
old man climbed next morning, muttering
about the carelessness of the niggers,
but he did not discover us, and after
throwing down hay for his mare left us
in reace.
We lay quietly till after dark, when
one of the negroes came, and reporting
all quiet at the big house, we again re-
paired to the cabin, where we had been
so well entertained on the previous night
Here. we found another suuore meal