The National tribune., 1900-07-05


confinement of recalcitrant negroes and
rascally whites, both equally uncleanly,
and regardless of increasing the filth they
found left there by their predecessors. The
boys sat down ON a board supported by
a couple of chunks, which had served the
last inmate for bed, and took survey of
their surroundings
Enough to drive dog out of a tan
yard" said 81, sentcntiously.
Or smother a pole-cat, echoed
Shorty.
I'VE could dig out O. here tonight" :"
suggested Sandy Baker, after an examina-
tion of the walls and floor.
| Yes" accorded Shorty, testing the set
tingS of the rusty bars in the little win
dows- There was never much need of
man staying in here long, If he really
wanted to git out But the fellers they
had in here have bin Georgians, with not
enough git-up to come in when it rained.
Mebbe, though, they all choked out the
first night
20, I'm so thirsty" complained little
Pete. ''Ain't there no way, wonder, to
get drink o. water?'
ST went TO the front door and looked ont
through the bars at the crowd around the
/ front of the tavern.
Say" he said to Shorty, 81 think
there's something going on over there that
concerns u.s."
The crowd was broken into little groups,
all looking earnestly toward the jail In
each was a man making violent gesticula-
tons in the same direction. The one-armed
Sheriff was walking from one to the other.
making placatory gestures.
Looks like a Saturday evening pri-
mary, with them putin US in nomination
for somethin'.'' remarked Shorty, grinly.
a thin, high, falsetto voice fioated over
on the hot air from Il hatchet-faeed, pot
bellied, bow-Iegged, big-footed little man,
| who was haranguing one group, made up
| of tha oil df har
seemed more or less drunk.
Il say yelled he, "we'uns orter go right
over thar, and take they out an hang
em right up Ter them scrub-oaks, the low
| lived, ornery, nigger-lovin' Yankee hoss-
| thieves an murderers. They'uns amt
| fitten ter live a minute 'mong white men
an gentlemen, sich as we'uns. They 'uns'd
rob we'uns, an kill we'uns, an take our
niggers, an -
'They do seem to be nominatiD' us for
sOmethin', for fact" remarked 81, "and
the caucus seems to be going that way.
| I'm waitin' TO hear a second to the mo-
| tion." ia -a
How many times have the Yankees
shot you, Tite?" inquired the Sheriff,
pleasantly, III full round tones. "How
many hosses have they y'uns stole from you,
and how, many niggers have they'uns
robbed yo' of"
! There was a general drunken laugh at
Titus Browns expense, for he was a noisy
little 'po' white,s who had so far success
| fully evaded the conscription, and tried to
make up by yociferous truculenee for
war-record. But there was an ugly tone
in the laugh, which showed that the senti-
ment was against the proposer, and not
his proposition. ~
Don't make no difference, Scott Clay"
Tite angrily answered the Sheriff, .how
many times I've bin shot, nor how many
niygers I've lost Eff hit hadn't bin fer
ta
in my laigs, I'd "a bin in the army long
afore yo' wuz. / wuzzent no 'riginai
Union man. like y0 -wuZ, what had ter be
licked inter the army. | WIZ jinuwine
Secessionist from the very fust, an voted
fer Breckinridge an Lane, and the Ordi-
nance o Secession. Yo' voted fer Bell an
Everett and ter stay in the Union. Yo'
think yer orfIl smart an sassy ter say
sich things, don't yo', Scott Clay! Yo're
more'n half Yankee yerself. Yo' think
just bekaze yo' lost yer arm, an outen
pity we lected yo' Sheriff. yo're monty
high an privileged. Le' me tell yo', thar's
lots better men'n yo' went ter the war.
an got shot wussen yo' did. Yo' mustn't
put on no airs over me-"
Il say, too. let's go right over thar an
hang they 'uns." said the spokesman of an
other group, smashing his empty bottle,
by way of emphasizing his words. He
was short, bloated man, with a rumblos-
som nose, and evidently minor court
house politician = probably a constable,
bailiff. or professional juryman. ''They-
'uns haint got no right ter live 'mongst
Christians. I'm in favor o killing ter
wunst any man who thinks a nigger's as
good as am"
This concrete expression of a general
sentiment met with hearty approval.
Gene, now, Tim Scads," expostuIated
the Sheriff. Remember that these men
are prisoners of war, and entitled to fair
| al,
mon criminals, but soldiers of a foreign
country. an we'uns must treat 'em as
sich We can't do with 'em as eff they
uns WIZ our own people"
Air they'uns any better'n our folks
that we'uns can't hang they'uns when
who had caught the art of controversy
from hanging around the court-h house.
kin theyuns come down hyah, an kill,
an steal, an rob, an preach nigger equal
ity, an we can't do nothin' ter 'em, when
we ketch they 'uns, like we'uns kin do ter
our own people what do them things?
'Bekase hits contrary ter the laws o
war" insisted the Sheriff. ''They'uns
don't kill our men when they'uns take 'em
prisoner, an we'uns mustn't kill theirs"
''The laws o war that yo' talk Of" in
sisted Tim Scads, amt no higher'n the
the world is. The people O. Jawgy make
their own laws, 'ithout dictation from no
body. Them laws say that no man shall
kill nor steal, nor preach Niger equality
ithout bein' killed.
Clearly, the Sheriff was losing ground
in the discussion, and Tite Brown ap-
peared before his group with pieces of
rope which he had procured from some
where, and began fabrieating roose
Stay" said one of the quieter of the
men; Eve have here minister of the
Gospel. Let us hear what he has got ter
say about hit. b Deacon Hornblower,
please git up on that hoss-block thar, an
give us your advice
The Deacon had been wondering how
long the crowd was going to ignore his
authoritative voice in this weighty af-
fair, and he mounted the block with ami
nation.
Brethren an feller-eitizens,' said he,
"sence yo' ak my advice, hits my duty ter
give hit. My ordination as a Minister of
the Holy Gospel obleeges me ter give my
advice when axed, fer hit, an pint out
the way ter them that seek. Our good
brother, the Sheriff, has spoken of the
laws of war aaWhatever them 'er NAV be
them air fer the camps, an not fer peo-
pie dwellin' in the habitations of peace. |
We'uns know nothin' of the laws of war.
We'uns know only the laws of the State |
and the laws of God. Them laws say |
that he who robbeth another shall die In |
his iniquity. AS ter these mems iniouity |
I'm a swift witness. 1 reckernize in them
fla.aE EfWatN 4.