The Red Cloud chief., 1901-04-05
A Keowee Outrage
By E. Crayton McCants.

, for everything. and for them he must
think. and plan, and execute. And yet
how like children indeed, they were.
ready always to listen to the hattering
tales OF any conner and to 20 away after
him to their own detriment, and that OF
the man whom In their hearts they loved
and honored The agent last spring had
In one short week filled his whole planta-
tion with a vague unrest, and. but for
the prompt action OF his neighbors--for
he himself was away at the time--half
the wondering crowd would probably
have been entrained and shipped away
like cattle to that western land of levee
and stagnant swamp. there to be bound
TO the soil by the debt Incurred for trans
portation, to shake with chills and to burn
with fever. to eat their hearts out with
longing for the trickling streams. the
bare red hills and the white-washed
cabins Of the quarter" He had seen
such things before. and even now had a
letter In his pocket from one. Ephriam
an old ex-slave OF his fathers, who. hav-
ing gone thither. was begging for money
to get back home again.
Thus Middleton mused and marveled
as he leaned an arm on the rails of the
rickety fence. and drew down the brim
OF his soft felt hat to shade his eyes from
the long. low rays Of the evening sun.
Presently from the kitchen chimney
OF the farm house on the hill the smoke
began to rise In pale blue spirals. and
somewhere beyond the fringe of trees
that marked the edge of the woodland
the old milk-woman with loud insistent
voice called to the lazy cattle. 1t was
TO go when the sound Of hoofs beating
the red dust of the road arrested his at
tention.
ing up his horse.
"Evenin', Jim he answered, with "A
careless nod.
whats up now?" he added as the
other waited expectantly.
"Why, aln't you heerd? That blamed
emlgrant agents back" calculated the
other vigorously, as he looked down AMI
spat accurately upon the end of pro-
jecting rail.
Mlddlcton's brow puckered into a
eyes.
80" he asked. curtly.
"Yas, come In yestiddy in or freight
turned his tobacco n his cheek and spat
again for emphasls-"w knowed him
as soon ez he hit the town"
MY boys ketched him this mornln' In a
cabin on the Dan'ly place" he added.
after a little pause.
Middleton's brow cleared little.
"Did. eh?" he remarked. approvingly.
"Yas ketched him right at it. Sech
another song and dance you never
heerd The boys looked I'm an thar he
wuz with his legs spraddled out. a-talkin'
away, an the niggers a-swirmin' like
flies round er merlasses Jug"
"Yes, | know the game" said Middle
ton. disgustedly. Hes there yet, |
reckon"
"Oh. he's thar all right Helf er
dozen men Is er watchin the house from
the woods clost by an the rest is a.
getherin' In the oil hcr jest back o. the
pines. They'll jest about fix him this
time. Comm over ter hep?" He
asked this carelessly as II the whole pur-
pose OF his ride had been to summon
Middleton.
Middleton considered a moment Then
he showed his hat back and spoke wrath
fully.
Yes. wll' he said, I'm sick and
tired OF being eternally bedivied with
this thing. These fellows have got 20
let the Keowee section alone"
II was night when Middleton reached
the Danelly place. Already the men
had abandoned their horses, and formed
a Gordon around the little group OF cab
ins that marked the site of a vanished
'big house." once the shelter OF a proud
and prosperous race. Prosperous still.
they were In their comfortable city Of
fices. but hardly proud thought Middle
ton as he noticed that the mighty oaks,
once a landmark for the country round.
were slowly and neglectedly dying. Why
were these men not here, standing by the
land that had made them? Why-but
his thoughts were checked, for something
clicked sharply In the thicket before him,
and a cleaning spot like the nickel
plated lock of gun moved quickly in
the moonlight. With an automatic jerk
Middletons own gun came up to a
"ready," "a he peered into the dimness
| ahead.
"Hello!' he called, softly.
"Hello! Hello, hello!" came the an
swer thrice. repeated In a low but quick
and insistent tone Then q red beard
appeared above the bushes, and gruff
voice queried:
THAT you" Middleton"
Sure. Got him yet?"
Nope Just closin' in
Then, as Middleton dismounted. he
saw what the tops OF the bushes had hid
! den; the long, dark line of we'll armed
men slowly circlIng the cabins, the
groups Of horses gathered In the shadows
of the fences, with here and there a tmid
negro, slipping away to the woods before
the dreaded human net should close him
| In. out under one Of the trees stood n
group Of spectators-two or three mer-
chants, few clerks, and local news
paper man-attracted thither from the
neiRhborng town.
As the Gordon drew up close there wa.
a momentary pause, Some one mus
enter the houses, and the man Nigh,
shoot, or course. the crowd would rid
die him afterward, but that would b.
but a poSthumous vengeance for the on,
who led the way, So they hesitated.
Then Middleton shrugged his shoul
dars and aattInp ,,,alo.s ~,