The National tribune., 1901-05-02

let that gang force you into burning other
peoples property"
They 'uns'd suttinly shot me or hung
me, if L hadn't done jes' as they'uns said,
mum" said the Sergeant, apolOgeticalIy
'Sposing they had, s'posing they had"
she snapped. 1T wouldn't've been any
great loss. Never good for much but to
suck whisky and get into fights on court
days"
Scuse me, mum, if I'd liefer live for
that e'er, than die for other peoples prop.
erty," ventured the Sergeant, rather hum
bly,.
What 1 might expect of you, you seal
awag," answered the woman contempt
uously. You haint as much real spunk
as a brindle steer. You let a few of those
scabs scare you until your melt turns to
water"
That wuz ~ o. they'uns. mum-three
set o fours-'sides Zeke, an they all had
guns, an l hadn't none, 'sides'-
Don't talk back to me, you chicken
liver. Clear out. Get off the porch"
And she picked up heavy hickory
broom to enforce her order.
Let him alone, ma'am- He can't go.
He's prisoner" said 81, looking up from
his work of helping Alf dress the wound
OF the other REBEL and make him COM
Portable. Let him alone, and come here
and take care of this man. Whore do
sNH want Us " put hllH
Put himY she snarled savagely. "Put
him somewhere, anywhere, out of the
way, at once. Put him in the ash-hopper;
fling him into the creek; throw him to
the hogs. Anything to get rid of him."
But, madam, this is one of your own
people" demonstrated 81. HE is badly
hurt, and requires care and attendance
to save his Iife'
Again 81 was reminded of the utter
heartlessness of the aristocratic classes of
the South toward the poor whites. The
higher classes there have every courtesy
and consideration for those in their own
rank of life, but are destitute of all feel
ing but that of contempt for the pariahs
who owned neither negroes nor land.
How dare you say he is one of my own
people" she asked angrily. Creatures
like him are never dared allowed to come
even in our yard. He's not a man. He's
only yarmint, that skulks through the
woods like the rest of the beasts of prey"
But he was good enough to fight your
battles for four years." demonstrated 81.
Yes, he fought because he was made
to, as other creatures are. It's the only
good that could be got out of such british
things. Take him away at once. I'd
sooner have stuck hog on my porch"
Lets carry him out and put him in
the nigger-quarters, ST." suggested Shorty.
The house was comfortably furnished
even LUZ u DOulLttu lcSl-
dence, but when they entered the negro
quarters they found not even a floor in
the cabin. There were neither beds nor
other furniture, except stools. The slaves,
with their heads wrapped in rags of cloth
ing, slept on the ground, with their feet
to the fire.
81 sent the slaves out to the shed for
bundles of tops and blades of corn, with
which he ard Shorty made comfortable
pallet for the wounded man, and ALI ex-
hausted his art in dressing and bandag
ing his wound.
As 81 completed his work and stopped
to look around little, one of the negroes
gave him look that indicated he wanted
him to come outside. When out of sight
and hearing of the wounded rebel, and
the folks in the house, the negro said:
Say, mas'r, dar's five or six more ies'
sich Yankees as yo' frs brung in out dar
in de swamp, whar we'uns've bin totin'
vittels t dem.'
"Where!"
Right out dar, long ways-two,
free, five miles, mebbe"
Go out at once and tell them to come
in"
''Dassent. Zeke Backhouse's gang out
dar in de way. Weuns've got a lot OBJ |
grub ready, but bin afeared t. go, afeared
OBJ Zeke Backhouse. He'll kill q niger
jess he'd hamstring hOss-jes' t spite |
lhdo IL All ueJ ut STuD powerful
bad, too. Dey's jes' starvin'."
Come along with us, and show US |
where they are, and we'll get them" said |
81. Better bring some Of that grub |
along"
Lord sabe me, I dom want t. go no.
whar whar dars shootin' an KILN gwine
on. Nebber wuz so skeered in my life as
| wuz a while ago. Got all OBJ dat ebber
want, an heap more"
lie me go long, Uncle Scip.," asked |
n bright-eyed, young negro of about
Pete's age. Il know whar dey is, an
| kin duck an run if dey begins t shoot.
l likes t heah de guns go off,
''Yo' kin go, if yo' wants t, Hannibal"
replied the other, gravely. 'Yo's de least
CONTEST Niger on de place. an hit don't
matter much if yo' do git killed, while Is
wuf 81 800 aforede-war prices. Go long,
chile"
What, You don't mean to say that
You men are all going off, and leave us
three women and all this property de-
fenseless?" shrieked Miss Sophronia, as
81 gathered his squad together and ex-
planned their mission. "And you know
hat villain and his gang is right out
here? 1 call this contemplate, unman-
y, outrageous"