Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-26


their steaming waite roofs. a crowd of
gestictllatirg negroes Jabbered and jostled
together In a squall of feverish excitement.
Beneath them the swamp, haunted by its
night noises fell away into a hollow, but
quickly merged into forest again. Above
all the moon hung, silver pale, beating in
almost visible waves Of light through the
white exhaIations of the marsh.
Inside a walIess hovel, and chained by
the ankles to a wooden bar which ran
across the center of the place, were two
men, the only whites within thirty miles.
One Of them gauut. big boned, had propped
his shoulder against the ant-eaten corner
joist and surveyed the scene before him
with dreamy remOteness. He seemed i'm
pervious to the hideous gibes flung at him
by the moving semi-circIe of blacks, His
eyelids were bulged with fever and his
shoulder bones stuck up sharply through
his gray Norfolk jacket. 1t was the mala-
ria which had placed him In his present
predicament. For days he had seen that
something was wrong with the negroes on
the estate. and the fear of ueaChery had
kept him fiercely awake until nature gave
way under the strain and he was taken
sleeping.
Presently horn sounded somewhere out
of sight the negroes troOped away, and in
the comparative silence GordOn's companion
spoke from the shadow at the other side of
the hut.
Now they've got US they'll murder us at
leisure" he said, in a hoarse, fever-cracked
voice.
we haven't a chance of escaping or of
being rescued" Gordon shifted his achlng
shoulders against the wood Walters and
O'Brien went down the river last week.
No we haven't the remotest ghost OF q
chance. It's no use blinking the matter.
The brutesI What's wrong with them!
Il suppose they couldn't resist the temp
dc al These things
DO happen periodically on these pack-ol-
beyond plantations.
''-Thzy had no grievances?
No agreed Gordon, they hadn't But
they naturally prefer idIeness to work, and
that crop down by the river meant for
them a full month of toll. There are thou
sands of arrobas there. if one.
But what have We done 10 them? We've
s1aved as hard as any of them. Besides,
their emancipation would not be out today
if II hadn't been for your efforts, argued
Chisholm, YEARLY. -,
I'm sorry for you. Chisholm. It's hard
on Won. after being here only year, said
Gordon after a pause. You can put most
of the trouble down TO Emio-Senfi3f Eiliio.
He hates both of us. Its the tOucA OF inc
tar brush in his own hide that the man re-
saDts Honestly he'd kill US with torture
merely because We happen to nave oeeH
born pure white IL,
with torture?' repeated Chisholm. with
a shudder. I'm not a coward at an oIul-
nary time. Gordon. but this swamp fever
has played the deuce with my nerves.
That's about the worst OF 1t; II aI"ays
does" said Gordon We'll, IL no usJ
meeting sorrow half way, but personally
wouldn't be disposed to put mucn on our
chance of being alive in the morning; Ah0
now, old chap, if you don't mlnd. we Il uIop
conversation There's a-ah-peTson away
at home III like TO think about as long a.
can he sure of having any machinery left
TO think with ,- 49,.
The moon worked it's way through the
rnists of the marsh and threw painted shad-
ows on the age-staiued walls of the Eng
herfo The shouting of the blacks came
to them in long-drawn cadenceS WLllGn
OVERRIDE the voices Of the marsh. Mammals
skunk out Of the rice swamps that fTlnged
the river. the worst sorts Of Brazilian FEVER
took visible form and shape, curling up IN
little spurts OF vapOr from the uneven
r,reen-sCtIrur1ed surface Of the swamp. Fire
flies danced and trembled in the mouth OF
the forest beyond. Gordon had closed his
ewes upon the scene. Chisholm lay at full
length on the slime, his head sunk IN MS
arms; the night Wore older laggingly
For four years past Gordon had heId the
post of manager on remote plantation
which lay far back behind the SlerraS and
mora sses along the banks Of a mighty trib-
utarv Of the Amazon. During that time
the yexed question of slave emancipation
which for the last thirty Years has pro
eressed by slow stages in BTazii-WaS be-
coming more and more acute. The negroes
were intoxicated with their new freedom,
and a dangerous spirit was spreading and
grown aware that the smoldering discon-
tent might at any moment break into
fame; the maliugering tended mora and
more toward open tdlenesS; his orders were
met With an uncertain defiance. For
months with the help of a young assist
ant the manager of Senior Da Costa's cof-
fee and sugar estates had hardly held the
turbulence Of the slaves in check.
But the fates fought against him at the
last. Chisholm. Uuseasoned as he was,
vert down under swinging attack of ma
Iaria, and the endless business of the plan
tatlon-plowirg, draining and forest-clear-
ing-felI wholly upon GOrdons shoulders.
Hard at this toll all day and scarcely dar-
ing TO close his eyes at night, he broke
down at last and awOke to lind himself a
suddenly a sound of approaching voices
reached them. Gordon put his head down
between his knees and rubbed his forehead
against them YEARLY. Then he sat up and
thrust away the thoughts Of the person
at home and stiffened himself for the COM
ing ordeal
gee coffee pIanter-a fellow who rakes in all
the money and lives in Paris?' he asked.
Its a deadly. deadly trade
Yes. its a muTderous business" agreed
Chisholm Il haven't been free of fever
since 1 came here. 1t makes me sick to
think of old Da Costa enjoying himself in
Paris while We
The sentence reached no conclusion. for
a thin, understood mulatto rose up out of
the wet growth before them.
So" he said. lit is annoying to think of
your master, the Senior Da Costa. enjoying
himself in Paris, But rest easy. he will not
be pleased when he hears OF tonights do
ings; although am afraid neither Of you
gentlemen will live TO have the pleasure of
narrating them to him
The mulattO raised his nose and gave an
other little laugh
What are you going TO do with us" de-
manded Gordon
''Ah. that is interesting. Is It not?'- said
the man mockingly. You will have fair
trial Be sure Of that"
a fierce retort rose TO Gordons lips. He
detested this late foreman of his, and, fur
Their ne strongly suspected him of being the
originator and the ringleader of the revolt
among the negroes. But he choked the
words back. 1t seemed futile to say any
thing.
Yes" continued EmIo you shall have
Justice Yes. l will see TO that. You shall
have a fair trial and l will be judge. l only
undertake the office at the request of my
friends over there" he indicated the group
of negroes. who were waiting on the path
at some distance. You, Gordon, have
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