The National tribune., 1903-11-19
OLD SQUIRE.
,ContIuutd fro,n first par.,,

lily bring relief to all parties interested.
had avoided useless alteration which
he knew would have resulted In the ne
cessity of reporting comrade for in
subordination, by tacitly acknowledging
the ownership and permitting the Irish
. man to lie near his prisoner. But ODOn-
nell, still feeling a certain CONSCIOUSNESS
of interest in what might happen, had re-
Trained from the finishing cup; OCCASION
ally he would throw out an arm and
caress Morgan's head and give grunt OF
qualification induced by the combined in
nuence of contrary powers-that over hlm-
self, and his own over another; meanwhile,
that other lay motionless, but with every
sense alert.
Barney had succeeded in reaching
Freeman's wagon, and, thanks to his skill
as a caterer in both foraging and cooking,
had prepared a supper which helped to
reinstatc him in the Captains good graces.
as well as in the old position of chief
serving-man for the officers mess.
Brock" said Freeman. lighting his
pipe, Il wonder if that rebel that O'Don-
nell caught has anything to eat"
''If he has, Captain, he's in better luck
in that respect than the rest OF Lees
army. if what they say is true
well, they don't tell me where to send
him, and l suppose we've got to feed him
ourselves. Barney, take him something
Sergeant Dow will show you where he is
If you don't know.
Sc, Barney already knew; he had seen Nor
gan under guard and had recognized him,
and was in terror of revelation; yet he
trusted that the only time he had been
seen could not have sufficed for the Con-
federate to impress feature and name
upon his mind SO, pulling his hat down
to hide his face as much as he dared, he
approached Hawley and without word
handed him the food, making a gesture
with his hand as much as to say that the
food was for the pr1oner; then he started
to go away.
For the. rebel, you mean:" asked
Hawley.
Barney turned and nodded.
O'Donnell had heard; he scrambled to
n sitting posture and saw Barney, who
had again begun to retreat silently.
Halt. you rascally black naygur," said
ners better'n that? Oi want me number
eightain to see ye. Halt there, now, and
come back wild We
Barney reluctantly obeyed; the man
O'Donnell was important: he might be-
come the negrO's enemy, and make life
torture.
Number eightain. yer rations is
brought ye by number siyentain. and sure
We mustn't have any more hard falllngs.
No doubt the prisoner had already been
prepared for quick recognition of Barney,
whose embarrassment would have been
approach: yet Morgan failed to interpret
the negro correctly, believing his conduct
but natural through shame at being found
turncoat from the Confederates, as it
were.
$50. you are here" said the prisoner.
Barney was mute: he stood without
movement. his head hanging; he must take
what should come: at the worst nothing
more could he said against him than that
he had helped wounded Confederate.
and his poor thought was concerned only
in providing excuses before Capt. Free
man.
what made you leave?" asked Nor
gan; he had almost said leave Squire,
but had stopped. prudence telling him not
to show knowledge of the cd negro; yet
the intonation of his INTERRUPTED closing
was not unobserved by Hawiey, who ex-
claimed: Finish your speech, man. Tell
what you know about this nigger."
The tone was rude; Morgan did not
like it; moreover. he considered that
everything he could say positively would
to Barney, and to give such testimony
with the purpose of doing harm would be
base.
why did you leave your master?' ask
ed Morgan.
Barney had determined to preserve OBJ
stinate silence. but he felt relieved by
Morgan's modified question, which was
entirely unimportant and might have been
addressed 20 any former slave. Fear
Diminishing, he reasoned that it would be
better. If possible, to appease Morgan,
who if angered might do more than re-
taliate.
Hes dead. sah." was the false reply.
Then the negro said, 81 amt neveh done
you no hahn, sab, an / amt a-gwine to
do none, an you oughtn't to be mad with
me jest 'caze don't know you, and when
I'm a-tryin' to do de best l can" The
last words bore an appeal that Hawley
suspected and Morgan felt and both be-
came to all seeming Indifferent, the one in
order to betray no eager interest that
would put the speakers on notice that
their peculiar conduct was observed. the
other because he had decided to end the
trivial thing anI give the poor darky
chance to get along in his new circum-
stances. But if the silence that followed
proved embarrassing to Barney, it was felt
as an insult by O'Donnell, who quickly
broke in, addressing Morgan:
And have ye no more to say, now?
And the naygur fading Of ye?"
"No let him go back where he be-
longs" was Morgan's reply, given rudely
with two purposes-one to allay Haw
ley's suspicious that Barney was an
old friend of the prisoner, the other to
put an end to a scene that might damage
the negro.
Barney went back to the officers biv-
ouac where his fears yielded to a feeling
OF safety, and doubtless he would never
have dared to approach Morgan again
but for an incident that he had not for
seen.
Hawley's suspicious had not been en-
tirely laid by the prisoners tone, and as
eoon as he was relieved he went to his
commander, who, as luck would have it,
was found alone.
Captain" said he, touching his cap,
'Td like to say few words to you"
"Very well, Hawley; what is it?"
1--WE been seeing some strange things
between that niger Barney and our pris-
oner, SIR"
"Well?'
81 believe they know one another, sir"
"Aud suppose they do. What of that?
Barney is from Virginia, and perhaps the
rebel is also.'
II shouldn't have thought very strange
Of it, sir, but I don't see why they
couldn't say so at once
Say what, HawleyY
"Ssy that they know one another sir
The man spoke to Barney as If he knew
all about him, and then Barney goes out
Of his way to say that ne didn't know
him."
''That so? What did tie prisoner say
to Barney?" asked Freeman, now showing
Interest.
HE asked him when he left"
"When he left what"
When he got that fer. he stopped, as il
then l spoke up, and told him to finish;
but the rebel is sharp one, sr-anyone
can see that-and he asked the darky
vx-hap he loft bic ruaSfar,