The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-08
CHAPTER XVIII. Major Tomlin Perdue Arrives.

l CT He had seated himself on one of the deacons' chairs near the pulpit, and, with his head leaning on his hand, ap- ] peared to be- lost in thought. After awhile he rose, put on his hat, blew out one by one the lamps and went out into I the darkness.
 l Gabriel had remained In the tree. When Hotchkiss was out of sight, and presum- ] ably out of hearing, Gabriel heard some one calling his name.
 .Who are you?' Gabriel asked. One. replied the other.
 'I don't know your voice. said Gab
 riel; "how did you know meT''
 That is a secret that belongs to the l Knights of the White Camcllia." an- swered the unknown. If you don't come down I'm afraid I'll have to shake you | out of that tree.
 l Gabriel slid down the trunk of the small tree and found that the owner of i the voice was no other than Major Tom
 lin Perdue of Halcyondale.
 ''You didn't expect to find me roasting
 around out here, did you?' the irrepress- ] ible major asked, as he shock Gabriel warmly by the hand. Your grandmother told me an hour ago that I'd find you incoming about on the hills back there.
 l came around by the road I was loaf ing around here when you came up, and 1 l knew It was you. as soon as l heard you slipping up that tree. But that hill l business, and the mooning-how about 1 them? Well, l, don't blame you. She's a
 fine gal, aint she?'
 l 'sWho?" inquired Gabriel.
 "Who!" cried Major Perdue, mocking- l ". Why, there's but one gal in the 1 Dale. You know that as well as l do. Gabriel laughed somewhat sheepshly.
 Well, you deserve good luck. my voy," l the major went on. Everybody that
 knows you is singing your praises-some 1 for your book-learning some for your | modesty, and some for the way you fer reted out the designs of that fellow who was last to leave the church. But for | you these dirty thieves might have got
 the best of us. Why, we didn't know,
 even at Halcyondale, what was up till we got word of your discovery. We'll sir, as soon as we found out what was going l on, we got together, and wiped 'em up. Why you've got the poSiest crowd over here I ever heard of. They just sit and sun themselves. Why don't the folks here l wake up? They cant pe afraid of the Yankee soldiers, can theyY Why the cap l tain here is a rank democrat in politics, and a right down clever fellow"
 He Is a clever gentleman" Gabriel assented. T have met him walking about in the woods, and l like him very much. l He is a Kentuckan, and he's not fond l of these carpet-baggers and scalawags at all. But you know how they are, es- pecially the women-they hate everything that's clothed in blue"
 Well by George! you are the only person in the place that keeps his eyes
 open. You saw that rascal talking to l the niggers awhile ago? Well, he's the worst of the lot. happened to run across him tother day, and I told him I'd give 1 him twenty y-four hours to get out of
 town. He stayed the limit; but when 1 he saw me walk downtown with my shot I gun, he took a notion that l really
 meant business and he lit out. Minervy
 Ann found out where he was headed for, l and I've followed him over here. 1 Major Perdue paused a moment in his ] talk. Gan you keep a secret, Tolliver?"
 he asked, after awhile
 Well, I haven't had much practice,
 major, but If 1t is important, I'll do my best to keep it."
 "Oh, 1t Is not so important That fel- low you saw talking to the negroes awhile ago is named Bridalbin."
 "Brldalbini" exclaimed Gabriel. "Yes; he goes by some other name, I've forgotten what He's the fellow that
 married Margaret Gather; you remem-
 Der her; she came home to die not so
 very long ago. Now, Tolliver, whatever
 you do don't breathe a word about this 1 Brdalbin. There's no need of worrying i that poor girl, his daughter; she has al-
 ready had trouble enough in this world.
 I'm telling you about him because I
 want you to keep your eye on him..
 Gabriel promptly gave his word that
 he would never mention anything about
 Bridalbins name. and then he said l But this parade-what does 1t mean?'
 The major laughed. "Oh, that was just some of the boys from our settlement. l They are simply out for practice. They | want to get their hands in. They don't
 belong to the Kuklux that you've read
 so much about. They have no signs or passwords, but simply a general agree
 ment. You'll have to organize something l of that kind here, Tolliver. You've got
 to get a move on you. There's no way
 out of it. The only way to fight the devil l Is to use his own weapons. Phe~trouble 1 is that some of the hot-fleaded young- sters want to hold the poor niggers re- l sponsible, as I said just now and the niggers are no more to blame than the chicken in new-laid egg. Don't forget l that Tolliver." 1 They walked back to the village the way Gabriel had come. On top. of the
 Bermuda hill, Major Perdue paused and looked toward Shady Dale
 The major waved his hand in that dl- rection, remaking, That's what makes the situation dangerous. Tolliver-the
 women and children. It looks to me-
 my son, as if we were between the devil and the deep blue sea. I, for one, don't l believe that there's any danger of nig- 1 ger-rising. But look at the other side I may be wrong; l may be a crazy old l fool too fond of the niggers to believe they're really mean at heart Suppose | that such men as this-afl now I remen- l ber!-this Boring-that is what Bridal bin calls himself now-suppose that such men as he were to succeed in what thev l are trying to do? I don't believe thev will. but we can't afford to take any chances"
 Gabriel agreed with all this very heart- | fly He was glad to feel that his own views were also those of this keen, prac- tical, hard-headed man Of the world | But men of my sort will be misiudg-
 ed. Tolliver" pursued the major; "vio- lent men will bet fin the saddle, and out rages will be committed. Public opinion l to the north of us will say that the old | fire-eaters, who won't permit even A re. | spectabe white man to insult them with 1 impunity-the old slave-drivers-are trv- l ing to destroy the colored race. But vou | will live my son. to see some of tbese
 same radicals admit that all the injustices
 and all the wrong is due to the radical policy"
 This prophecy came true. Time bos abundantly vindicated the major and
 those who acted with him.
 Shady Dale woke up the next morning
 to find the walls and the fences in ali
 public places plastered with pIacards
 printed in red ink. The most prominent feature of the topography, however, was
 the image of a grinning skull and cross-
 bones. The handbill was in the nature of