The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-10-30


season open, but no negro fired a gun.
At this time of the year, steamboat
men, and tavern-keepers in the viii
lagos, were wont to look to Titus, Eli,
Pompey. Sam, Caesar and Bill for
their game. and it was not an unusual
sight to see them come loaded down
with rabbits and quails caught in
traps, but now they sat sullen over
the fire by day, but were often met
proving about at night. This crossed
the Majors mind and drove away his
cheerful whistling; and he was deeply
thinking when someone riding in haste
refined in q horse abreast with him.
Looking up he recognized the priest.
"Why, good-morning, Mr.. Brennon;
how are you?"
We'll, l thank you. How far do you
go?"
"To Brantly."
"That's fortunate" said the priest,
"for l am selfish enough to let you
shorten the journey for me-"
81 can't do that the Major laugh
ed, "but We can divide it. Been some
time since I've seen you, Mr.. Bren-
non"
Yes; / have been very busy"
And successfully so, l suppose"
81 am not in a position to complain"
said the priest.
by the way, will you answer a few
!, questions?"
. 'Gladly, If they're answerable."
81 think they are . Now, the negroes
that come into your communion tell
you many things, drop idle gossip that
, may mean much. Did any of them
+, ever drop a hint Of preparations which
5 their brethren may or may not be
2 making to demand some unreasonable
= concession from the white people oil
this community"
"What | have seen 1 am free to re
late to you," the priest answered. "but
S as to what has been told-well, that is
| quite another matter. I have seer
no preparations, but you doubtless re
member a conversation we had SOM
time ago, and on that occasion thinl
e we agreed that we might have trouble
i sooner or later"
Eyes, we were agreed upon tina
point" the Major replied, but neitheI
p of us protested to see trouble close a
hand. For some time l have heard il
t rumored that the negroes are meeting
S at night to drill, but | have paid bu'
little attention, giving them credit fol-
e more sense than to believe that theil
# uprising could be more than a short
and, to themselves, a disastrous, strug
:, gle; but there is one aspect that i'm
u presses me. the fact that they are tax
s ing no notice of the coming of Christ
mas; for when this is the case yo'
It must have undergone a complet,
change. l don't quite understand ii
!; Why, sir, at present they can find NJ
e possible excuse for revolt. The crop
are gathered and they can make n
# demand for higher wages; no election
is near and they can't claim a politica
cause for disaffection. If they wan
+" better pay for their labor, why didn'
they strike in the midst of the cotton
k picking? That would have been thei
time for trouble, if that's what the.
o want"
perhaps they hadn't money enougI
to buy equipment, guns and ammuni
IT ton" the priest suggested. "Perhap
d they needed the money that the gath
e ering of the crops would bring them.
The Major looked at him. 81 hadn'
thought of that" he said. But surel,
d the negroes have sense enough to know
T. that the whites would exterminat
e them within a week."
h It was some time before Fathe
IS Brennon replied. His deliberation le
e the Major to believe that he woul
Is speak from his abundant resources
,e and the planter listened eagerly wit,
his head turned to n side and wit
IS his hand behind his ear. 1T is poss
ble," the priest began, that the negr
had been %harangued to the convictio