Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17

1 ana tnen addressed IT,
who was you. sarf' he asked. You NJ
answer me, earl Den you berry rude. i'm
percent young fellowi''
| Whereupon he smacked the empty brair
fell out. The man and the skull grinned a
each other. then Jesse grew serious ant
l spoke again.
You larf-eh? You larf! Me Gard. dun
| no what you got to larf about! You's Jeph
| son-dat's you. I,member Jephson. Masss
Ford. he want Jephson rub out and sen(
him Wild message to ole Jesse Den OLE
Jesse rub you out To kill a niger II
only to rub out a black mark. Dey soor
gone. And some white folk. too. Dey al
berry quiet when dey eat and drink pore
old Jesse's rum and cakes. He. he! Obj
| Man berry great use to Massa Ford
had sunk a hole FIVE feet Deep Next he
| concealed all trace of the work very care
! fully. He buried the pile of damp eartf
under dead palm leaves and prushwood
| while the hole itself he covered with twlg.
and trailed them over long shoots ant
| sprays Of the 1uxuriant snake gourd.
Now, having made an end of this bust
ness, Jesse sought his outer gate and post
the glare of the risen sun and looked out
with his bright lizard eyes down the ire
mendous escarpments of the hill beneath
him. An amazing panorama of forest
ing through the woods, struggling
as 1t were with difficulty through
dense underground and narrow places
full of cactus and thorns, there, ascend
ed a bridal path fianked by bewil-
dering tangles of foliage. by volcanic boul-
ders and huge trees. Here and there
through the forest famed like fire the flow
ers of the bois immortelle; at othehr points,
all festooned and linked together with twin
ing and climbing parasites, or gray cur
tahs of lace-like lichens and wind pines,
arose notable forest giants. some cleaning
with blossoms, some bending under wealth
ia IN O. Loaf
draperies of green and brown, olive and
gold, under the feathery crown of the bam-
boo. among the little green infiorescence of
the mango, like liquid gems in the sunlight,
did little hummingbirds. with breasts of
emerald and ruby, flash and glitter Every
step or terrace in the steep activities of the
hills was crowned with cabbage palms or
other lofty trees, and from point to point
the gaunt, bleached limbs of some forest
corpse stared out lightning stricken, where
the dead thing waited for the next hurri-
cane to bring its bones to earth. Far be-
low glimmered a white beach, and, through
the woods, all silent In the growing heat.
there rose a sigh of surf breaking-surf
that even from this elevation could be
seen lying like band of silver between the
tinted sea and the pale shore.
Away on the western side of the hills
extended long and unduating fields of
green vegetation, and in their midst arose
buildings with tall chimneys and metal
roofs that flashed like liquid silver under
the sunshine. There extended the Pelican
sugar estates, and indications Of pros
perity surrounded them; but elsewhere
companion enterprises had clearly been
less fortunate. In other parts Of the
island stagnation marked similar con-
Germs; the plantations were deserted; the
land was returning to the wilderness; the
works fell into ruins 1000.
But Jabez Ford still held the key to
success, if it was possible to judge by
and of the Pelican estates. Wide interest
was taken in the visit of the owners
son, and none doubted but that Ford would
benefit by the circumstance and win re-
ward worthy of his long and honorable
stewardship.
Only two people understood otherwise.
however, and one was Jabez Ford him
self. The overseer had failed to satisfy
Henry Vivian, and he knew it. The ac-
counts were scrupufously rendered; the
staff Of coolies from Bombay were happy
praise and ready sale; but there was dis
parity between the apparent prosperity
and the real output. Other puzzling cir
cumstances also much tended to Increase
and convincing talker. He had an an
swer for every question an explanation of
every difficulty. But the fact remained:
Henry Vivian disliked and distrusted him.
and Jabez knew it and did not conceal the
truth from himself. An implicit duel rap
idly developed between them, and the
elder man stood to win 1t, for he was the
stronger every way: he stood on his own
dunghilI. and, for the present. he had no
intention OF being removed from it. His
private plans demanded another year for
their fulfilment. Then, the richer by a
sustained and skillful system of pecula-
ton. he proposed to leave Tobago and take
himself and his ill-gotten hoard to some
secret place in South America. far be-
yond the reach of all former acquaintance.
The sudden and unexpected advent Of
Henry Vivian had taxed this rascars in
genuity severely, and the visitors own re-
serve made the matter more difficult for
Sir Reginald's son investigated everything
without comment and found fault with
nothing. But Ford was a student of hui
man nature and wanted no words to know
that he stood in danger.
Now as Jesse Hagan looked down from
his mountafn-top and waited, there rode
through the deep glen below the overseer.
His plans were already made. 1t needed
only further conference with his ancient
ally to mature them Jabez himself had
black blood in his veins. His great grand
father had been n negro, and he himself
had married a creole This woman shared
the mans lawless life for twenty years;
then death fell upon her. and 1t was to
keep Jumbes from the body that negresses
had sung all night as Daniel described to
Minnie.
A glimmer Of white caught Jesse's eyes
far below. He heard the tramp of horse
and knew that his man was coming. DAN
lei still lay concealed beside the cactus
fence. and now, through the fiat and
thorny leaves of opuntia: he saw Jabez
Ford ride up Jesse had disappeared for a
moment into his hut but now he came
forward with a hottie and a calabash.
"Marning, maSSa-rum punch for masSa-
what Jesse get ready"
The man drank before answering. Then
he threw the calabash on the ground.
II want another sort of brew tomorrow.
It's got to be. I'm sorry for the young
devil, for I've no quarrel with him; but
he's too cute 1t don't do to be too cute
with Jabez Ford
Him rub out, sar?'
mo choice Let me come in. I'll tell
you what happened last night. He's
booked"
Oars a nice. cool, quiet hole under de
snake-gourd waitin for Massa Vivian. He'll
be berry comfable dar wild de udder GEM
men,"
You talk too much said Ford. Come
in and don't make jokes at your time of
life Think of the devil, your master, and
how precious soon you'll go back to him,
jesse
you my massa. sir; Jesse dun want no
udder massa dan Massa Ford. Marse
Debbil, he no pay such good wages as
you"
Ford laughed and dismounted from his
horse. He was a big, hard man, roasted
and shriveled somewhat by life in the
tropics. He always wore white ducks and
a felt hat that sloped well back over the
nape of his neck. His hair was long and
black, his eyes were also black, and his
face hard, clean cut and handsome. But
l.sr IL .,l,N <N.,tt