Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-01

YOI
halted at the edge Of the woods, within
ten feet of the door, and listened. Let
us slip up and take a peep at them,
said Alf; and carefully we climbed over
the old fence. taking care not to break
any of the rotten rails lest we might
sound an alarm. We made not the
slightest noise, but just as we were
within touching distance Of the cabin
a dog sprang from behind box ir
the chimney corner. I don't know how
much noise it might have been his in
tention to make or whether he belong
ed to the stealthy breed of ours whose
| delight it is to make a silent lunge a
the legs of visitor, but I do know
that he made not a sound, for grab
bed him by the throat and the frs
thing he knew his eyes were popping
out between their fuzzy lids. l chokeG
him until l thought he must be dead
and then, with a swing, threw him fal
over the fence into the woods. We lis
tened and heard him scrambling in the
dried leaves and then he was still. The
cabin was built of poles and was old
Many a rain had beaten against the
"chinking" and we had no trouble In
finding openings through which we
could plainly see all that went forward
within. Just as I looked in l heard
the twang of a banjo. and / saw the
old negro sitting on the edge of bed
picking the instrument, while two
white men were patting a breakdown
and two others were trying to dance
At the Fireplace n negro woman was
frying meat and baking a hoe cake.
"Generman," said the negro, twang-
ing his strings and measuring his
words to suit his tune, don't want
right now to be so pertinence-be SC
pertinence; but, yes, I'd like to know
hi, hi, hi, yes, like to know whut you
gwine gimme fur dis yere, yes, whut
you gwine gimme fur all dis yere?"
The patting ceased instantly, and
the two men danced not another shut
fie, and one of them, Scott. l afterward
learned. cried out: What you old
scoundrel, air you dunnin' us already?'
"Oh, nav, sab, skuze me-" said the
old negro, II amt doin' dat, fur l dun
tole you dat 1 didn't want ter be peril
nence, but dar's some things, you know,
dat er pusson would like ter un'erstan,
an whut 1 gwine git fur all dis yere
is one O. 'em. has glib you Ticker an
I has glib you music, an wife, is cook
in supper fur you, an it ain no mo-
den reason dat I'd wanter know whut
we gwine git fur it."
We'll, We'll pay you all right
enough" replied Scott Aimes. you've
always treated us white, and you are
about the only man in this ncighbor-
hood that has,"
81 thankee, sah," the negro rejoined;
"yas, thankee, sab, fur 1 jest wanted
ter be satisfied in my mine, an / tell
YOU dat when er pusson is troubled In
his mine he's outen fix sho huff. Hur-
ry up dar, Tidy, wild you snack, fur
desc generman is a-haungry."
Il hope she won't get it ready any
too soon," 1 whispered to Alf, and he,
with his face close to mine, replied:
You can trust an old negro woman for
that. 1t won't take Parker very long
to ride over to the generals house, and
they can pick up father on the way
back"
Won't your mother and-and Guinea
be frightened?"
Not much. They've seen the old
man go out on the war path more than
once. Let's see what they are doing
now"
Scott had taken the banjo and was
turning it over, looking at it. We saw
him take out a knife and then with a
twang he cut the strings. Good
Lawd!" exclaimed the negro, and his
wife turned from the fire with look of
sorrow and reproach, for the distress
full sound had told her accustomed ear
that a calamity had befallen the in
strument. Nov jest look whut you
done" the negro cried, and his wife,
wiping her hands on her apron, looked
at Scott Aimes and said: EFF dats de
way YOU gwine ack, I'll burn dis yere
braid an fling dis yere meat in de
fire. Er body workin' fur you ez hard
ez is, an yere you come er doin' dat
way. It's er shame. sab, dats whut
i is. It's er plum shame, 1 doan kere
et you is white an me black"
Scott roughly tossed the banjo into
a corner and laughed. Sounds blam-
ed sight better in death than in life,
said he.
But who gwine pay fur dat death
music?" the negro asked.
Pay for it," Scott turned fiercely
upon the negro and Alf caught up his
gun. Wait" l whispered.
Pay for it," Scot raved why you
Internal old scoundrel, do we have to
pay every time we turn round? But
We'll make it all right with you," he
added. turning away; and Alf lowered
his gun.
II hopes ter de Lawd you will" said
the woman, fur we needs it bad
enough"
You do?" Scott replied. We'll
you'd better be thankful that we don't
blow on you for sellin' whisky without
| license"
Oar ain no proof O. de fack dat
has sol none ter-night," said the old
negro. shaking his head.
Whats that?" Scott demanded
wheeling round.
"Skuze me, sab, nothin' er tall. jest
er passin' de time o de day, sab"
Didn't tell you that we would pay
you for everything we gOt?"
Vas, sab, an you's er generman
sab: yas, thank you fur gwinter pay
me-"
"Yo supper Is done an eff you'll jest
glib me room I'll fix de table" the wo-
man remarked. taking the bread OIL