The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-04-01
Chapter II.

All had given way and Jake and
his companion had the entire floor.
There were no preliminary steps or
sparring, for their dancing blood was
up by their watching the others and
each began with his best. Up and
down they skipped, then back to
back, whirl and turn, then away and
aroumd each other. First the "pid-
geon wing" next the ''possum trot"
then the turkey wallow.' Old fd-
dler Bob would throw his hoary head
far back, then downs on his beloved
fiddle and sing
"Stand back dar you big foot niger,
You danced all night and couldn't
cut fgger.''
Cage eyes his protege with exult-
ant pride, as his young master took
up new steps, or caught those Of the
runaway. Fast and furious went the
dancers, louder shrieked the fiddle,
while big Elick's hands battered his
chest and legs. The little cabin
rolled and rocked like ship at sea,
and the young bucks and damsels
around the sides, swayed back and
forth in unison with the rythm Of
the wild music Of the fiddle and the
clatter Of Elick's hands. Round
and round the dancers whirled and
twirlsd, changed sides, turn and
glide around each other, then to the
farther ends, and, as if standing on
air, they would cut still more dane
ing steps. "Can't Marse Jake
dance?" would whisper some Of the
dusky damsels. ''He sho can, - would
come back proudly from loyal Gage,
lease 7 larned him myself
Even through all this maelstrom Of
gaiety the negro, as if by Instinct,
can scent danger afar, like the camel
of the desert detects the coming OF
the Simeon or the Sirocco. Some one
shouted that dread and ominous word
"PaterroIlers." Then a cyclone of
excitement struck the revelers. The
door was soon blocked, but Cage
made a frantic leap for the window,
tearing the shutter from its moorings
and went sprawling on the ground
beneath, with Marse Jake on top Of
him. Regaining their feet, Cage
knowing the land called out, run
for the big ditch behind the cuppin
(cow pen)" and leaping over a
rambling fence around garden, they
burst through a plum thieket, at its
outer edge they were met by the
night riders calling to them to "stop
you rascaIs." But they cast away
around the COW lot and on to the big
gully, down went Cage and Marse
Jake again on top Of him.
The patrols not knowing the lay
of the land tumbled ;helter skelter
into the gully too, but Cage led away
calling his master to come on. Jake
lay still and groaned, while the pa
trols cursed and swore. Lights we're
brought and on examination Of the
wreck, one of the men turned over
the groaning reveler, uttered a great
oath and said "I wish I may die if
this amt Jake Baldwin,. y
On missing his young master at his
heels, Cage returned to the scene OF
disaster, determined to never leave
him in distress, and as one of the
patrol recognized him said, "Yes,
and dammit, if there ain't that ro-
guish runaway Cage.''
Jake was badly injured in his
right knee, so they procured a wagon
to carry him to his home. All the
patrol liked Young Baldwin and
were very sorry indeed for his mis-
chief. Some of them accompanied
him on the journey, and at the break
of day, the sorrowing cortege filed
into the yard of old Major Baldwin.
(To Be Continued.)