The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1911-06-17
Caesars
Vengeance

gwin' 90 kill you.
Caesar White paused and gazed al
the smaller negro as some tranquil OK
might regard calf that had strayed
into It's pasture
The negroes were tolling In the tur.
pentine settlement under the burning
rays Of the Carolina sun. They sweat.
ed and painted as they filled the bar
rels and rolled the crude rosln up the
incline OF planks to the roof OF the dis.
tillery where shone the great lid OF
the copper still
Caesar White was a good natured
giant In the main, or had been until
Jefferson Grant. the quadroon dude.
sauntered into the camp with his col
lar and cuffs. and hair that shone
with cocoanut OIL Then trouble arose
for Mandy, the superintendent cook.
had succumbed TO his Vaccinations.
Jefferson Grant shifted dIsdalnfuily
and resumed his labors. Every week
day. except on Mondays. the dlstilla-
ton went on. the crude rosin, dumped
into the great SILL kissing and hub
bling furiously within, though to the
watcher on the distIllery roof there
was no symptom OF the commotion OF
the fluid inside the boiler, where a
half ton OF rosln simmered like mott
en- steel.
To Caesar White. unimaginative In
all other respects. the process pos.
sessed fascination. He had pictured
his rival flung into the caldron by the
force of his mighty arms. One in
stant's agony-and flesh, bones, cloth.
ing, all traces Of the quadroon would
be utterly dissolved In that fiery flow
II was a little incident that precipi
tated his determination. A Sunday
call. scornful word from Mandy, the
sight OF 1.-THE figure skulking through
the pine trees behind the girls hut
and Caesar White, was in the forest
alone, rolling upon the ground and
biting his clenched fists In a paroxysm
OF jealousy until the blood flowed.
Next day the two men were alone
on the distillery roof. The quadroon,
under Caesars direction, was polish
Ing the copper lid of the still, which
had been raised from its position by
their united efforts for this work.
Deep in the gloom under them Caesar
fancied he could see the CLEAN OF the
molten mass, placid as still water.
but deadly as boiling lava. As JEFF
ferson turned he stretched out his foot
lazily. The quadroon tripped and fell;
one push, an oath and a scream and
a splash far below. Then the giant |
fastened away.
Shrek upon shrek pursued him.
The quadroon was hard In dying. |
Fear drove out the foreman's anger. |
Those shrieks pursued him as he hur-
ried toward his quarters. Shrek upon
shrek; and now, peering in dreadful
terror through his half-opened door,
Caesar saw negroes running from all |
parts toward the still, from which is
sued those never-ending cries. Would
the man never die? Could he live |
even one moment in that fearful tor.
ture? The giant trembled. He cast
about him to fly. Where? Anywhere.
Beads OF Precipitation sprang to his
brow and the manhood went out from
lis weak limbs. He had thought 70
accomplish his deed unseen and un-
inspected and still those fearful
'ries resounded through the pine
rees. He sank down inert and help
ess on the dry ground.
But, mingling with the cries, came
ounds OF laughter. Caesar looked up
Ighast From the great still, sur
ounded by a derislve crowd. a drip,
ing figure emerged and staggered
cross the camp. MercifuI heaYen Il
vas the quadrOon. woe-begone, from
lead TO foot one Shiny mass OF drip
ing, viscid rosin. And IN front OF the
rowd that danced and jeered and
hOutad was Mandy noinfinp a de.