Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-05-23
Mcclure & Co. 1900

ment of II merely put new fire into his
veins. Now that he understood exact
~ what threatened. all numbing feel
ing or hesitancy and doubt vanished,
and he became instantly alive. He
would not lie there in that hole wait
Ing for the formation of a mob: nor
would he trust in the ability of the
marshal TO defend him.
He had some friends without-not
many, for he was but an occasional
visitor at Carson-who would rally to
HICKS assistance, but there would not
be enough on the side of law and or
der to overcome the cred Light" out
mt. If once they scented blood. II he
was to be saved from their clutches.
he must save himself: il his inno-
cence was ever established it would
be by his own exertions-and he could
accomplish this only out yonder. free
under the arch of sky
He lifted his head, every nerve tin
Cling with desperate determination.
The low growl of voices was audible
through the partition, but there was
no other sound. Carson City was still
resting, and there would be no crowd
nor excitement until much later Not
until nightfall would any attack be at
tempted; he had six or eight hours yet
In which to perfect his plans. He
ran his eyes about the room searching
for some spot of weakness. It was
dark back Of the bench. and he turned
in that direction. Leaning over. he
looked down on the figure of a man
curled up, sound asleep on the floor.
The fellows limbs twitched as If in a
dream, otherwise he might have deem
ed him dead, as his face was buried
in his arms. A moment Keith hest
tated; then he reached down and
shook the sleeper, until he aroused
sufficiently TO look up. It was the
face Of cOal-black negro. An In
slant the fellow stared at the man
towering over him, his thick lips part
ed. his eyes full OF sudden terror.
Then he sat up, with hands held be-
fore him as though warding of a
blow.
"f'o' de Lawd's sake" he managed
to articuiate finally, am dis sho' yo',
Massa Jack?"
Keith. to whom all colored people
were much alike, laughed at the ex-
preston on the negro's face
Il reckon yer guessed the name. all
right, boy Were you the cook OF
the Diamond IL"
mo, sab, nebber cooked no dronds.
Use OF Ne6, sab"
WHAT"
Yes. sab, Use de boy dat libbed
vid OIL Missus Cation durin' de wab.
amt seen yo'. Massa Jack. sence de
lay We buried yo' daddy. OIL Massa
Keith But l knowed yo' de berrv
invite woke up. Sho yo' members
Ncb. sah?"
1t came to Keith now in sudden
rush Of memory-the drizzling rain
IN the little cemetery, the few neigh
DORIS standing about, q narrow fringe
of slaves back OF them. the lowering
OF the coffin, and the hollow sound of
earth falling ON the box; and Neb, his
Aunt Cations house servant, a black
imp OF good humor, who begged so
hard to be taken back with him to the
war Why. the boy had held his stir
rup the next morning when he rode
away. The sudden rush of recollec-
ton seemed to bridge the years. and
that black face became familiar, a
memory OF home.
"Of course. l remember, Neb," he
exclaimed. eagerly, but that's all
years ago and l never expected TO see
you again. What brought you West
and got you into this hole?"
The negro hitched up onto the
bench, the whites of his eyes conspic-
uous as he stared uneasily about-he
had a short, squatty figure. with ex-
cessively broad shoulders, and a face
OF intense good humor.
1 reckn dat am considerable OBJ Z
story. Massa Jack. de decentralization
OBJ which would take a heap OBJ time
tellin'." he began soberly. but it
happened bout dis way. When de
Yankees come snoopin' long de East
Sho'-I reck'n maybe 1t des a yeah aft
er dat time when we done buried de
Of Conel-dey burned Missus Cations
house clah to de groun': de OIL Missus
was IN Richmond den. an de few mig
gers left Jest materially took to de
woods. / went into Richmond huntin'
de OF Missus, but, Lawd, Massa Jack
nebber foun' nuthin' OBJ her In dat
crowd. Den an officer man done got
me an put me diggin' in de trenches
Ell OATS what wah am, l sho' dom
want no mo- wah. Den after dat lest
materially drifted. I reckon | llbbed
bout eberywhar yo' ebber heard OBJ.
10 dar want no use OBJ me goin' back
to de East Sho' Somebody said dat
de West am de right place TO- a mig
ger, an so I done headed west"
He dropped his face In his black
hands, and was silent for some min
utes. but Keith said nothing. and fin
ally the thick voice continued:
Il tell you. Massa Jack. IL was
mighty lonely TO Neb dem days.
didn't know whar any OBJ yo' all was.
an 1t want no fun TO- dis niger bein'
iree dat away. l got out ter Indepen-
dence. Missouri. an was ustaboutin'
on de ribber, when a couple OBJ men
come along what wanted a cook to
trabbel wild EN-. l took de fob. an
OATS what fetched me here ter Carson
CITY"