Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1919-10-03

yer really awake agln, honey? De
doctah say he done thought ye'd cum
round by terday sure, sab"
''The doctor7" l questioned In sur
prise, my voice sounding strange and
far away. ''Have / been here longl"
"Goin' on bout ten days, sab. Yer
was powerful bad hurt an out O. yer
head, I reckon"
"What was 1t that happened2 Did
someone shoot me7'
The negro scratched his head, shut
fling his bare feet uneasily on the dirt
floor.
'Yas, sab, Mr.. knox," he admitted
with reluctance. IT'S sure powerful
sorry, sab, but / was de boy whut
plugged yer. Yer see, sab, it done
happened dis-a-way," and his black
face registered genuine distress
"Thars a mean gang O. white folks
round yere thet's took 1t inter their
heads ter lick every free Niger, an
when yer done come up ter my door
In de middle OBJ de night, a-cussin',
an a-threatenin' fer ter break in,
just nat'arlly didn't wanter be licked
an'-an' so / blazed away. rs pow
erful sorry bout it now, sah."
"No doubt 1t was more my fault
than yours. You are a free negro,
them"
"Yas, sab. / done belong onct ter
Colonul Silas Carlton sab, but afore
he died, just because / done saved his
boy frum drownln in de ribber, de Oh
colonul he set me free, an give me a
patch o. Ian ter raise corn on"
"What is your nameY
"Pete, sar. Free Pete is whut mostly
de white folks call me-" He laughed,
white teeth showing and the whites
Of his eyes. "Yer see thar am pow
erful lot o. Petes round bout yere
sah."
1 drew a deep breath, conscious Of
weakness as / endeavored to change
position.
"All right, Pete; now want to I'M
derstand things clearly. You shot me-
supposing / was making an assault
on you. Your bullet lodged in my
shoulder. What happened then?"
swell, after while, sab, thar want
no NOR noise, an reckoned I'd Ell
Their done hit yer err else ye'd run
away. An thar We wus, sab, a-lyin
on yer back like We wus dead. Just
so soon as / saw We / know'd as how
ye never was no nigger-hunter but a
stranger In desc yere parts. So /
dragged We inside de cabin, an washed
up yer hurts. But We never got no bet.
tab, so / got skeered, an went hoofin'
1t down fer de doctah at Beaucalre
Landln', sab, an when he cum back
along wild me he dug the bullet outer
yer shoulder, an left some truck fer
me ter Civ yer. He's done been yere
three times, sah."
"From Beaucaire Landing-is that
Ia town."
"A sorter town, sab; bout four miles
down ribber."
The mentioning Of this familiar
word brought back instantly to my
darkened understanding all those
main events leading up to my pres.
ence in this neIghborhood. Complete
memory returned, every separate incl
dent sweeping through my brain
Kirby, Carver, the fateful game of
cards in the cabin of the Warrior, the
sudden death Of the Judge, the mob
anger sought to curb, the struggle on
deck, my being thrown overheard, and
the danger threatening the two inno-
cent daughters of Beaucaire. And /
had actually been lying in this negro
hut, burning up with fever, helplessly
delirious, for ten days. What had
already occurred in that space of
time? What villalny had been con.
cocted and carried out?'
Nov see here, Pete" I began ear.
nestly. "How did you learn what my
name was?
de doctah he foun' dat out, sab.
He done looked through yer pockets,
sab, an he took two papers whut he
foun' dar away wild him. He done toll
me as how yer wus an offercer in de
army-a leftenant er sumthin,-an'
tibet dem papers ought fer ter be sint
ter de gov'ner at onct. De las time
he wus we're he toll me tibet he wint
down ter ST. Louee hisself, an done
gif bof dem papers ter Gov'ner Clark.
SO yer don't need worry none bout
dem no NOR"
/ sank back onto the hard pillow,
greatly relieved by this information.
The burden of official duty had been
taken from me. was now on fur
Tough and free to act as l pleased.
"Have you picked up any news late.
ly from Beaucaire plantation?"
II heerd dey done brought de body
OBJ de OF jedge home, sah--he died
mighty sudden sumwhar up de ribber
Thet's bout all know"
when was this?"