Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-10-31

upon him, his thick lips instantly part.
ing in a gcod-natured grin.
''De good Lord be praised" he
calculated, in undisguised delight. us
yer really awake agin, honey? De
doctah say he done thought ye'd cum
round by terday sure, sah.'
'@The doctor?" / questioned in sur
| prise. my voice sounding strange and
far away. Have / been here longY
"Goin' on bout ten days, sab. Yer
was powerful bad hurt an out o. ger
| head, reckon"
what was it that happened. Did
| someone shoot me?"
| The negro Scratched his head, shut
fling his bare feet uneasily on the dirt
| floor.
'Yas, sab, Mr.. knox," he admitted
with reluctance. 'Ts sure powerful
sorry, sab, but I was de boy whut
plugged yer. Yer see, sab, it done
happened dis-a-way," and his black
face registered genuine distress.
''Thar's mean gang o. white folks
round we're thetS took it 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.'
mo doubt it was more my fault
than yours. You are a free negro,
then?"
"Yas, sab. I done belong onct ter
Colonul Silas Carlton, sab, but afore
he died, just because done saved his
boy frum drownin' in de ribber, de oil
colonul he set me free, an give me
patch o. lam ter raise corn on"
"What is your nameY'
"Pete, sar. Free Pete is whit mostly
de white folks call me-" He laughed,
white teeth showing and the whites
of his eyes. ''Yer see thar am DOW.
erful lot O. Petes round bout we're,
sah."
| drew a deep breath, conscious OF
weakness as 1 endeavored to change
position.
"All right, Pete; now want to un.
derstand things clearly. You shot me,
supposing 1 was making an assault
on you. Your bullet lodged in my
shoulder. What happened then?"
swell, after a while, sab, thar want
no NOR noise, an l reckoned I'd Ell
Their done hit yer er else yed run
away. An thar We WIS, sab. a-lyin
on yer back like We wus dead Just
so soon as 1 saw We / know'd as how
We 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'
it down fer de doctah at Beaucaire
Landin' 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 Landings that
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 Hateful 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 villainy had been con.
cocted and carried out?"
"Now see here, Pete" I began ear.
nestly. "How did you learn what my
name wasp
''De doctah he foun' dat out, sab
He done looked through yer pockets
sab, an he took two papers whit he
fOun' dar away wild him. He done toll
me as how yer wus an offercer in dc
army-a leftenant er sumthin'-an'
tibet dem papers ought fer ter be stint
ter de gOv'ner at onct. De las time
he wus yere he tol' 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 mor'.''
/ sank back onto the hard pillow
greatly relieved by this information
The burden of official duty had beer
taken from me. / was now on fur
Tough and free to act as / pleased.
/ "Have you picked up any news late
~ from Beaucaire plantation?
Il heerd dey done brought de body
OBJ de OF jedge home, sah-he dice
mighty sudden sumwhar up de ribber
Thet's bout all l know"
when was this?"