The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-02-12

and faced me, his eyes widening with
interest as he caught mine fastened
upon him, his thick lips instantly part
ing in a good-natured grin.
"De good Lord be praised" he
calculated, IN und'sguised delight rs
yer really awake agin, honey2 De
doctah say he done thought ye'd cum
round by terday sure. sah."
"The doctorf' l questioned in sur
prise, my voice sounding strange and
far away. "IIave l been here long2"
Coin on bout ten days, sab. Yer
was powerful bad hurt an out O. yer
head l reckon"
"What was it that happencd2 Did
someone shoot me?"
The negro scratched his head shuf-
fling his bare feet uneasily on the dirt
floor.
''Yas. sab, Mr.. Knox" he admitted
with reluctance. us sure powerful
sorry. sab, but I was de boy whut
plugged yer. Yer see, sab, it done
happened dls-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
I'm de middle oh de night, a-cussin'.
an a-threatenn' fer ter break in.
lust natarlly didn't wanter be licked.
an'-an so l bazed away. Is pow
erful sorry bout it now, sah."
mo doubt it was more my fault
than yours. You are a free negro.
then?'
"Yas, sab. ! done belong onct ter
ColonuI Silas Carlton, sab, but afore
he died lust because 1 done saved his
boy frum drownin' in de ribber, de OF
colonul he set me free, an give me
patch O. Ian ter raise corn ON
"What is your nameT
"Pete, sar. Free Pete is whut mostly
de white folks call me-" He laughed,
white teeth showing and the whites
Of his eyes. eyer see thar am a pow
erful lot O. Petes round bout yere,
sah."
l drew a deep breath, conscious Of
weakness as endeayored to change
position.
"AII right, Pete; now want to un-
derstand things clearly. You shot me,
supposing l was making an assault
on YOU. Your bullet lodged in my
shoulder. What happened thenT
"Weu, after a while, sab, thar want
no NOR noise, an l reCkOned I'd ell
ther done hit yer er else ye'd run
. 49, g.1 1v.fr
on yer back like We wus dead Just
/ so soon as l saw ye l 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
tah, so ! got skeered, an went hoohn
. It down fer de doctah at PeauCaire
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 Landing-is that
a town."
"A sorter town, sab; bout four miles
down rbber."
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 l sought TO curb the struggle on
deck, my being thrown overheard, and
the danger threatening the two inno-
cent daughters of BeouCaire. 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?0
"Now 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 tol
me as how yer wus an offerCer in de
army-a leftenant er sumthin'-au'
thet dem papers ought fer ter be stint
ter de goy'ner at Onct. De las time
he wus yere he top me thet he wint
down ter st. Louee hisself an done