The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-01-23
upon him, his thick lips Instantly part


ing in a good-natured grin.
DE good Lord be praised 7" hi
CALCULATED, in undisguised delight. Il,
yer really awake agin, honey? De
doctah say he done thought ye'ds cum
round by terday sure, sah."
"The doctor?" I questioned in sur.
prise, my voice sounding strange and
far away. 'Haye / been here longY
"Goin' on bout ten days. sab. Yer
head. I 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. "Ps sure powerful
sorry, sab. but / was de boy whit
plugged yer. Yer see, sab, 1t done
happened dis-a-way," and his blacL
face registered genuine distress.
| ''Thar's mean gang o. white folks
round yere thet's 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 1t now, sah."
"No doubt it was more my fault
than yours. You are free negro,
then?"
"Yas. sab. done belong onct ter
Colonul Silas Carlton, sab. but afore
he died, just because done saved his
boy frum drOwnin' in de ribber, de OF
colonul he set me free. an give me a
patch o. lam ter raise corn on
"What is your name?
"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 a pow.
erful lot O. Petes round bout yere,
sah."
l drew a deep breath, conscious of
weakness as l endeavored to change
position.
"All right, Pete; now I want to un.
-derstand things clearly. You shot me
suppOsing I was making an assault |
On You. Your bullet lodged in my
shoulder. What happened ,hen?"
"Well. after while. sah thar want |
no NOR noise, an / reckoned I'd Ell, |
away. An thar We wus, sab. a-lyin'
on yer back like We WIS dead. Just |
so soon as ] saw We 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.
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 Landing-is that
a town.
"a sorter town, sab; bout four miles
down ribber."
The mentioning of this familiar
word brought back instantly TO my
understanding all those
main events leading up to my pres.
ance in this neighborhood. Complete
returned, every separate Incl.
lent sweeping through my brain
Kirby, Carver, the fateful game of
,ards in fhe cabin of the Warrior, the
sudden death of the judge, the mob
niger I sought to curb the struggle on
leck, my being thrown overheard. and
he danger threatening the two innO-
,ent daughters of Beaucaire. And ]
iad actually been lying in this negro
tut, burning up with fever, helplessly
leirious, for ten days. What had
llready occurred in that space CT
line? What villainy had been con.
'octed and carried out?"
NOW see here, Pete" I began ear.
leslly. How did you learn what my
lame WASP
ode 'doctah he foun' dat out, sab.
lie done looked through yer pockets,
ah, an he took two papers whut he
oun' dar away wild him. He done tot !
ne as how yer WIS an offercer in de
irmy-a leftenant er sumthin'-an' |
~
er de gov'ner at onct. De las time
e wus yere he sol' me tibet he wint
own ter st. Louee hisself, an done
If bof dem papers ter GOv'ner Clark.
20 yer don't need worry none bout
EN- no NOR"
I sank back onto the hard pillow.
realty relieved by this information.
he burden of official duty had been !
AIKEN from me. / was now on fur.
'ugh and free to act as pleased.
"Have you picked up any news late
7 from Beaucaire plantationr
Il heerd dey done brought de body =
b de OF jedge home. sah-he died !
lightly sudden sumwhar up de ribber. h
het's Don't all know" '
"When this7"