The Arvada enterprise., 1920-01-22

upon him, his thick lips instantly part
ing in q good-natured grin.
DE good Lord be praised! ne
CALCULATED, In undisguised delight rs
yer really awake agin, honeyf De
doctah say he done thought ye'd cum
round BY terday sure, sab"
'The doctor7" I questioned IN sur.
prise. my voice sounding strange ana
far away. "Havs I been here longT
sGoin' on bout ten days, sab. Yer
was powerful bad hurt an out o yer
head. I reckon"
"What was 1t that happenedf Did
someone shoot met"
The negro scratched his head. shut
ding his bare feet uneasily on the dirt
floor.
"Yas, sab. Mr.. Knox" he admitted
with reluctance. "rs sure powerful
sorry, sab. but I was de boy whit
plugged yer. Yer see, sab, it done
happened dis-a-way." and his black
face registered genuine distress.
'4Thar's 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, l
just nat'arlly didn't wanter be licked.
an'-an' 80 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. 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 a
patch O. Lam ter raise corn on"
"What is your manner"
"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."
drew a deep breath, conscious of
weakness as I endeavored to change
position.
IAN 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 thsnf"
SWELL. after while. sah, thar want
no NOR noise. an I reckoned I'd ei-
Their done hit yer er else ye'd run
away. An thar ye wus. sab. allyn
on yer back like ye wus dead. Just
go soon as saw ye I know'd as how
ye never was no nigger-hunter but Q
stranger In desc yere parts. So I
dragged ye inside de cabin, an washed
up yer hurts. But We never got no bet.
tab, 20 got skeered. an went hoofn'
1t down fer de doctah at Beaucairs
Landin', sab, an when he cum hack
along wild me he dug the bullet outer
yer shoulder, an left some truck fer
me ter Civ yer. Hes done been yere
three times, sah."
"From Beaucaire Landing-is that
. town.
"A sorter town, sab; bout four miles
down ribber.~
The mentioning Of thia f.m,,i.,
word brought back instantly to my
darkened understanding all thoee
main events leading mn to nv pres.
ence in this neiRhborhood. Comnlete
memory returned. every separate Incl
dent sweeping through nv brain
Kirby, Carver. the fateful name al
cards In the cabin Of the warrior. the
sudden death of the iudge the NOR
anger I sought to curb the struggle on
deck. my being thrown overheard, and
the danger threatening the two limo
cent daughters of BeaucaIre, And ]
had actually been lying in this negro
hut, burning up with fever. helplessly
delirious. for ten days. What hat
already occurred In that space Of
timer What villainy had been con
cocted and carried outf"
snow see here. Pete." I began ear
nestly. "How did you learn what MI