Evening star., 1924-10-26


Once an overseer challenged him, de-
manding to know his business. He
was looking. he said. for DR.. Blood
His cousin was taken Ill. The over
seer bade him go to the devil, and get
out of the plantation. Blood was not
there. If he was anywhere he would
he in his hut in the stockade.
Nuttall passed on, upon the under
standing that he would go. But he
went in the wrong direction: he went
on toward the side Of the plantation
farth est from the stockade, toward
he dense woods that fringed 1t there
The oyerseer was too contemptuouS
md perhaps too 'anguid in the sitting
heat of approaching noontide to cor
rect his course.
Nuttall blundered to the end Of the
avenue, and round the corner of ii
and there ran into Pitt, alone, toiline
with a wooden spade upon an irriga-
ton channel. a pair of cotton draw
ers. loose and ragged, clothed him
from waist to knee: above and be-
low he was naked, save for a broad
hat of plated straw that sheltered his
unkempt golden head from the rays
nf the tropical sun. At sight of him
Nuttall returned thanks aloud to his
Maker. Pitt stared at him. and the
shipwright poured out his dismal
Jews In a dismal tone. The sum %
was that he must have 10 pounds
rom Blood that Very morning or they
we're all undnie. And all he got for
mis- pa ns and his sweat was the CON
lenlnation Of Jeremy Pitt.
Damn YOU for a fool" said the
lave. If it's Blood you're seeking.
Nhy are You wasting your time here? ?"
81 cant find him." bleated Nuttall.
lie was indignant at his reception.
He forgot the tangled state of the
others nerves after night of anxious
wakefulness ending in a dawn of de-
spair. 81 thought that you :"
You thought thatI could drop my
spade and go and seek him for you"
Is that what you thought? My God,
that our lives should depend upon such
a dummerhead While you waste your
time here the hours are passing. And
if an overseer should catch you talking
to m." How'll you explain it,
For Il moment Nuttall was bereft
OF speech by such ingratitude. Then
he exploded.
II would TO Heaven I had never had
no hand in this affair. l would so. /
wish that :.
What else he wished was never
known. for at that moment round the
. block Of cane came Il big man III bis
cuit-colored taffetas followed by two
armed with c''tla>ses. II" was not ten
yards away, but his approach over the
soft, yielding mar had be m unheard.
Mr.. Nuttall looked wildly this way
and that moment. ther bolted like
rabbit for the woods. thus doing the
most foolish and betraying thing that
in the circumstances 1t was possible for
him to do Pitt groaned and stood STILL
leaning. upon his spade
h, 1.1 1n1
Bishop after the fugitive, and added
horrible threats tricked out with some
rhetorical iniecencies.
But the fugitive held amain. and
never 50 much as turned his head. 1t
was his only remaining hope that Col.
Bishop might not have seen his face;
for the power and influence Of Col.
Bishop were quite sufficient to hang
any man whom he thought would be
better dead.
Not until the runagat. had vanished
into the scrub did the planter sutti
ciently recover from his indignant
amazement to remember the two ne
groes who followed at his heels like a
brace of hounds. 1t was bodyguard
without which he never moved In his
plantations since a slave had made
an attack upon him and all but
Strangled him couple Of years ago.
After him. you black swine he
roared at them. But as they started he
checked them. Wait. Get to heel.
damn YOU.
1t occurred to him that to catch
and deal with the fellow there was
not the need to go after him. and
perhaps spend the day hunting him
in that cursed wood. There was Pitt
here ready to his hand. and Pitt
should tell him the identity of his
bashtul friend. and also the subject
IT that clos and secret talk ne had
disturbed. Pitt might, of course. be
reluctant. so much the worse Tor
Pitt. The ingenious Col. Bishop knew
d dozen ways-sonle Of them quite
diverting-of conquerins subborness
in these convict dogs.
He turned now upon the slave
,.ountenance that was inflamed by
heat internal and external, and pair
Of beady eyes that We're aEght with
cruel intelligence. He stepped forward
swinging his light bamboo cane.
"Who was that runagate?" he ask
ed with terrible suavity.
Leaning over on his spade. Jeremy
Pitt hung his head little, and shift
ed uncomfortable on his bare feet
vainly he groped for an answer in a
mind that could do nothing but curse
The planters bamboo cane fell on
the lads naked shoulders with a
singing force.
Answer me. you dog. What's his
name?''
Jeremy looked at the burly planter
out of sullen. almost defiant eyes.
II don't know" he said. and in his
voice there was a faint note at least
of the defiance aroused in him by
| l. til, I, xlnv !, 10
ife's sake return. His body had re-
manned unyielding under it, but the
spirit within writhed now in tor
ment.
You don't know? Well. here's to
| quicken your wits Again the cane
| descended. "Have you thought Of his
name yet?"
| 81 have not"
stubborn, eh?" For a moment the
| colonel leered. Then his passion mas
| tered him. "Swounds! You impudent
dog! D. you trifle with me? D. you
| think I'm to be Knocked
Pitt shrugged, shifted sideways on
his feet again. and settled into dogged
| silence. Few things are more provoca-
| tive; and Col. Bishops temper was
never one that required much provo
| cation. Brute fury now awoke in him.
! Fiercely now he lashed those defense
| less shoulders, accompanying each
blow by blasphemy and foul abuse.
until. stung beyond endurance, the
! lingering embers of his manhood
famed into momentary flame, Pitt
! sprang upon his tormentor.
| But as he sprang. SO also sprang
| the watchful blacks Muscular bronze
arms coiled crushingly about the frail
white body. and in a moment the un-
| fortunate slave stood pOwerleSS his
| wrists pinioned behind him in a
: leathern thong.
Breathing hard, his face notified