"Dat"s jes "zackly what I do mean, Cousin Nimbus--no mistake "bout dat," answered Berry, bowing towards Nimbus with a great show of mock politeness. "What else did yer tink Berry mean, hey? Didn"t my words "spress demselves cl"ar? Yer know, cousin, dat I"se not one ob de fightin" kine. Nebber hed but one fight in my life, an"
den dar wuz jes de wuss whipped n.i.g.g.e.r you ebber seed. Yer see dem sinners, eh?" rolling up his sleeve and showing a round, close-corded arm. "Oh, I"se some when I gits started, I is. All whip-cord an" chain-lightnin", whoop! I"ll bet a harf dollar now, an borrer de money from Bre"er Nimbus h"yer ter pay it, dat I kin turn more han"-springs an" offener an" longer nor ary man in dis crowd. Oh, I"se some an" more too, I is, an" don"t yer fergit it. "Bout dat fight?" he continued to a questioner, "oh, yes, dat was one ob de mos" "markable fights dar"s ever been in Ho"sford county. Yer see "twuz all along uv Ben Slade an" me. Lor" bress yer, how we did fight! "Pears ter me dat it must hev been nigh "bout harf a day we wuz at it."
"But you didn"t lick Ben, did you, Berry?" asked one of the bystanders in surprise.
"Lick him? Yer jes" orter see de corn I wollered down "long wid dat n.i.g.g.a"! Dar must hev been close on ter harf an acre on"t."
"But he"s a heap bigger"n you, Berry, ez stout ez a bull an" one ob de bes" fighters ebber on de hill at Louisburg. Yer jest romancin"
now, Berry," said Nimbus, incredulously.
"Oh, but yer don"t understan" it, cousin," said Berry. "Yer see I played fer de _under holt_--an" got it, dat I did. Lor"! how dat ar Ben did thrash de groun" wid me! Ole Mahs"r lost a heap ob corn on "count dat ar fight! But I hung on ter him, an" nebber would hev let him go till now, ef--ef somebody hedn"t pulled me out from under him!"
There was a roar of laughter at this, in which Berry joined heartily, and as it began to die out he continued: "Dat"s de only fight I ebber hed, an" I don"t want no mo". I"se a peaceable man, an"
don"t want ter hurt n.o.body. Ef de Kluckers wants ter come whar I is, an" gibs me sech a perlite notice ez dat ter quit, I"se gwine ter git out widout axin" no imper"ent questions "bout who was dar fust. An" I"se gwine ter keep gittin" tu--jest" ez fur an" ez fast ez dey axes me ter move on, ez long ez de road"s cut out an"
I don"t come ter no jumpin"-off place. Ef dey don"t approve of Berry Lawson a stayin" roun" h"yer, he"s jes" a gwine West ter grow up wid der kentry."
"I"d sooner be dead than be sech a limber-jinted coward!" said Nimbus. "I"m sorry I ebber tuk ye in atter Ma.r.s.e Sykes hed put yer out in de big road, dat I am." There was a murmur of approval, and he added: "An" ef yer hed enny place ter go ter, yer shouldn"t stay in my house nary "nother minit."
"Now, Cousin Nimbus," said Berry, soberly, "dar hain"t nary bit ob use ob enny sech talk ter me. Berry arns his libbin" ef he does hab his joke now an" agin."
"Oh, no doubt o" dat," said Nimbus. "Ther ain"t no better han" in enny crop dan Berry Lawson. I"ve said dat often an" over."
"Den yer jes take back dem hard words yer spoke "bout Berry, won"t yer now, Cousin Nimbus?" said Berry, sidling up to him and looking very much as if he intended to give the lie to his own account of his fighting proclivities.
"No, I won"t," said Nimbus, positively. "I do say dat any man ez runs away kase de Ku Kluck tries ter scar him off is a d.a.m.n coward, "n I don"t care who he calls his name neither."
"Wal, now, Cousin Nimbus," said Berry, his eyes flashing and his whole appearance falsifying his previous poltroonery, "dar"s two sides ter dat ar question. I hain"t nebber been a sojer like you, cousin, an" it"s a fac" dat I don"t keer ter be; but I du say ez how I"d be ez willin" ter stan" up an" fight fer de rights we"s got ez enny man dat ebber"s trod de sile ennywhere"s "bout Red Wing, ef I thought ez how "twould do de least bit ob good. But I tell yer, gemmen, hit won"t do enny good, not de least bit, an" I knows it.
I"se seen de Ku Kluckers, gemmen, an" I knows who some on "em is, an" I knows dat when sech men takes hold ob sech a matter wid only pore n.i.g.g.e.rs on de udder side, dar ain"t no chance fer de n.i.g.g.e.rs.
I"se seen "em, an" I _knows_."
"When?" "Whar?" "Tell us "bout it, Berry!" came up from all sides in the crowd which had collected until now almost all the inhabitants of Red Wing and its vicinity were there.
"Oh, "tain"t nuffin"," said he, nonchalantly. "What Berry says, ain"t no "count, nohow."
"Yes, tell us "bout it," said Nimbus, in a conciliatory tone.
"Wal, ef _you_ wants ter hear, I"ll tell it," said Berry, condescendingly. "Yer mind some tree er fo" weeks ago I went ter Bre"er Rufe"s, ober in Hanson county, on a Friday night, an" didn"t git back till a Monday mornin"?"
"Sartin," said Nimbus, gravely.
"Wal, "twas along o" dis yer business dat I went thar. I know"d yer"d got one er two warnin"s sence I"d come yere wid yer, an" I "llowed it were on account ob me, kase dem ar Sykeses is monstrous bad folks when dey gits mad, an" ole Ma.r.s.e Granville, he war powerful mad at me findin" a home here wid my own relations. So, I tole Sally Ann all "bout it, an" I sez to her, "Sally," sez I, "I don"t want ter make Nimbus no sort o" trouble, I don"t, kase he"s stood up ter us like a man. Now, ef dey should take a notion ter trouble Bre"er Nimbus, hit mout do him a heap of harm, kase he"s got so much truck "round him here ter lose." So we made it up dat I was ter go ter Bre"er Rufe Paterson"s, ober in Hanson county an" see ef we couldn"t find a place ter lib dar, so"s not ter be baitin" de hawks on ter you, Cousin Nimbus."
"Now you, Berry," said Nimbus, extending his hand heartily, "what for yer no tell me dis afore?"
"Jes kase "twas no use," answered Berry. "Wall, yer know, I left h"yer "bout two hours ob de sun, an" I pushes on right peart, kase it"s a smart step ober ter Rufe"s, ennyhow, an" I wanted ter see him an" git back ter help Nimbus in de c.r.a.p ob a Monday. Sally hed fixed me up a bite o" bread an" a piece o" meat, an" I "llowed I"d jes stop in some piney ole-field when I got tired, eat my snack, go ter sleep, an" start fresh afo" daylight in de mornin" for de rest ob de way. I"d been a wukkin" right peart in de new-ground dat day, an" when I got ter dat pine thicket jes past de spring by de Brook"s place, "twixt de Haw Ribber an" Stony Fork, "long "bout nine o"clock I reckon, I wuz dat done out dat I jes takes a drink at de spring, eats a bite o" bread an" meat, hunts a close place under de pines, an" goes ter sleep right away.
"Yer knows dar"s a smart open place dar, whar dey used ter hev de ole muster-ground. "Twas de time ob de full moon, an" when I woke up a-hearin" somethin", an" kind o" peeped out under de pine bushes, I t"ought at fust dat it was de ghostesses ob de ole chaps dat hed come back ter muster dar, sure "nough. Dey warn"t more"n ten steps away from me, an" de boss man, he sot wid his back to me in dat rock place what dey calls de Lubber"s Cheer. De hosses was tied all round ter de bushes, an" one ob "em warn"t more"n tree steps from me, nohow. I heard "em talk jest ez plain ez you can hear me, an"
I know"d right smart ob de voices, tu; but, la sakes! yer couldn"t make out which from t"odder wid dem tings dey hed on, all ober der heads, an" way down to der feet."
"What did they say?" asked Eliab Hill.
"Wal, Bre"er "Liab, dey sed a heap, but de upshot on"t all was dat de white folks hed jes made up dar min"s ter run dis kentry, spite ob ebbery ting. Dey sed dat dey wuz all fixed up in ebbery county from ole Virginny clean ter Texas, an" dey wuz gwine ter teach de n.i.g.g.e.rs dere place agin, ef dey hed ter kill a few in each county an" hang "em up fer scarecrows--jes dat "ere way. Dey wa"n"t no spring chickens, nuther. Dar wur Sheriff Gleason. He sed he"d corned over ter let "em know how they was gittin" on in Ho"sford. He sed dat ebbery white man in de county "cept about ten or twelve was inter it, an" dey wuz a gwine ter clean out n.i.g.g.e.r rule h"yer, _sh.o.r.e_. He sed de fust big thing they got on hand wuz ter break up dis buzzard-roost h"yer at Red Wing, an" he "llowed dat wouldn"t be no hard wuk kase dey"d got some pretty tough tings on Nimbus an" "Liab both.
"Dey wuz all good men, I seed de hosses, when dey mounted ter go "way. I tell ye dey wuz good "uns! No pore-white trash dar; no lame hosses ner blind mules ner wukked down c.r.a.p-critters, Jes sleek gentlemen"s hosses, all on "em.
"Wal, dey went off atter an hour er two, an" I lay dar jes in a puffick lather o" sweat. I was dat dar skeered, I couldn"t sleep no mo" dat ar night, an" I darsn"t walk on afore day kase I wuz afeared o" meetin" some on "em. So I lay, an" t"ought dis ting all ober, an" I tell ye, fellers, "tain"t no use. "Spose all de white men in Ho"sford is agin us, what"s we gwine ter do? We can"t lib.
Lots o" n.i.g.g.e.rs can"t lib a week widout wuk from some white man.
"Sides dat, dey"s got de bosses an" de guns, an" de "sperience; an"
what we got? Jes nuffin". Der ain"t no mo" use o" fightin" dan ob tryin" ter b.u.t.t down "simmons off a foot-an"-a-half tree wid yer head. It don"t make no sort o" matter "bout our rights. Co"se we"se got a _right_ ter vote, an" hold meetin"s, an" be like white folks; but we can"t do it ef dey"s a mind ter stop us. An" dey _is_--dat berry ting!
"Nimbus sez he"s gwine ter fight, an" "Liab sez he"s gwine ter pray. Dat"s all right, but it won"t do n.o.body else enny good nor them nuther. Dat"s my notion. What good did fightin" er prayin"
either used ter do in ole slave times? Nary bit. An" dey"s got us jest about ez close ez dey hed us den, only de halter-chain"s a leetle mite longer, dat"s all. All dey"s got ter do is jes ter shorten up on de rope an" it brings us in, all de same ez ever.
Dat"s my notion. So I"se gwine ter move on ebbery time dey axes me tu; kase why, I can"t help it. Berry"ll git enough ter eat most ennywhar, an" dat"s "bout all he "spects in dis worl". It"s a leetle better dan de ole slave times, an" ef it keeps on a-growin" better "n better, gineration atter gineration, p"raps some of Berry"s kinfolks"ll git ter hev a white man"s chance some time."
Berry"s experience was listened to with profound interest, but his conclusions were not received with favor. There seemed to be a general conviction that the colored race was to be put on trial, and that it must show its manhood by defending itself and maintaining its rights against all odds. His idea of running away was voted a cowardly and unworthy one, and the plan advocated by Nimbus and Eliab, to stay and fight it out or take whatever consequences might result, was accepted as the true one to be adopted by men having such responsibility as rested upon them, as the first generation of free-men in the American history of their race.
So, Nimbus and his friends made ready to fight by holding a meeting in the church, agreeing upon signals, taking account of their arms, and making provision to get ammunition. Berry prepared for his exodus by going again to his brother Rufus" house and engaging to work on a neighboring plantation, and some two weeks afterward he borrowed Nimbus" mule and carry-all and removed his family also.
As a sort of safeguard on this last journey, he borrowed from Eliab Hill a repeating Spencer carbine, which a Federal soldier had left at the cabin of that worthy, soon after the downfall of the Confederacy.
He was probably one of those men who determined to return home as soon as they were convinced that the fighting was over. Sherman"s army, where desertion had been unknown during the war, lost thousands of men in this manner between the scene of Johnston"s surrender and the Grand Review at Washington, which ended the spectacular events of the war. Eliab had preserved this carbine very carefully, not regarding it as his own, but ready to surrender it to the owner or to any proper authority when demanded. It was useless without the proper ammunition, and as this seemed to be a peculiar emergency, he allowed Berry to take it on condition that he should stop at Boyleston and get a supply of cartridges. Eliab had never fired a gun in his life, but he believed in defending his rights, and thought it well to be ready to resist unlawful violence should it be offered.
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW.
A few days after the events narrated in the last two chapters, the sheriff presented himself at Red Wing. There was a keen, shrewd look in the cold, gray eyes under the overhanging brows, as he tied his horse to the rack near the church, and taking his saddle-bags on his arm, crossed the road toward the residence of Nimbus and Eliab Hill.
Red Wing had always been a remarkably peaceful and quiet settlement.
Acting under the advice of Miss Ainslie and Eliab, Nimbus had parted with none of his possessions except upon terms which prevented the sale of spirituous liquors there. This was not on account of any "fanatical" prejudice in favor of temperance, since the Squire of Red Wing was himself not exactly averse to an occasional dram; but he readily perceived that if such sale could be prohibited in the little village the chances for peace and order would be greatly improved. He recognized the fact that those characters that were most likely to a.s.semble around a bar-room were not the most likely to be valuable residents of the settlement. Besides the condition in his own deeds, therefore, he had secured through the members of the Legislature from his county the pa.s.sage of an act forever prohibiting the sale of spirituous liquors within one mile of the school-house at Red Wing. Just without this limit several little shanties had been erected where chivalric white men doled out liquor to the hard-working colored men of Red Wing. It was an easy and an honorable business and they did not feel degraded by contact with the freedmen across the bar. The superior race did not feel itself debased by selling bad whisky at an extravagant price to the poor, thirsty Africans who went by the "shebangs" to and from their daily toil. But Nimbus and the law would not allow the nearer approach of such influences.
By these means, with the active co-operation of the teachers, Red Wing had been kept so peaceful, that the officers of the law rarely had occasion to appear within its limits, save to collect the fiscal dues from its citizens.
It was with not a little surprise, therefore, that Nimbus saw the stalwart sheriff coming towards him where he was at work upon the hillside back of his house, "worming" and "topping" a field of tobacco which gave promise of a magnificent yield.
"Mornin", Nimbus," said the officer, as he drew near, and turning partially around glanced critically over the field and furtively at the little group of buildings below. "A fine stand of terbacker you"ve got--mighty even, good growth. Don"t think I"ve seen quite as good-looking a c.r.a.p this year. There"s old man George Price up about Rouseville, he"s got a mighty fine c.r.a.p--always does have, you know. I saw it yesterday and didn"t think anything could be better, but your"s does beat it, that"s sure. It"s evener and brighter, and a trifle heavier growth, too. I told him that if anybody in the county could equal it you were the man; but I had no idea you could beat it. This is powerful good land for terbacker, certain."
""Tain"t so much the land," said Nimbus, standing up to his arm-pits in the rank-leaved crop above which his bare black arms glistened in the hot summer sun, "as "tis the keer on"t. Powerful few folks is willin" ter give the keer it takes ter grow an" cure a fine crop o" terbacker. Ther ain"t a minit from the time yer plant the seed-bed till ye sell the leaf, that ye kin take yer finger offen it widout resk ob losin" all yer wuk."
"That"s so," responded the sheriff, "but the land has a heap to do with it, after all."
"Ob co"se," said Nimbus, as he broke a sucker into short pieces between his thumb and finger, "yer"s got ter hab de sile; but ther"s a heap mo" jes ez good terbacker lan" ez dis, ef people only hed the patience ter wuk it ez I do mine."
"Wal, now, there"s not so much like this," said the sheriff, sharply, "and you don"t think so, neither. You wouldn"t take a big price for your two hundred acres here now." He watched the other"s countenance sharply as he spoke, but the training of slavery made the face of the black Ajax simply Sphinx-like in its inscrutability.
"Wal, I don"t know," said Nimbus, slowly, "I mout and then again I moutn"t, yer know. Ther"d be a good many pints ter think over besides the quality of the sile afore I"d want ter say "yes" er "no" to an offer ob dat kind."
"That"s what I thought," said the sheriff. "You are nicely fixed here, and I don"t blame you. I had some little business with you, and I"m glad I come to-day and caught ye in your terbacker. It"s powerful fine."