"Business wid me?" asked Nimbus in surprise. "What is it?"
"Oh, I don"t know," said the officer, lightly, as he put on his spectacles, opened his saddle-bags and took out some papers. "Some of these lawyers have got after you, I suppose, thinking you"re getting along too peart. Let me see," he continued, shuffling over the papers in his hand. "Here"s a summons in a civil action--the old man, Granville Sykes, against Nimbus Desmit and Eliab Hill.
Where is "Liab? I must see him, too. Here"s your copy," he continued, handing Nimbus the paper and marking the date of service on the original in pencil with the careless prompt.i.tude of the well-trained official.
Nimbus looked at the paper which was handed him in undisguised astonishment.
"What is dis ting, anyhow, Ma.r.s.e Sheriff?" he asked.
"That? Why, that is a summons. Can"t you read it? Here, let me take it."
He read over the legal formulary requiring Nimbus to be and appear at the court house in Louisburg on the sixth Monday after the second Monday in August, to answer the demand of the plaintiff against him, and concluding with the threat that in default of such appearance judgment would be entered up against him.
"You see, you"ve got to come and answer old man Granville"s complaint, and after that you will have a trial. You"ll have to get a lawyer, and I expect there"ll be smart of fuss about it before it"s over. But you can afford it; a man as well fixed as you, that makes such terbacker as this, can afford to pay a lawyer right smart. I"ve no doubt the old man will get tired of it before you do; but, after all, law is the most uncertain thing in the world."
"What does it mean? Has he sued me?" asked Nimbus.
"Sued you? I should rather think he had--for a thousand dollars damages too. That is you and "Liab, between you."
"But what for? I don"t owe him anythin" an" never did."
"Oh, that"s nothing. He says you"ve damaged him. I"ve forgot what it"s about. Let me see. Oh, yes, I remember now. He says you and "Liab enticed away his servant--what"s his name? that limber-jinted, whistlin" feller you"ve had working for you for a spell."
"What, Berry?"
"That"s it, Berry--Berry Lawson, That"s the very chap. Well, old Granville says you coaxed him to leave his employ, and he"s after you under the statute."
"But it"s a lie--every word on"t! I nebber axed Berry ter leave him, an" hed no notion he was a gwine ter do it till Ma.r.s.e Sykes throwed him out in de big road."
"Wal, wal, I don"t know nothing about that, I"m sure. He says you did, you say you didn"t. I s"pose it"ll take a court and jury to decide betwixt ye. It"s none of my concern. Oh, yes," he continued, "I like to have forgot it, but here"s a _capias_ for you, too--you and "Liab again. It seems there"s a bill of indictment against you. I presume it"s the same matter. I must have a bond on this for your appearance, so you"d better come on down to "Liab"s house with me. I"ll take you for him, and him for you, as sureties.
I don"t suppose "Liab"ll be apt to run away, eh, and you"re worth enough for both."
"What"s this all about?" asked Nimbus.
"Well, I suppose the old man Sykes got ye indicted under the statute making it a misdemeanor, punishable with fine and imprisonment, to coax, hire, or seduce away one"s n.i.g.g.e.rs after he"s hired "em.
Just the same question as the other, only this is an indictment and that"s a civil action--an action under the code, as they call it, since you Radicals tinkered over the law. One is for the damage to old man Sykes, and the other because it"s a crime to coax off or harbor any one"s hirelings."
"Is dat de law, Mister Sheriff?"
"Oh, yes, that"s the law, fast enough. No trouble about that. Didn"t know it, did you? Thought you could go and take a man"s "hands"
right out from under his nose, and not get into trouble about it, didn"t ye?"
"I t"ought dat when a man was free anudder could hire him widout axin" leave of his marster. Dat"s what I t"ought freedom meant."
"Oh, not exactly; there"s lots of freedom lyin" round loose, but it don"t allow a man to hire another man"s hands, nor give them aid and comfort by harboring and feeding them when they break their contracts and run away. I reckon the old man"s got you, Nimbus. If one hook don"t catch, the other will. You"ve been harborin" the cuss, if you didn"t entice him away, and that"s just the same."
"Ef you mean by harborin" that I tuk my wife"s kinsman in when ole Ma.r.s.e Sykes turned his family out in de big road like a d.a.m.ned ole rascal--"
"Hold on, Nimbus!" said the sheriff, with a dangerous light in his cold gray eyes; "you"d better not talk like that about a white gentleman."
"Whose ter hender my talkin", I"d like ter know? Hain"t I jes" de same right ter talk ez you er Ma.r.s.e Sykes, an" wouldn"t you call me a d.a.m.n rascal ef I"d done ez he did? Ain"t I ez free ez he is?"
"You ain"t white!" hissed the sheriff.
"No, an" it seems I ain"t free, nuther!" was the hot reply." H"yer t"other night some d.a.m.n scoundrels--I"specs they wuz white, too, an" yer may tell "em from me dat I called "em jes what I did--come an" hung a board "fore my gate threatening ter kill me an" "Liab kase we"s "too sa.s.sy," so they sed. Now, "Liab Hill ner me nebber disturb n.o.body, an" nebber do nothin" only jes stan" up for our own rights, respectful and peaceable-like; but we hain"t ter be run down in no sech way, I"se a free man, an" ef I think a man"s a gran" rascal I"se gwine ter _say_ so, whether he"s black er white; an" ef enny on "em comes ter Ku Klux me I"ll put a bullet t"rough dem! I will, by G.o.d! Ef I breaks the law I"ll take the consequences like a man, but I"ll be d.a.m.ned ef ennybody shall Ku Kluck me without somebody"s goin" "long with me, when I drops outen dis world! Dat much I"se sot on!"
The sheriff did not answer, only to say, "Careful, careful! There"s them that would give you a high limb if they heard you talk like that."
They went together to the house. The required bonds were given, and the sheriff started off with a chuckle. He had hardly pa.s.sed out of sight when he checked his horse, returned, and calling Nimbus to the gate, said to him in a low tone:
"See here, Nimbus, if you should ever get in the notion of selling this place, remember and let me have the first chance."
"All right, Ma.r.s.e Gleason."
"And see here, these little papers I"ve served to-day--you needn"t have any trouble about them in that case. You understand," with a wink.
"Dunno ez I does, Ma.r.s.e Sheriff," stolidly.
"Oh, well, if you sell to me, I"ll take care of them, that"s all."
"An" ef I don"t?"
"Oh, well, in that case, you must look out for yourself."
He wheeled his horse and rode off with a mocking laugh.
Nimbus returned to the porch of Eliab"s house where the preacher sat thoughtfully scanning the summons and _capias_.
"What you tink ob dis ting, "Liab?"
"It is part of a plan to break you up, Nimbus," was the reply.
"Dar ain"t no sort ob doubt "bout that, "Liab," answered Nimbus, doggedly, "an" dat ole Sheriff Gleason"s jes" at de bottom ob it, I do b"lieve. But I ain"t ter be druv off wid law-suits ner Ku Kluckers. I"se jest a gwine ter git a lawyer an" fight it out, dat I am."
CHAPTER x.x.xV.
A PARTICULAR TENANCY LAPSES.
The second day after the visit of the sheriff, Nimbus was sitting on his porch after his day"s work when there was a call at his gate.
"Who"s dar?" he cried, starting up and gazing through an opening in the honeysuckle which clambered up to the eaves and shut in the porch with a wall of fragrant green. Seeing one of his white neighbors, he went out to the gate, and after the usual salutations was greeted with these words:
"I hear you"s gwine to sell out an" leave, Nimbus?"
"How"d ye hear dat?"