"You won"t take keer on it for de ole n.i.g.g.ah?" said Toby, who was very much disappointed. "Den I reckon I"d best bury it somewhars in de ground."
"You will surely lose it if you do that," protested Marcy. "Does Bud Goble know you"ve got it? Well, if he gets after you, he"ll thrash you till you will be glad to tell where you have concealed it; but if you can tell him that it is in Mr. Riley"s hands, he"ll not bother you or the money, either. Now run along, parson. I see a uniform over there among the trees, and I shouldn"t be surprised if the corporal was inside of it."
The old negro hastened into the woods, hiding the stocking somewhere about his patched clothes as he went, and Marcy brought his piece to "support arms," and paced his beat while waiting for the corporal to come up. It wasn"t the corporal, after all, but a private like himself, who had come out to study his lesson and roll about on the gra.s.s. He did not speak to the sentry, but he was so close to him that Marcy could not have held any more private conversation with old Toby.
"It is nothing more than I expected," thought Marcy, recalling some of the incidents the negro had described to him. "Union men all over the South have been the victims of hotheaded secessionists, like those who compose that Committee of Safety, and now we"re going to have the same sort of work right here in our midst. I don"t believe that Bud Goble has organized a company for the purpose of running Northern sympathizers out of the State; he said that just to frighten Toby and a few others. But if he has, I hope he will bring them up here some night and try to take d.i.c.k Graham and me out of the building. I am glad those men had the courage to defy him to his face, and wish I could have seen Bud about the time the elder was walking him out of the yard."
It would seem from this that old Toby had told Marcy some things we do not know, and that Bud Goble"s plans were not working as smoothly as he could have wished. Let us return to Bud and see where he was and what he had been doing since he took leave of his wife in the morning.
He left home with a light heart and a pocketful of bullets, and took a short cut through the woods toward Barrington. A few of the bullets were to be expended upon such unwary small game as might chance to come in his way, and with the rest, if circ.u.mstances seemed to require it, intended to make a show of being ready for business. He struck a straight course for the little grocery and dry-goods store, at which he had for years been an occasional customer, and thought himself fortunate to find the proprietor in. He was busy dusting the counter, but he was not alone. There were three or four others present, and when we tell you that they were Bud Goble"s intimate friends, you will know just what sort of men they were.
"Mornin"," said Bud cheerfully. "Famblies all well? Mine"s only jest tol"able, thank ye. What"s the news?"
"There aint none," was the reply from one, to which the others all a.s.sented. "Are there any with you?"
"Well," said Bud slowly, at the same time edging around so that he could keep an eye on the storekeeper and note the effect his words produced upon him. "I don"t rightly know what you-uns call news. I reckon you-uns heared that I was workin" for that Committee of Safety, didn"t you?"
They had heard something of it in a roundabout way. Was there any money in the job, and what was he expected to do?
"There"s a little money into it," answered Bud. "Jest about enough to pay me for my time an" trouble, but no more. I"ve gin some of them loud-talkin" folks, who think a n.i.g.g.e.r is as good as a white man, notice that they had best cl"ar outen the "Federacy before they are drove out, an" go up to the United States among them that believe as they do."
"An" it sarves "em jest right," observed one of Bud"s friends, helping himself to a handful of crackers. "I"d like to see the last one of "em chucked out bag an" baggage. But s"pose they wont go?"
"I"m hopin" they wont, for that"s where the fun"ll come in. That"ll give we-uns-"
Just at this moment Bud was interrupted by the entrance of "Elder Bowen"s n.i.g.g.e.r Sam," who removed his hat respectfully and kept on to the counter where the storekeeper was at work. Bud and his friends listened and heard him say:
"I aint got no change dis mawnin", Mr. Bailey, but-"
"That"s all right, Sam," Mr. Bailey hastened to reply. "You are an honest workingman, and your credit is good. What did you say you wanted? A dress and a pair of shoes for your old woman? Well, how will these suit you?"
"Dog-gone the n.i.g.g.e.r, why didn"t he keep away a little longer?" whispered Bud. "Them"s the very things I wanted, an" mebbe ole man Bailey won"t want to trust two fellers at once."
"Then lick him," suggested one of his friends. "He"s n.o.body but a babolitionist, anyway."
"That"s what I allow to do," answered Bud.
When the negro had received the goods he asked for, he leaned against the counter as if he were in no particular hurry to go away. This suited Bud, who drawled, in lazy tones:
"Yes; I"ve warned some of them n.i.g.g.e.r-lovers that they aint wanted here no longer"n it"ll take "em to get out, but I am hopin" they won"t leave, kase that"s where the fun"ll come in. I"m gettin" up a company of minute-men to sorter patrol the kentry hereabouts, an" them that don"t do to please us we are goin" to lick, n.i.g.g.e.rs an" whites. We jest aint goin" to have no more talkin" agin the "Federacy, an" them that"s for the North kin go up there. That"s what the committee says. Will you-uns jine?"
Of course they would, to a man, and they would like nothing better. They were ready at any time to prove their devotion to the Confederacy by thrashing or hanging everybody, white and black, who did not believe that secession and disunion were the best things that could happen for the South. Then Bud, seeing that he had plenty of backing, waxed eloquent and made a short but stirring speech. He dwelt upon the wrongs and insults that had been heaped upon the Southern States ever since they had shown themselves foolish enough to join the Union; denied that a black man was as good as a white gentleman; loudly proclaimed that all Northerners, as well as those who thought as they did, were cowards; denounced as traitors all Southern men who did not shout for President Davis, and said they ought and must be whipped out of the country; and through it all he kept watch of the two at the counter to see what impression his patriotic words made upon them.
Mr. Bailey was a little man who carried the weight of sixty-five years upon his shoulders, and Bud talked for his especial benefit, hoping to frighten him into compliance with the demands he was about to make upon him. Mr. Bailey was opposed to secession, and never hesitated to say so when politics came up for discussion, as they often did among his customers; but Bud was sure the old fellow was frightened now. He did not say a word in reply, but used his brush with more energy, and now and then rapped the counter with the back of it; and these, Bud thought, were unmistakable signs of timidity or, at least, nervousness.
As for darkey Sam, there was no doubting the impression Bud"s eloquence made upon him. He was greatly terrified, for he remembered that his master had once denounced secession from the pulpit, and told the members of his congregation just what they might make up their minds to endure if it were consummated. Possibly Bud Goble recalled the circ.u.mstance, for he looked very hard at Sam while he was talking. As soon as the speech was brought to a close Sam sidled along toward the door, looking into the show-cases as he went, and presently found himself safe on the porch. Then he clapped his hat on his head and started for home post-haste.
"I reckon he"s gwine tell the parson what you said," exclaimed one of Bud"s friends. "Well, I do think Elder Bowen is one of the dangerousest men in the whole kentry, an" that he"d oughter be s.n.a.t.c.hed outen that church of his"n before he has time to preach up any more of them pizen docterings. Warned him yet?"
"No; but I allow to do it soon"s I get through with my business yer," replied Bud, throwing his rifle into the hollow of his arm, and sauntering up to the counter where Mr. Bailey stood. He affected a careless, confident swagger, which was by no means indicative of his feelings. Now that he could look closely at him he found that the storekeeper wasn"t frightened enough, and that his speech had not accomplished half as much as he meant to have it. "You don"t seem to be right peart this mornin"," he continued. "What"s the matter of ye?"
"Nothing whatever," answered Mr. Bailey. "I"m as gay as a lark.
Something wanted?"
"I reckon," replied Bud. "I want the same things you gin that there n.i.g.g.e.r a minute ago-a dress an" a pair of shoes for my ole woman."
"Got any money to pay for "em?"
"Not jest this minute, but I shall have plenty this evening, an" then mebbe I"ll-"
"Can"t help it," said Mr. Bailey, shaking his head.
"Wont you trust me?"
"No, I won"t. I told you so the other day, and when I say a thing of that sort I mean it."
"Do you give credit to a n.i.g.g.e.r before my face an" eyes, an" then refuse it to a white gentleman?" shouted Bud. "What do you do that-a-way for?"
"I run my business to suit myself," answered Mr. Bailey, without the least show of irritation. "If you don"t like it, go somewhere else with your trade. I don"t want it, any way."
"You think a n.i.g.g.e.r better"n a white man, do ye?" yelled Bud, growing red in the face. "What do you say to that, boys? Look a here," he added. "Mebbe you don"t know who I am. I"ve got the power an" the will, too, to turn you houseless an" homeless into the street before you see the sun rise agin."
"I"ll make moonlight shine through you while you are doing it," said the old man boldly.
"You will?" Bud brought his fist down upon the counter with tremendous force, and then he dived down into his pocket and brought out a handful of bullets, which he placed before the storekeeper. "Do you see them? I want to warn ye that they was molded a-purpose to be shot into traitors like yerself; an" I brung "em along to show ye-"
"Take "em off the counter. I"ve just dusted it," interrupted Mr. Bailey; and with the words he hit the bullets a blow with his brush that sent them in every direction.
Bud Goble was astounded, and so were his friends, who had never dreamed that there was so much spirit in that little, dried-up man. The former looked at him a moment, and then he looked at the bullets that were rolling about on the floor.
"Come around yer an" pick "em up, the very last one of "em, an" say yer sorry ye done it, an" that you"ll never do the like agin, or I"ll take ye up by the heels an" mop the floor with ye," said Bud, in savage tones. "Come a-lumberin"."
"Pick "em up yourself, and next time keep "em off my counter," was Mr.
Bailey"s answer. "What did you put them there for, any way?"
A glance at his friends showed Bud that they expected him to do something, and he dared not hesitate. He handed the nearest man his rifle to hold for him, peeled off his coat, gave a yell that was heard a block away, and was about to jump up and knock his heels together, when he happened to look toward Mr. Bailey, and stopped as if he had been frozen in his tracks. The old man was waiting for him. He leaned against a shelf behind the counter, but he held a c.o.c.ked revolver in his hand.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MR. BAILEY ASTONISHES BUD GOBLE.]
CHAPTER VIII.
BUD GOBLE"S WATERLOO.
Did Bud Goble leap over the counter and wrench the threatening weapon from Mr. Bailey"s grasp with one hand, while he throttled him with the other? We are obliged to say that he did not. He stood quite still, for something told him it would be dangerous to do anything else. This was the first time his courage had ever been tested, and he was found wanting; but, strange as it may appear, his friends did not think any the less of him for it. Under like circ.u.mstances they would have showed the same reluctance to pa.s.s the intervening counter. It was not Bud"s lack of courage, but Mr. Bailey"s pluck, that excited their ire. The latter had insulted their friend by refusing him the credit he had granted a field-hand, and now he had gone so far as to threaten Bud with a weapon. It opened their eyes to the fact that Union men were dangerous things to have in the community, and that they ought to have been driven out long ago.
"Sile, you"ve got the rifle," said Bud, who gained courage when his friends closed about him. "Why don"t you draw a bead on him an" make him put that thing down?"
"Can"t ye see for yourself that he"s got the drop?" replied Silas, who thought discretion the better part of valor.