Reinforced by Billy Hickman, the preacher, and several church members, renewed her efforts to have Uncle Joe ally himself with the church.
Uncle Joe a.s.sured one good brother that if sheep-washing time was over--it was then September and sheep are washed in May or June--he would join the church. He explained that he felt he must have a little "licker" sheep-washing time or he would "ketch the rheumatiz."
The District Fair was on, Black Fan was entered in the free-for-all pace. She was considered a joke by hors.e.m.e.n and the knowing ones. But Alfred would have bet all he had that Black Fan was the fastest goer in the world. Ike Bailey"s Black Bess, John Krepps" Billy, John Patterson"s Morgan Messenger, were the other entries, all under saddle except Morgan Messenger. Patterson drove him to a sulky, the only sulky in the county, the wheels higher than the head of the driver. It was the idea of the builder the larger the wheels the greater the speed.
Black Fan had much the worst of the get-away and it looked as if she would be left in the stretch. It was a half-mile track. Twice around completed the heats. The crowd laughed themselves hoa.r.s.e at Uncle Joe"s entry and rider.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Git Up, Fan!"]
The other riders leaning forward, holding their bridle reins close down to the bit, seemed to lift their horses as they sped away from Black Fan whose rider was leaning back holding the briddle reins at arm"s length as if he feared she would go by the head.
There was no grandstand, the populace standing thick along the track, separated from it by a rough board fence.
As the horses neared the starting point on the first turn, Black Fan far in the rear, Uncle Joe was seen pushing through the crowd, towering above the mult.i.tude. He made his way to the side of the track, climbing up on the fence-board next to the top, he stood erect.
The leaders flew by and, as Black Fan got opposite, he raised his arms as if to throw a stone or club at her, at the same time, in stentorian tones, yelling: "Git up! Git up! Git! Git out of that, you Black B---- h! Git up Fan. Gin her her head! Don"t hold her, dam her! Let her go!
Scat!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Give Her Head! Don"t Hold Her!"]
As the last yell left his lips over he went onto the dusty track head-first. Black Fan surely imagined Uncle Joe was after her, she shot forward, her hind legs going so fast she looked in danger of running over herself, taking up nearly the width of the course. John Patterson and his high-wheeled sulky were swept off the track. Black Bess jumped the fence, ran off with her rider and was disqualified. Only John Krepps kept his little horse on the track, but Black Fan had the race in hand.
Great confusion reigned. Several fights started, Uncle Joe being in the midst of all of them. Everybody surrounded the judges, and the other horse owners protested the race. As the judges were all farmers with the usual fairness pervading decisions as between town folks and country ones, Black Fan was given the race.
[Ill.u.s.tration: After the Race]
Uncle Joe led the mare all over the fair grounds with Alfred mounted on her, and notwithstanding the boy was surfeited with ginger bread, cider and other District Fair delicacies, he importuned the uncle for more.
Finally the uncle impatiently handed him two cents, "So there go eat ginger bread till you bust." Uncle Joe celebrated his victory all afternoon. When he advised Alfred that they would soon start home and that he could ride behind him on Black Fan, Alfred slid down and requested a neighboring farmer to permit him to ride home in his dead axe wagon.
Uncle Joe did not get home until very late, claiming that he did not know that Alfred had gone before and that he was searching the fair grounds for him. Alfred"s aunt gently chided him and advised that when he went anywhere with his uncle thereafter he must remain until his uncle came, but to urge his uncle to come early.
Uncle Joe was very sick the next day. Aunt Betsy said it served him right. She hoped he"d "puke his innards out." Alfred was busy carrying the afflicted man water by the gourdful from the spring. Uncle Joe would not permit him to bring it in a pail: he wanted it cold and fresh.
"Dip her deep, son," he would say as he emptied the gourd and sent the boy for more.
The sufferer grew worse and finally Aunt Betsy"s womanly sympathy impelled her to go to the sick man. She began by saying:
"I oughtn"t to lift a hand to help you. Any man that will pour licker down his stomach until he throws it up is a hog and nothing else."
Catching a whiff of that which had come up, she turned up her nose and contemptuously continued:
"I don"t see how any one can put that stuff down them."
She held her nose and turned her head in disgust. The sick man raised his head and feebly answered:
"Well, it don"t taste that way going down. Go away and let me die in peace. I deserve to die alone; I don"t want any of ye to pity me. Just bury me is all I ask."
[Ill.u.s.tration: She Asked Him If He Were Not Afraid to Die]
The woman"s sympathy entirely overcome her anger as the man well knew it would. She begged to be permitted to do something for him. He was obdurate. He was "not worthy of being saved"; all he desired was to "die alone and be forgotten."
She asked him if he were not afraid to die.
"No, no" he answered, "I"m not afraid to die but I"m ashamed to."
Feeling his heart was softening, she begged to do something to relieve him, a cold towel for his head or hot tea for his stomach. No, nothing could do him any good, so he declared.
"If you don"t have something done for you, you might die."
"Let me die, but if I ever get over this one, it"s the last for Joe. I hope every still house in Fayette County will burn down afore night and all the whiskey ever made destroyed."
The wife exulted greatly at these words and renewed her entreaties to do something for him.
"Well, if you insist on doing something for me", and he hesitated, "but I know it will do no good--go down to the kitchen, fill a big coffee cup half full of bilin" hot water, dissolve a lump of loaf sugar in it, drop in a little lump of b.u.t.ter "bout as big as a robin"s egg. Then reach up in the old cupboard in the hall, top shelf and way back in the corner, you"ll find a big, black bottle. Pour quite a lot out of this bottle into the cup, fill it up. Grate a little nutmeg into it and fetch it up yar."
Then holding his hands to his head as if suffering great pain, dropping his voice to a faint whisper as if he were about to collapse, he said:
"Bring it up here and if I don"t want to take it you jes" make me."
Not long afterwards the whole neighborhood was talking of the conversion of Uncle Joe and the day of his baptism marked an epoch in that section.
The lion and the lamb were roaming together. Old Bill Colvin and Uncle Joe were making cider on the shares. Many were the strange tales told of how the conversion of Uncle Joe came about.
The day of baptism saw the largest gathering in the history of Red Stone meeting house. Alfred, Cousin Charley and all the country folks round about were there and many from town. Many were the conjectures made by the idle gossipers as to whether Joe would hold out. Tom Porter prophesied that the first time Joe got on a tear he would lick the preacher. Billy Hickman, the preacher, was a mite of a man, while Uncle Joe was a giant in comparison.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Alfred"s Ride]
Uncle Joe had never been ducked or put under water but once, that the writer knows of. It was sheep-washing time. The sheep in a pen on the bank of the creek. Uncle Joe and another man in the creek up to their middles washing the sheep. Alfred and another boy in the pen catching the sheep dragging them to the bank as the workers called for another sheep. There was one old bell-wether that was too strong for the boys.
After futile attempts to drag him to the creek Alfred decided to ride him. Jumping astride of the animal it made frantic efforts to free itself from the burden. Round the pen, bleating and panting it ran. It started for the creek and from a height of several feet it plunged, hitting Uncle Joe square between the shoulders.
[Ill.u.s.tration: They All Follow]
Its weight and Alfred"s sent the powerful man under the water. Where one sheep leads another will follow. As he attempted to rise, sheep after sheep hit him on head or back. Under he went again as often as he arose until the whole herd were out of the pen.
This experience probably accounted for Uncle Joe"s actions the day of the baptism. Grouped on the banks of the creek, in fence corners, some lying on the gra.s.s under the red haw trees, were the rabble--all there out of curiosity.
Standing near the creek, chanting a familiar hymn as only an earnest congregation of good people can sing, were the church members. Walking slowly from the church was the preacher and Uncle Joe, the disparity in their size all the more marked as they waded into the water.
Uncle Joe seemed ill at ease and it appeared as though he was sort of holding back. By the time the minister was in up to his middle, the water only flowed about Uncle Joe"s knees. The little preacher paused, folded Uncle Joe"s hands across his breast. Uncle Joe looked behind him as much as to say:
"It"s a long ways down to the water."
The minister began the solemn baptismal service. At the last word he attempted to lay Uncle Joe back, immersing him in the usual manner but Uncle Joe resisted. Alfred said afterwards he "knowed Uncle Joe was skeered, that Hickman couldn"t rise him up after he got him under."
Alfred explained that it was hard to keep from strangling when you went down backwards. "That"s the way I nearly drowned. They ought to baptize "em forward," was his conclusion.
The silence was oppressive. The minister sort of squirmed around and began the service over. At the last word he made another effort to immerse the sinner. Again his strength was insufficient, both men jostled around.
Sam Craft, who was watching the proceeding from a fence corner, at the failure of the second attempt to dip the penitent, drawled in a voice thick with hard cider:
"Trip--him--Bill--dam--him--trip--him."