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"Heaps de mattab, Miss Sunshine,
heaps, I dun met tip wid mo' dan fo'tj
bushels o' trubble! I'ze news for yo' !"
** Yon-yon met som? one wbo told
yen about Mr, Kenton?'*
"For shore t Dat Cap'an Wyle lie tc
yo*! Mars Kenton be dun git away
arter dat battle, 'long wid Steve Bray?
ton. "
"Thank God!" she whispered aa she
raised her clasped hands to the bright
stars in the winter sky.
"But dar's trubble, Miss Sunshine
heaps o' trubble! Dey was tryin to git
ober yere when some gorillas reckoned
. dey was Yankee spies an dun shotted
Mars Kenton. He hain't dead, but he's
bad hort, an he's lyin in the bresh an
rocks down yere 'boat a mile. I met
dat Steve Brayton, an be dun tole me
all'boat it."
"Boyal Kenton wounded-badly burt
and lying in the brash this winter's
night!" moaned Marian as she grasped
Uncle Ben by the arm.
"Hist dar!" he cautioned. "We
mustn't woke up de miss a s or dat Bax?
ter woman. Kow, den, yo' be brave.
Yo's got to be! Steve Brayton he dun
said I was to bring back blankets an
bandages an sun thin to eat We mast
step around mighty softly an pick 'em
up!"
"And I will go back with yon! God
grant that his life may be spared!"
"Hash, chile! Yo' can't go wid me
tonight, bat tomorrer. Dat's what Steve
Brayton don said. When I git back
dar, 1*11 see Mars Kenton wid my own
eyes, an I'll tell him all 'bout yo. an
111 stay right dar all night an nuss
him."
"Ob, Uncle Ben, but I feel that 1
must go to irim"
"Hush! Yo' jess git all dem tings
what I spoke of packed up fur me as
quick as yo' kin an let me go back! If
yo'want dem gorillas to finish Mars
Kenton, yo* jest make a fuss so dat
Mrs. Baxter will open dem big ears o'
hern an find ont de news!"
CHAPTER XXIII.
As was stated in a previous chapter,
Captain Wyle's company, along with
others, had been returned to the valley
and placed under the orders of General
Im boden. Ike Baxter and the others
captured atKernstown had rejoined the
company when exchanged. Ike felt
more than ever that Royal Kenton was
an enemy he must get rid of, and Cap?
tain Wyle encouraged this feeling in
various ways, though never openly and
directly committing himself. On two
occasions Ike had been granted leave of
absence to visit bis wife. Both times
fae had met ber secretly.
The spirit which animated this bum?
ble twain will surprise only those who
have never encountered the "poor
whites" of the south. Nine out of ten
of. the bloody and long continued feuds
we read of in southern communities
begin among the poor and ignorant.
The cause is generally of trifling char?
acter. The "poor white" may be hum?
bled by the law, but outside of the
courtroom he bates with an intensity
hard to realize. He is persistent, cun?
ning, merciless. Ike C.:xter bad never
had an ambition in bis life up to the
.hour he enlisted. He could barely read
and write, was naturally lazy and in?
different and felt np pride in anything
except the fact that he was "better than
a nigger." When be found that cor?
porals and sergeants were looked up to
and respected, there came a queer feel?
ing in his heart. He could not credit
it at first, but Captain Wyle aided him
In his mental struggle. The day came
when Ike had an ambition and a burn?
ing desire. It was to be a corporal or
sergeant. In his wild dreams of glory
he did not stop there. He determined
to go higber and become a lieutenant or
captain. As soon as be was given to
understand that Royal Kenton stood in
bis way it was but natural with one of
his nature to determine to remove the
obstacle by any means possible.
Before tbe war the "Yankee," both
as a man and as the representative of a
section of the republic, had few friends
in the south. He was supposed to be
hostile to ell southern "institutions."
The more ignorant the southerner the
more heartily be hated and despised the
citizen of the north. He believed what
the fire eating politicians pretended to
believe and often asserted. The John
Brown raid upon slavery in Virginia
and the events in "Bleeding Kansas"
served to intensify the sectional hate of
the "poor whites." Th ns it was that
ike Baxter, picking np his crumbs of
history and bis bits of information on
current events at the doors of the livery
stable or around the stove of the bar?
room, was something of a local cham?
pion in the matter of Yankee hating. If
Kenton had not stood between him and
military glory, he would still have felt
a bitterness toward him as a man born
in the north. Uncle Ben's cautious ap?
proach to the house cn this night had
reference only to Mrs. Baxter. There
was another man stealing through the
. darkness and making a noiseless ap?
proach at the same time-Ike Baxter.
Neither Uncle Ben nor Marian Percy
caught a sight of him, but he noticed
their every movement and drew his own
conclusions. Tb? gun which the old
man bad been told to secure was in his
room in the little house. He had de?
parted from Rest Haven without being
seen or his absence noted by tb? wom?
an, but his return aroused her, and her
sharp eyes were upon him as he carried
away the firearm and loaded himself
with the bundles Marian bad prepared
and brought to the door. Sh? was dress
RIGHTO I894 BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.
' lng to follow him as he disappeared
down the highway, having a dim sus?
picion of the state of affairs, when Ike
knocked at her window and was admit?
ted. In less than a minute he had re?
lated what he saw outside, and she had
told him of Uncle Ben taking the gun.
" Whar's he un bound fur?" queried
Ike.
"Dunno, but sunthin's happened sum
whar I Yo* mnst foller him !"
"Has that Yankee bin yere?"
"No, but the gal's hearn news, fur
shore! Reckon be un may be ly in out
around yere sum whar, and the nigger's
takin out stuff to bim! Git right arter
be un. Ike, and if yo' find the Yankee
go'n tell Captain Wyle and hev him
cum with his critter company!"
"I'll do better'n that!" grimly le
plied the man as be stepped ont into
the night. ' * If I find that Yankee around
yere, I'll put a bullet into him fust and
tell Captain Wyle next!"
Uncle Ben had only a few hundred
yards the start, and the man on his
trail soon lessened the distance until he
could bear the old man's footsteps and
make ont a shadowy form through the
darkness. There seemed nothing more
certain than that he would follow on
and uncover the hiding place of the fu?
gitives. For nearly three-quarters of a
mile the slave messenger bad but one
idea-to return to Steve Brayton as fast
as possible. He was hurrying along
when a sudden thought flashed throngh
bis brain, and he instinctively stepped
aside and halted to listen.
"Hew do I know but what dat wom?
an dun heard me git de gun an is fol
lerin me?" be whispered to himself.
"She'd do it! She's powerful wicked,
she am! An m ebbe some mo' of dem
gorillas am waitin long yere to grab me
an giy me anodder whippin!"
He was listening as well as whisper?
ing, and after a mir ire he heard the
sounds of footsteps coming down the
road. He drew back into the deeper
shadow of the high bank, dropped his
bundles, and taking a firm grip of his
gun be mentally resolved to make a
fight for it if he was overhauled by the
same crowd as before. A few seconds
later be realized that only one person
was approaching. The footfalls were
too heavy for a woman. He had jost
decided this point when a man loomed
up in the darkness before him and halt?
ed almost within arm's length to mat?
ter:
"Drat my hide, but has that ole nig?
ger left the road an giv me the slip? i
beard be un only a minit ago, but him's
dun gone now!"
It was Ike Baxter of coarse. He stood
peering and listening for half a minute
and then growled:
4'I orter hev ron he un right down
an made him show me the way! Now
the cussed Yankee may git away from
me! No, he won't though! I'll nant
over every foot of this country but what
I'll find him an hev his scalp!"
Uncle Ben did not recognize the man
at all, as it bad been many months
since he had heard Ike Baxter's voice.
It was instantly plain to bim. however,
that the man was a determined enemy
and was seeking Royal Kenton's life.
Ike took three cr four steps forward and
stopped again to listen. Noiselessly
and with such a feeling as he had never
experienced before Uncle Ben clubbed
his gun, took one silent step forward
Uncle Ben clubbed his gun.
and next instant brought the heavy
stock down ' upon Ike's head and felled
him to the earth. The man sank down
without a cry or groan, and after wait?
ing half a minute the old man gasped
out:
"May de good Lawd dun fnrgiveme,
but I had to do it fur Miss Sunshine's
sake!"
He picked up his bundles and has?
tened on and 10 minutes later was tell?
ing Steve Brayton what had happened.
"Glad of it!" replied the latter.
"Reckon I orter go up thar and make
shore he's dead, fur I sorter think his
name are ike Baxter. Hain't got no
time, though-not jest now. This way.
Uncle Ben."
They passed between two great bowl?
ders which had fallen from the bank
above, followed a ravine into the hills
for about 200 feet, and after a climb up
the right hand bank found the hiding
place among tho rocks. There was a
small fire burning against a great bowl?
der, and on a bed of leaves and branch?
es lay Royal Kenton with a bullet
wound in the calf of the right leg. It
was a bit of good luck for him in the
midst of adversity that the bullet had
passed clear through without touching
the bone. It was a painful and tem?
porarily disabling wound, and he had
lost much of his strength before tho
bleeding could be checked, but he was
inclined to make light of the situation
as Brayton and Uncle Ben appeared.
The "ok! darky knew Kenton only 1
sight, bnt the sight of him lying the
in that helpless condition was a cy 13 f
him to throw himself down on his kne
and moan out :
"Fo' de Lawd an io' de Lawd, bi
what am Miss Sunshine gwine to say i
do when she knows dat he has bi
shotted wid a dozen bombshells?"
Kenton soon made the situation plai
to him, and then as the two talked aboi
affairs at the house Steve Braytc
washed and bouuduptbe wound af res!
made up a comfortable bed, arrange
one of the blankets for a shelter ar
saw that Kenton ate as well as talkei
The adventure which Uncle Ben had c
the road was felt to be anothei men?t
to be guarded against. After lea vin
tho house where they had taken breal
fast and encountered the Confederal
sergeant, they had hastened np the sid
of the mountain and headed direct fe
Best Haven. Within an hour they foun
that a number of men were on the?
trail, and two or three times during th
day they were obliged to hide them
selves for an hour or two. No shot
were exchanged until about 5 o'clock i
the evening, and then they were fire
upon by three men in ambush. Ken to:
was hit and fell, but he struggled u;
2nd made a run of it, with Steve Bray
ton covering his retreat. Pain and los
of blood finally brought the woonda
man down again, and he appealed ti
Steve to leave him and make bis owi
escape.
" Couldn't think ot it, Yank-couldn '
possibly play any sich dirt on a mai
who bas font 'longside o' me so often!'
was the hearty reply. "Thar was onlj
three of 'em when they tust popped a
tis, and I'm sartin shore thar hain't bm
two now, and mebbe one o' them is wus?
off than yo' ar'! I hain't been shootir.
five or six times jest fur the fun of it
If yo* can't walk, yo've got to be car?
ried!"
Heeding none of Kenton's protests,thc
faithful fellow got him on his back and
picked his route through scrubs and cvei
rocks until he reached the spot where
Uncle Ben found them. He knew it was
within a mile or two of Rest Haven,
and he was about starting for the honse
when the old man came along.
"I'll take a trot np the road and see
how the nigger's dead man is," said
Steve when he could do no more for
Kenton. "It's myeverlastin opinyun
that the chap will tern ont to be Ike
Baxter, and I shan't be overly sorry if
sich ar' the case. I'll hev to git the
body oater the way anyhow, befo' any?
body stumbles over it."
In the course of 20 minutes he reached
the spot, but no man, living or dead,
was to be found. He made a thorough
hunt, but nothing could be discovered.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Uncle Ben returned to the honse at
midnight^n<] found Marian anxiously
waiting for news. Royal Kenton had
told him what to tell her, and while she
was comforted in one direction she was
frightened in another. If Kenton and
Brayton bad been followed ever the
mountains and blood had been shed,
would the pursuit cease until they bad
been hunted down? If the man whom
Uncle Ben had struck down in the dark?
ness was Ike Baxter, wouldn't his in?
formation bring Captain Wyle and his
company into the neighborhood at once?
Provided it was not Ike Baxter at all, it
certainly was an enemy of some sort,
who would demand revenge. The out?
look was indeed an anxious one, but
they could only wait and hope.
It was well for the mother that she
was too ill to realize that anything un?
usual was happening. The doctor bad
exercised his skill to no benefit, and
though permitting Marian to hope that
a favorable change might occur he re?
alized that the chances of recovery were
veiy remote. All that long night she
lay as one sleeping heavily, and but for
the many distractions the daughter
would have noticed that the change was
for the worse.
Neither Marian nor Uncle Ben had
reason to suspect that Mrs. Baxter had
seen or heard anything that night, but
she must soon know all. The girl had
determined that Kenton should be
brought to the house and cared for. The
thought of his rude shelter, wounded
and suffering as he was on that cold
winter's night, almost drove her wild.
It was hardly 7 o'clock in the morning,
and she had simply tasted breakfast,
when she went out to Uncle Ben and
said:
"I am ready to go and can't wait an?
other minute. We will take some more
provisions, but I shall have Mr. Kenton
brought to the honse."
"What about dat woman?" he asked.
"I don't care for her. It she doesn't
like his being here, she can go."
"Jest look into her room. Miss Sun?
shine!"
The door was ajar, while the woman
herself was at the other house. There
was a bloody towel on a chair, bloody
water in a washbowl, spots of blood on
a chair and on the floor.
"It looks as if some one had sought to
murder her!" exclaimed Marian as she
looked about in astonishment.
"I know what happened," replied
Uncle Ben. "Dat pusson I knocked in?
ter de middle o' last summer was lire
Baxter. He was follerin me from de
house. Boat of* 'em knowed what was
up. He cum to arter a bit an cum yere
to hev his burts looken car' of. I heard
a noise 'bout daylight, an I reckon dat
was when he left."
"I'm glad you didn't kill him, but 1
expect Mrs. Baxter will now feel like
taking revenge upon the whole house?
hold. Let us be going. "
Half an hour later they were chal?
lenged by Steve Brayton, who had al?
ready prepared breakfast for the wound?
ed man and was able to report that Ken?
ton had passed a comparatively comfort?
able night. He met them just outside
the camp, and with a wink to Uncle
Ben he said to Marian.
"Go right along, Miss Percy; he un's
heard yo'r voice <;nd is waiting fur yo'.
I want to speak a word or two to Uncle
Ben."
"What yo' want to spoke to me
'bout?" cautiously inquired the old man
after they had walked away a few steps.
"Nuthin, yo' old son of Africa!" an
swered 'Steve. "Don't yo' nn know
. wh.at b'longs to good manners? D' yo'
I reckon that gal wants anybody around
! when she fust claps eyes on the feller
j she loves like a house afire a?d is gwine
to marry arter this cussed scrimmage is
j over?"
! "Hu! I see!" chuckled Uncle Ben.
j "Of co'se yo' sees arter I has pinted
j out the way, but then yo* is only an
ole nigger and can't be spected to hev
any feelin's onless kicked by a mule or
licked by a passel of guerrillas."
Ben then told him of the discoveries
made at the house and of his belief that
his victim was Ike Baxter, and Steve
I looked very serious as he replied:
j "Then yo' kin bet we ar' in fur a red
hot time! Ike Baxter will be back befo'
noon with a gang at his heels, and the
chances ar' that somebody will git
shot!"
At this moment Marian called to
them, and as they entered the camp they
found ber dressing Kenton's wound and
preparing for his immediate removal to
the house. While the raiding party had
stolen the horses, as before mentioned.
The girl had determined that Kenton
should be brought to the house.
none of the vehicles had been taken,
and she argued that it would be easy
for the two men to get Kenton down to
the road and then convey him to the
house in one of the carriages. He looked
upon the phn favorably, but when she
turned to Steve Brayton be said :
"Beg pardon, miss, but I can't agree
with yo'. Yere ar' the situation : Over
thar on the other road yisterday mawn
in we uns was tooken fur Yankee spies.
He un's a Yank straight 'nuff, but not
a spy, while I'm a purty good rebel, as
the t'other side calls us. We uns bad a
fuss with a fool of a Confederate, and
he got help and tried to run us down.
It wasn't over two miles away that I
dropped one and winged another. Is
that plain to yo'. Miss Percy?"
"Yes."
"Waal, them critters hain't goin to
give it up without knowin who we ar'
and all about us. We uns will hear
from them today fur shore. Then thar
is Ike Baxter to look out fur. Pity yo'r
nigger didn't strike a leetle harder and
finish him, but it seems that Ike got
away. He un was probably sent to spy
on yo', and yo' kin bet that Captain !
Wyle and bis critter company hain't IUT
off. We shall also bear from them befo'
the day's over."
"Well, suppose we do?" asked Ma?
rian. "Mr. Kenton has been true and
loyal to Virginia and the south. He is
here in Confederate uniform and has
only escaped from the Federals after be?
ing taken prisoner in another battle.
Suppose the Confederates do come?"
"That's yo'r way of lookin at it, Miss
Percy," said Steve as he twirled his hat
in his hands. "My way is a leetle differ
ent. Captain Wyle, Ike Baxter and the
rest of the crowd want revenge. If they
find Mr. Kenton in yo'r house, they'll
take him out and carry him off to some
camp. They'll use him rough. They'll
make charges. They'll stick right to
him till they hev bis life. I'm not fig
gerin on myself 'tall. If they don't
shoot me offhand, I'll git court mar
tialed and be chained up sumwbar till
the eand of the war. Fact is. Miss Per?
cy, I've jest about dun cut loose from
this glorious old southern confederacy
and gone over to the Yanks!"
"Then what would you advise?"
"Leave he un right yere fur awhile.
We uns' got two guns and a revolver,
and if the crowd comes we kin sta^d
'em off a good deal better than at the
house. Meanwhile let Uncle Ben sot out j
down the valley to find the Yankee sol
diers and tell em what's up. If 'nuff |
of 'em cum, and they cum in time, we
will be all right. If not, we might as ?
well say our prayers!"
Both Marian and Kenton realized the
situation as he presented it, and within j
five minutes Uncle Ben had his instruc
tions. It was believed that he would
run across Federal cavalry within 10 |
miles of Rest Haven. He was to ask for j
General Custer, and if he found that |
commander to ask him in the name of j
the Percys to come at once. He was to i
call at the "house and say to Mrs. Baxter j
that Marian would be home within an ?
hour.
"And while yo' un's yere to look ont
fur the patient," said Steve Brayton to
the girl as the old man moved away.
"I'll jest git ready fur tho call I'm ex
pectin!"
The camp had plenty of natural de?
fense, but by moving some of the bowl?
ders with a lever and using such stones
as he could lift as "chinking" he had
the place proof against anything but ar?
tillery within an hour. While he works
and Marian and Kenton plan let us fol?
low Uncle Ben. He had been intrusted
with a message to Mrs. Baxter, but on
his arrival at the house he failed to find
her. Entering her room in the "quar?
ters" in his search, he found things in
such disorder that he felt certain she
had packed up a few articles and fled
from the place. Under no other circum?
stances would he have dared to look
into the bedroom of the "missus" in the
other house. Alarmed at the thought
that she was helpless and abandoned, he
ventured to intrude. She was lying with
her face toward him. and the first glance
brought a moan to his lips. He called to
her, passed into the room, called again
and finally reached out and touched the
white and wasted hand resting on the
cover. It was cold as ice. He pushed
forward an old black hand which had
served her and hers for half a century
and more and laid it on her face.
"Fo' de great Lawd in heaben, but
do missus has dun died!" he cried aloud
as he hurried from tho room with chat?
tering teeth and trembling limbs. She
had seemed to be sleeping when Marian
left the house an boar oj isor? be?ore,
: but she might have been dying then.
', The old man's first thought was to bur?
j ry back to camp and tell the girl what
j had occurred, but as he moved away he
j checked himself aud muttered:
"Jest wait now till we figger a leetle.
; De good Lawd has dun tooken de missus
! away, an my ole heart's ready to break
? wid sorrow, but I mustn't give up to de
j feelin. Dar's Miss Sunshine, an dar's
! Mars Kenton an dat soger Steve, dey's
j all alive an in danger. If I tole Miss
I Sunshine, she couldn't dc nuffin now
j 'cept to wing her hands an cry. No, I
S won't go back dar! I'll hurry up an
! find dem Yankees an tell 'em to cum as
! quick as dey km!"
f?e had turned about in his tracks
when he heard a great clatter up the
road, and next minute he was surround?
ed by about 20 mounted men. Some
were in uniform, and among these he
noticed one with his head bandaged and
at once identified bim as Ike Baxter.
There were others in citizens' dress, and
while he was wonderiDg who they might
' be one of them laughingly exclaimed:
"Hello, yo' old son of satan! How
does yo' un feel after the lickin yo got
last night?"
There was a sergeant in command of
the squad, but Ike Baxter appeared to
direct operations. He at first drew bis
saber as if to give the old negro a cut,
bat checking himself he said :
"Now, men, look.ali ve! Some of yo*
ons search the boase, and drag oat that
cussed Yankee and Steve Brayton, and
the rest of us will drive a stake and find
a chain and some firewood! I'm goin
to burn this old nigger alive fur tryin
to kill me last night!"
-
CHAPTER XXV.
Although surprised and confounded
by the sadden turn of events, Uncle Ben
did not entirely lose his head. When
he heard the men cryiog out for revenge
and looked into their pitiless faces, he
felt that his last hour had come. And
j yet the devotion of the old slave was
I never better illustrated than in what
i followed. As a portion of the crowd
j started for the house, no doubt fully ex
I pecting to find Kenton there, the old
! man shouted at the top of his voice:
"Cum back yere-cum back! Yo'
kin kill me if yo' wants to, but fur
God's sakedoan' put yo'r feet in dat
house!"
"What's the matter?" asked one as
i the gang came to a halt.
"De ole missus am lyin in dar dead
I an all alone, an it hain't fitten dat yo'
I should go in!"
j "Whar's that Yankee? Whar's the
gal? Whar's Steve Brayton?" was
shouted at him.
! "Dun gone-all dan gone!" be an
! swered. "It's jest like I tole yo'-no
I body in dar but de dead missus!"
"Goon, go on!" yelled Ike Baxter,
I "bat look ont far yo'selves! The ball
crowd of 'em ar' in thar, and they'll
likely make a fight fur it!"
The men cautiously entered the house,
firearms held ready for instant use, but
at the end of seven or eight minutes
they came out to report that '4 the cussed
old nigger" bad told the truth.
"Dead, eh?" exclaimed Ike Baxter as
they told of the corpse cn the bed.
"Waal, I*ni goin to burn the house jest
the same, though m ebbe some of yo'
uns will lug the body outdoors fust.
Time 'nuff fur that after we git through
with this old nigger. Run he un up to
that post! Now, then, chain him there!
Yo' old black devil, but I'll make yo'
9uffer fur the rap yo' giv me last night!
I'm gom to begin at yo'r chin and skin
yo' cl'ar down to yo'r heels! After
yo've bin skim we'll build a fire around
yo' and roast what's left!"
He went to his saddle for a rawhide,
one he had seemingly brought along for
the occasion. When he returned with it,
Uncle Ben was stripped of coat and vest
and his shirt torn away from hi3 shoul?
ders. They were going to take his life,
not mercifully, as one kills a savage
beast by a bullet through the heart or
brain, but they would torture him for
hours perhaps. He could not fail to re?
alize this, but he did not beg for mercy.
He simply shut his eyes and prayed God
to give him strength to endure every?
thing for the sake of these in hiding
down the road. He would be asked to
betray them. His refusal would bring
other tortures, but he would refuse.
"Now, then, yo' black bound, whar
ar' the rest of the folks?" demanded
Ike Baxter as he walked up to Uncle
Ben and flourished the cruel whip.
"Aye, he knows the exact spot whar
they ar' hidin, and he's got to tell!"
shouted two or three in the crowd.
"Of co'se he knows, and I'll nev it
outer he un mighty qui ck !" replied Ike.
"I'm goin to give yo' a powerful lickin, ?
ole man, fur the way yo' banged me last
j night, but I'll make it a leetle easier if
1 yo'll tell whar they all is hid away."
"I has nutbin to say." quietly re?
plied the old man as he looked about
him.
j "What! Yo' won't tell me?"
"Give it to him! Cut his hide into
! strings!" yelled the crowd.
Ike responded by striking Uncle Ben I
about 20 blows across the bare back, j
; Each blow raised a welt, and as each !
one fell the victim strained and tugged j
j at his lashings. Uncle Ben had been j
j whipped the night before, but that was ?
more in the nature of an assault or an
! attack by armed men. For the first j
time in his life he had been tied up and ;
his back bared. He felt the shame and
indignity almost as much as the blows, j
"Yo' kin see what brung on this yere |
war," said Ike as he paused for breath.
: "Them air Yankees was tellin our nig?
gers that they was jest as good as thar :
i masters. Yere's a case of it right yere.
If he'd bin my nigger, he'd hev bin as
humble as pumpkin pie, but the Percys, I
who hev allus bin half Yankee them
selves, brung him up to think he un was j
as good as anybody!"
"Hurry up. Give he un some more!" ;
: yelled the crowd.
"Thar hain't no rush about it," re- i
plied Ike as he flourished the whip. "Ii
want to make it last as long as I kin. j
It's a dod gasted pity we hain't got 13 i
' or 20 other niggers yere to look on and !
take warnin by his fate. I've allus
itched to lick a nigger, but never had
j tho chance befo'. Af yo' goin to tell
me, yo' infernal old imp,"whar that
Yankee is hidin out?" Uncle Ben sim?
ply shook his head. "Yo' hain't, eh*r"
screamed Ike. "Then everybody stand
back, far I'm goin-I'm goin to make
the blood fly all over the yard!"
"Stop!"
Ike bad his arm raised for a blow
when a figure passed bim and halted
beside Cncle Ben. That fignre had
pushed its way into the circle unheard
and unseen. Everybody stared in as
** StopPf she. cried.
tonishmeDt, and for half a minute not a
word was said. _ lt. was Marian J?ercy.
She was known by sight to at least half
of the gang, and the others at once iden?
tified ber as "the gal" they had expect?
ed to find in the house. Let us go back
a little. When Uncle Ben left the camp
among tile rocks, she had intended to
follow bim within an hour. It had
been settled that Kenton must remain
where he was until a force of Federals
was brought to the rese?e or until it
was known that he was in no peril from
the Confederates. While it was hoped
that Uncle Ben's mission would be suc?
cessful all realized the chances of its
failure. Both armies were scouting and
raiding up and down and across. A
hamlet or crossroads or bridge held by
the Federals one day would be in posses?
sion of the Confederates on the next,
and vice versa. Uncle Ben might en?
counter a troop of Federal cavalry and
bring them to the rese?e, or he might
be picked up by a Confederate troop or
a gang of guerrilla? and sent off some?
where to work on fortifications.
"Mebbe the Yanks will come fust,
and inebbe the Confederates, " replied
Steve Brayton wben appealed to for bis
opinion. "It's goin tote nip and tuck,
I reckon, bat with the chances a leetle
in favor of the Confederates. Kin I
make bold to offer som* advioe:**
"Why, certainly," answered Marian
and Kenton in the same breath.
"Then let Miss Percy head for home
to once. We can't tell what may be
bappenin thar cr what's goin to happen
yere. She's a Percy and a good Comed?
era te, and nobody'll dare disturb the
house. Them blamed guenillas which
follered ns yesterday may open fire yere
any minit, and once they do she can't
git away."
The advice was full of wisdom, and
Marian prepared to start at once.
' ' Got any we 'pins in the boase ? ' ' asked
Steve as she was ready.
"No."
"Kin yo* shoot a pistol?"
"Of course.' T have been sony that
I left mine behind ns in Winchester."
"Then take this revolver. It's a big
un, but I guess yo' kin handle it. Bein
yo' ar' a southern gal, no southern man
orter trouble yo*, but yo* can't al lus tell
what may happen. If wuss comes to
wuss, bullets will count fur mo' than
words."
Kenton advised her to take it, and
Brayton assisted her down to the high?
way and said as he left her:
"Yo' may hear some shootin np this
way doorin the day, but don't be narv
ns about it and don't run any risks to
cum and see what the trubble is. "
?TO BE CONTINUED.] 1
Lord Crewe'? Collection.
Lord Crewe once, on the occasion of
some charitable entertainment, leaned
up against a corridor wall, fast asleep,
with bis hat in his hand. Some wild
young men started dropping coppers and
half crowns into the hat until the chink?
ing awakened him, when, with gay hu?
mor, he pocketed all the silver and pelt?
ed his impertinent benefactors with the
pence.-London Million.
She Said:
Let's Try Hood's
And It Helped Them Both
Livor Troubles-Dyspepsia 29 Yrs*
"C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass.:
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it has helped us both. My husband had
Lumbago Rheumatism.
so that he could not stand up straight, and went
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so much medicine that wc were discouraged.
But I read so much about Hood's Sarsaparilla,
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Hood's^Cures
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Mas. JAMES COX, Centreville, Wisconsin.
Hood's Pills are prompt and efficient, yet
easy in action. Sold by all druggists. 25c
