Would day-light never come was a speculation that lay upon my mind
until it seemed to gather mold, like a rag in a damp cellar. But why
should I long for the sun to rise to pour light upon the blood in the
lane? And to myself I said that it would be better for me if darkness
should remain forever upon the earth. But the hours were so tiresome
and the world was so reproachfully still. I had thought that my reading
had led me away from the superstitions of my negro ancestors; long ago
I had thrown away the lucky bone taken from the head of a cat-fish; I
had ceased to make a cross mark in the road and spit in it whenever I
found that I had forgotten something and was forced to turn back; I did
not believe that the hanging of a dead snake across the fence, belly
up, would make it rain; I had laughed at old Steve when he told me that
a horse's tooth, ground to powder and carried sewed up in a sack, would
prevail against the tricks of the conjurer. But now I believed in it
all and trembled at the awful consequences that a renegade scorn might
call upon me. With a cold sweat I remembered the words of a black hag
who lived in a hovel at the edge of the town. On an occasion, not more
than a month gone-by, she had taken offense at what she termed my
uppishness; she crossed her crutches in front of me, cut a mysterious
diagram in the air and swore that before the moon changed twice I
should fall a victim to a blighting calamity. The moon had not changed
twice and the calamity had fallen. I got up to look at the moon, to
search for a confirming mark upon it, but through the windless night,
dark clouds had floated and the sky was black. At the window I sat
and gazed into the darkness toward the lane. A wind sprang up and was
hoarse in the tree-tops. Rain would come and wash the blood away, but
the body and the crying wound would be there at the coming of day. I
wondered whither my Young Master could have gone and why he should have
left me. Was it that he had gone thus early to the authorities to beg
for my life? That were useless. Law and society must have my blood. On
my side a ton of justice would be but a thistledown, blown by a baby's
breath. And I gazed from the window toward the lane. Day-light could
not be far away; it had already fallen upon the hilltops, I thought.
Yes, the far-off sky was turning gray; but nearer it was black with
clouds. Strange that a storm should be gathering just at this time. The
lighter it grew the nearer the clouds came. They split, one in the form
of a great bird, sailing away; the other was a horse galloping madly,
with a ribbon, a bridle-rein of lightning, flashing at its throat.
The household was stirring. I heard Old Master go down the stairs; I
heard old Steve calling the hogs. There was not to be a storm. The
clouds were gone and the air was sultry. The horn was blown to call the
negroes to breakfast. I heard horses galloping over the turn-pike. But
the body in the lane had not been found. God, I could see it, lying
near the fence! I heard someone coming and I crept back to bed and
covered myself. Mr. Clem entered the room.
"You boys going to sleep all day?" he asked. "But Bob's gone; where is
he? Why, he hasn't been to bed. Didn't he stay here last night?"
"No, sir; he went away early on business."
"But what's the matter with you this morning? You look sick."
"I am, sir. I don't believe I am able to get up."
"I'd better send for a doctor. Why, you've got a chill."
"Don't send for a doctor," I pleaded. "Don't send for anyone; let me
lie here alone."
"Well, I'm sorry you're sick," he said, turning about. "Want anything
to eat?"
"No, sir. I just want to lie here until Young Master comes."
For a time he stood looking hard at me, with his hand on the door.
"Hear of the row last night?" he asked. I feigned surprise and said
that I had not, whereupon he continued:
"The Old General finally summoned the requisite nerve and drove the
doctor off. I wasn't very close, but I heard all that passed. The
doctor pleaded and started to threaten and then the old man roared.
'If you are anywhere in this neighborhood by morning,' said he, 'I
will take a shot gun to you, I don't care what the public says or
how close its investigation may be.' The doctor moved on off and I
followed along, to see what he intended to do when the old man's back
was turned, and once I got close enough to hear his mutterings and to
understand him to say, 'I'll let the old fool go, but somebody will die
before morning.' Just then the General called me and I went back. I
don't know who the doctor intended to kill, didn't know but it might be
Bob, and I would have come in last night to tell him--saw him going up
the stairs--but Bill Mason came over and said that he wanted to beat me
out of a horse or two, and so I went over to his place and haggled with
him nearly all night. Man of considerable worth, Mason is. Has kept
his eyes pretty well open while other people have been dreaming, but
he napped a trifle and I came off some time before day with two better
horses than I took with me and a pretty fair roll of money. I told
Bob, you remember, that I never would say anything more to you about
running away, and I won't. But somehow I think that justice ought to be
stronger than friendship or even blood relationship. Still, I'll keep
my word with him and not advise you to run away. I tell you what I'm
going to do, though. I'm going to throw this roll of money over there
on the bed, and if it's not there when I come back, and if you are gone
by to-night--but I promised Bob."
He threw a roll of bank notes on the bed and almost trotted in his
haste to get down the stairs. I got up and walked about the room, not
daring to look at the money, but my mind was not so obedient as my
eyes. The means of possible escape lay there within my reach. Could
any human being blame me for struggling to save my life? I went to the
window and looked out and drew back with a shudder. The body had been
found. Several persons were standing about it, and along the lane there
walked a number of men, my young master in the midst of them and among
them I recognized the coroner of the county. They were going to hold
the inquest. I saw Old Master and Mr. Clem walking hard to overtake
them. Now was my time. I jumped into my clothes, wondering that no one
had called me to see the dead man; I clapped my hat upon my head--and
seized the money. I ran to the door, but to save my life I could not
cross the threshold. I stood there gasping, with that old woman's
crutches crossed before me. I threw the money upon the bed and my love
for my master arose strong and overpowering in my heart, and with the
tears streaming from my eyes I bounded down the stairs, out into the
yard, over the fence, and tore down the lane toward the spot where the
body lay under the stern eye of the law. I caught up with Old Master
and Mr. Clem just as they reached the place--I ran to Young Master,
and he turned upon me with a frown. "Don't interrupt me," he cried,
waving his hand. "I know your devotion to me, but I demand silence.
Gentlemen," he said, addressing the coroner and the jury, "I don't
intend to make myself out altogether blameless, but I was forced to
kill him. I was unarmed and it was his own knife that shed his blood."
And then, while I stood there gaping, he gave in minutest detail an
account of the strike, the struggle and the fall. I looked at Old
Master as he stood there bent forward, staring; at Mr. Clem as he gazed
upon the young man who had stepped in between me and the hangman, but
my jaws were locked wide open and I could not speak.
"Gentlemen," said Mr. Clem, "I demand to be sworn." He held up his
hand, muttered the oath and then proceeded with his testimony.
"Last night I heard the doctor say he would kill him. He said that he
would let the old man go, meaning my brother, but that someone would
die before day, and I know that he meant Bob. It has been well known
among us that bad blood existed between them. I--"
Suddenly I leaped forward, struck upon the head, I fancied, by the
crutches of the old woman, and with a cry I fell upon my knees. "My
master did not kill him;" I groaned in agony. "I killed him. Listen to
me and then you may hang me. I--"
Bob sprang at me and clapped his hand over my mouth. "Gentlemen," he
said, "this poor, devoted boy would save my life--it's his way of
repaying a life-long kindness. Pay no attention to him, but let us
attend to the demands of justice. I killed this man, I have told you
why and how. And I am ready to take the consequences. Come here, Dan."
He jerked me to my feet and led me off. "Dispute me another time," he
said, "and before God I will cut your throat. Now go to the house or
I'll take a stick and beat you every step of the way."
I was almost bereft of my senses as I walked toward the house. I met
Old Miss with a troop of negroes behind her. She was wringing her hands
and the negroes were crooning a low chant. Some one bade me stop, but
I hastened on, through the yard, up to the room; and the sight of the
money lying there on the bed, the thought that I had clutched it to run
away from the noblest man that ever breathed, drove me mad; and I fell
upon the lounge and the world was black.
When I opened my eyes to the light, I was undressed between the sheets
and a cloth was bound about my head. Someone was talking. I looked up
and saw a physician just taking his leave. Bob stood at the window. I
raised myself up and he hastened to me.
"Don't get up, Dan," he said.
"Yes, I am all right now." But I was not all right. I was so weak that
I could scarcely sit up in bed.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Oh, about ten," he answered, smiling. "And I'm devilish glad to see
that you've come out all right. We thought at one time that you were
gone. You raved all day yesterday."
"Yesterday! No, we were deep in our books yesterday."
"Dan, you have been in bed a week."
"Is it possible?" I cried, and then I looked at him. He read the
inquiry that was in my mind. "The coroner's jury discharged me," he
said. "And not a vestige of blame clings to me. The neighbors all have
come to give me their hands. Now if you are going to cry like a fool,
I won't tell you about it. There, I didn't mean to be harsh. It's all
right. They said that I couldn't have done otherwise, and no regret is
expressed. Why, it has made quite a hero out of you. Fame whirls her
cloak in the air and we never know how soon it is going to fall. Don't
look at me that way. Oh, yes, you may take my hand if you want to.
There, now, don't blubber. Why, don't you know they would have hanged
you long before this time? But we won't talk about that. We didn't
bury him in the garden," he went on after a slight pause, "but in the
grave-yard on the other side of town. We agreed, mother with the rest
of us, that he must not lie beside my sister. It may seem strange to
you, but the household appears happier. Father's mind has thrown off
a load. And Uncle Clem has been so stimulated that he has filled the
stable with horses. He's preparing to drive them to market. Don't be
in a hurry about getting up. Just take your time. And I'll go down and
have them send you something to eat."