WHICH ENDS THE STORY.
"Something must be done," said Sam, as soon as he had heard Tom's
report, "and quickly too. Let me think a few minutes. We are beginning
now to be hungry enough to eat anything, and when people get that hungry
there are a good many things that can be eaten. I'll tell you what we
must do, Tom--"
But what it was that Sam had hit upon, Tom never knew. Just as this
point in the conversation was reached _Joe_ came running in through the
alley-way, his face flattened out into a broad grin of delight, his
teeth and eyes shining, while he danced all over the fortress, shaking
hands over and over again, and saying,
"Hi! Miss Judie! Hi! Mas' Tom! Hi! Mas' Sam! How does ye all do now? Did
you think Joe had runned away? Joe tell ye he never runned away. Joe
ain't no runaway nigger, nohow at all, and de Ingins ain't ketched Joe
nuther. Joe's back all safe an' sound, sartin sure! Hi!"
"What on earth ails you, Joe? You're out of your wits, poor fellow,"
said Sam, convinced that the black boy was demented.
"No I ain't nuther, Mas' Sam," he replied. "Joe ain't crazy one bit, but
he's glad _sure_."
"Where have you been, Joe, since you left us?"
"Whar? Why to de fort, an' I'se dun brung back a rescue too, didn't I
tell you? Laws a massy, dat's what I comed in fust for to tell you. I'se
done been to Fort Glass and brung a big rescue party, and de white folks
dey said, long as Joe brung us he's 'titled to tell de good news fust,
an' dat's how I'm here while de rest is outside de drif'."
"Go and see, Tom," said Sam, afraid to believe this story of the
seemingly insane boy, who, he thought, had become crazed from long
brooding over the chances of rescue. Tom got up to go, but as he started
Mr. Hardwicke himself met him in the door way and caught him in his
arms. Tandy Walker was just behind.
"Well, this beats all," said Tandy. "I've done a good many jobs o'
rescuin' in my time, but I never yit found the rescued hid in the roots
of a tree an' fortified with a drift-pile. An' if I'm a jedge o' sich
things, this here party's a'most starved. I've seed hungry people afore
now, an' I say le's have a breakfast sot right away for these here
little ones."
Tandy was right, as we know, and it was not long before an abundant
breakfast was spread for Sam and Tom and little Judie. The rescue party
consisted of twenty stout fellows from the fort, and after breakfast a
rude litter was provided for Sam, and crossing the river in the little
canoe the party began its homeward march. Tom was glad to walk, the walk
being in that direction. Judie was carried, part of the time in her
father's arms, part of it in Tandy Walker's, and part on the broad
shoulders of Cæsar, the negro man who had participated in the canoe
fight. Sam was stretched on a litter, carried by four of the men, and
Joe insisted on walking always by his side, though he fell behind now
and then for the purpose of dancing a little jig of delight. He would
execute this movement, and then running, catch up with the litter again.
"Tell me, Joe," said Sam after the black boy had become somewhat quiet
again, "tell me all about this thing."
"'Bout what thing, Mas' Sam?"
"About your going to the fort and all that. How did you manage it, and
how came you to think of it?"
"Well, you see, Mas' Sam, when you was at your wust, I got a thinkin',
an' I thought out a plan dat Mas' Tom said was a good un. Him an' me was
to make a raf' out'n cane, an' pole it up de river wid you an' little
Miss Judie on it, an' den I was to go cross de country to de fort an'
bring help. Jes' as we got de raf' ready, howsomever, Mas' Tom he axed
me if I know de way to de fort, an' as I didn't know nothin' 'bout it, I
jis' sot down an' gived up. But I kep' a thinkin' all de time, an' I
said to myself, 'Joe, you're a fool anyhow, an' you mustn't tell your
plans till you know dey're good uns, an' you ain't got sense enough to
know dat till you try 'em.' An' so I sot my head to work to git up a
new plan, meanin' to try it all by myself. When de big fight took place
an' I seed the white folks marchin' away, I said out 'loud, 'dem dare
folks is gwine right straight to de fort,' an' I said to myself, 'I
means to go dere too if I kin.' It took me two days 'n more to git de
thing fixed up right in my min'.
"I was willin' enough to risk Injuns, but I was afear'd you'n Mas' Tom
'ud think Joe was a runaway nigger if I never comed back, an' dat
troubled me. I fixed dat at las' by makin' Mas' Tom mos' swar he'd stick
to it dat I wasn't no runaway nigger, an' den I sot out. I crossed de
river in de little canoe an' hid her in de bushes. I found de place whar
de white folks started from, an' I jes' follered dere trail. Dat was my
plan. I know'd dey would make a big easy trail, dere was so many of 'em,
an I meant to follow 'em. It took me more'n two whole nights to git to
de fort, dough, 'cause de creeks was all high an' de brush very tangley.
When I tole de folks about you'n Miss Judie an' Mas' Tom, dey didn't
more'n half believe me, an' when I tole 'em I'd lead 'em straight to
whar you was, an' dey said dey'd sculp me if I didn't, I jest said all
right, 'cause if we don' find Mas' Sam an' little Miss Judie an' Mas'
Tom no more, den I'd rather be sculped'n not, anyhow. But we did fin'
you, didn't we Mas' Sam?" and at this Joe had to drop behind again and
execute a rapid jig movement, as a relief to his feelings.
* * * * *
The government forces under General Jackson, together with the settlers
themselves, were now pressing the savages very hard. Battles were fought
almost every day, and every battle weakened the Indians. In December,
General Claiborne invaded the Holy Ground, and utterly destroyed
Weatherford's command, as a result of which that chief surrendered to
Jackson and the war was practically at an end. A few more battles were
necessary before a final peace could be made, and the last of them was
fought on the 27th of March, 1814, at Horseshoe Bend; but after the
battle of December 23d a little more than a month after Sam's party was
rescued, the country north and west of the Alabama river was
comparatively free from savages, who no longer dared wander about in
small bands, plundering and burning houses, and the planters began to
return to their homes to get ready for spring work.
When Mr. Hardwicke was about to go home with his children, he sent for
Joe. When the boy came, little Judie handed him a carefully folded
document, saying,
"Here's a present for you, Joe.
"What's dis?" asked Joe, unable to guess what possible use he could have
for such a paper as that, inasmuch as he couldn't read it to save his
life.
"These are your _free papers_, Joe," said Sam. "Father has bought you
from Mr. Butler, for the purpose of setting you free, as a reward for
your good conduct."
Joe evidently wanted to say something, but did not know how.
"Are you glad to be free, Joe?" asked Mr. Hardwicke.
"Ain't I though?" and Joe's feet began to shuffle as if a jig were
coming in spite of his desire to behave well.
"Well, Joe," said Mr. Hardwicke, "I mean to give you a fair chance in
life, and I've thought the matter over carefully. You are free now to
do precisely as you please, and you can live where you like. But I've a
proposition to make--a plan for you. Do you know my cypress farm,--the
little one down in the fork of the two creeks?"
"De one whar' ole uncle Peter Dun lived so long?"
"Yes, the one uncle Peter manages for me."
"Yes, master, I knows dat place mighty well."
"Well, how would you like to buy it, Joe?"
"Buy the farm, master? What's Joe got to buy wid? I ain't got no money,
'thout it's a quarter Mas' Tandy Walker dun gim me fur to clean his
boots sence we comed back to de fort, an' I jest know that a quarter
won't buy no sich low grounds as dem dar down twix' dem dar creeks is.
Dat's de very bes' lan' in Alabama. Leastways I dun hear de folks say
'tis heaps o' times. You's jokin' wid Joe, master."
"No, I am not, Joe. You can buy the land if you want it, and there are a
hundred and ten acres in the tract, besides the strip of woods along
both creeks."
"How's I gwine to buy it, master?"
"Well, let me see. You're about thirteen now. It will be nine years yet
before you will be a man, and if you choose to live with me until you
are twenty-one, I'll feed and clothe you till then, and the day you are
twenty-one the farm shall be yours in payment of wages."
"How you mean, master?"
"I mean, that besides feeding and clothing you as I feed and clothe my
people, I will give you the farm for your nine years' work. If you like
the place, I will have all the papers made out, so that the farm will be
yours, even if I should die before the time is up. I have more land than
I care to keep, and you see I want to sell that one farm to you, if
you'll buy it."
"Looks to me, heap more like's if you was gwine to give it to me,
master; dis on'y your fun to say I buy's it."
"No, the bargain is a fair one, Joe. I could give you the farm now, but
I think it will be better for you to work for it, and then you'll feel
that it's yours by right and not by favor. I want to make a man of you,
Joe, and my children shall always think of you as one of their best
friends. Go out of doors if you want to dance, Joe," seeing the feet
beginning to shuffle, and understanding the mingled joy and
embarrassment of the boy.
Joe hesitated a moment, and then with a sudden straightening of his
shoulders, as if the future manliness were already beginning to assert
itself in him, he advanced to Mr. Hardwicke, and shaking his hand, said:
"Joe ain't got no learnin' an' no manners nuther, master, but Joe's
_grateful_ anyhow," and bursting into tears the boy left the room.
THE END
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