CHAPTER XI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 394, 17 August 1889, Page 4

CHAPTER XI.

THE RED-HEADED NIXJRO. For two days I waited. On the morning of the third, as we were being routed out to our work, I thought I heard a familiar negro voice. The next moment the sergeant of the guard said : ' Hello, here's a disobedient nigger ! To work in the trenches for punishment, eh? You red-headed rascal, I'll take the spunk out of you !' ' Fo de Lord ! go easy on me, massa !' No one took any intei'est in this matter, as it was a common habib of planters in the neighbourhood to aid the Confederate cause by donating to it the labour of their insubordinate slaves ; as for me, it filled me with hope. For the negro sent to work in the trenches was Caucus, and I guessed he had some communication for me. Unfortunately, however, he was told off to work on a different part of the fortifications, and I got no chance to communicate with him until night. Our sleeping arrangements were very primitive. We lay down in a long shed in any part that was convenient, the guard giving but little attention, except to see that we did not escape ; consequently I soon worked myself alongside the red-headed negro. He seemed at first in almost too much trouble to speak to me. In answer to my inquiries, he only muttered : "C4olly, if I knowed dis, I'd never no way come heah, Dey worked de , life out o' me to-day, an' dis grub ain't fit for a buzzard to chew !" 1 You have something to tell me ?' • Yas ; but de sergeant said he'd tie me up by the thumbs ' ' Speak— quick i What message have you for me ? ' Well, jes' let me get de aches out of my arms an' legs. Lord, how dey worked me! It ain't possible you libed six months in dis kind of way, Massa Bryant !' ' That is the reason Iwant to get out of it. Quick ! what communication have you for me?' • Well,' he said, * don't I want to g-et out ob it quick too ? De missus sent you diß,' and he handed me a little packet. Watching my opportunity, I read the note. It was simply, ' Do as Caucus tells you.' Besides this, the packet contained th© I same identical roll of greenbacks I had sent my sweetheart and asked her to use on my leaving Columbia. ' Your mistress says,' I whispered to him, 1 1 am to do as you tell me ?' What am I to do? ' Get out of heah, quick. I'se got a boat ready to take you down Jde Stono ribber to <te Yanks.'

* Bub how aro we to gob out of here ?' ♦ Well, dab's what you got to find oub. If I'daknowed what ib, was, I'd nober hab come myself, do' she'd begged me on her shins for an hour ; bub you must get oub bonight.' Geb oub to-night ! The proposition was a sudden one. Get out to-night without having a bullet put through my body ? As I looked at the line of Confederate sentries, witli their loaded muskets, that prevented any escape of negroes and convicts, the proposition seemed an absurd one. 1 had never thought of escaping from the guards, because, without friends and without money, ib had always seemed an impossibility to reach tho Union lines ; bub now, as I reflected on the matter, my views suddonly changed. The nights had been growing colder and I colder, as we were now getting woll into the month of November. Large camp fires each ovening were built for the comfort ot the guard. The wood for these had been brought every day by a detail under guard ; but to-day, for some reason, this had been omitted or forgotten. The stdck of fuel was not suilicient for the night's use. At the very moment I was planning escape I heard the sergeant directing some of his men to take a few of the labourers and get in a supply for the night. The soldiers, not wishing to take boo much trouble, roused up and ordered out those of the prisoners neaiest the door of tho shed. I whispered to Caucus to get up, come with me, and join tho gang. ' I can't ; I's too tired. Doan want no more work to-day. I's neber been used to de life ob a field hand.' ' Come with me, if you want to got out of here to-night. The sergeant will tie you up by tho thumbs to-morrow,' I whispered in his ear, supplementing my argument wibli a vigorous kick, for I was thoroughly enraged at Caucus' indiiforence. With a grunt, partly of rage and partly of pain, he got up and followed me. We soon found ourselves in the wood squad guarded by three or four Confederate soldiers with loaded muskets, and inarched oiFto some neighbouring timber. I whispered to Caucus to keep close to me, whatever else he did. Fortunately for us, the timber was quite thick about here, and we were ordered to spread through it and geb the wood which had already been cut down and piled in various places. This we wero to bring to a placo indicated for our meeting iust out in the open ground. We were divided into three gangs, a Confederate soldier with a loaded gun with each one of these ; the fourth, a corporal, remaining at the place where we weie told to biing the wood. In the undergrowth at night it was a difficult matter for one man to keep his eye on three or four, and watching my opportunity I gave Caucus a signal, then dropped down into the thick foliago, and crawled on my hands and knees followed by the negro. I felt pretty sure that our absence would nob be noticed until the gangs had brought the wood to the place of meeting. That would give us at least twenty minutes' start of any pursuit. As I crawled along followed by Caucus, I asked him : ' What route are we to take to your boat on the Stono River V His reply astonished me. Ho said : 4 Golly ! I's too tired to go dar now. It's more'n a mile away. ' • Look here,' I said, 'if they catch us, you will be shot as well as T. ' Golly ! do you tink dey'll shoot me V ' I know they will. ' 1 Den dey's got to cotch me fust !' and from this time on the vigour of the negro astounded me. He started off through the brushwood at a pace that made it difficult for me to keep up with him. After about five minutes more of this travel, we entered the swamp tbat borders Wappoo Creek. We did this none too soon, for at this moment the firing of the guard indicated that our escape had been noticed. Following Caucus by a path that he apparently knew, even on this dark night, I passed along the swamp going up the Wappoo Creek. We heard nothing of pursuit. At night it would have been impossible for them to follow us without the aid of dogs, which I presumed they would get as soon as possible. Following the creek for about a mile and a half, we came upon a place where there was not more than three or four hundred yards of open ground to the Stono River. This wa3 about half a mile above Fort Pemberbon. Peering cautiously oub of the undergrowth of the swamp in the direction of the river, we found no one moving and no guards set, the river above the fort being considered perfectly safe from any boat attack of the Federals. Crossing this ground hurriedly, we descended to the river, and there found a light skiff that Caucus had moored at the spot for this emergency. In it was a suit of decent clothing for me, and some simple but wholesome food, the nisb I had tasted for months. I immediately threw off the convict suit I wore, and donned the clothes while Caucus was pulling the skiff into mid-stream. In the pocket of the coat I found a loaded revolver. 'W ho sent them for me, Caucus V 1 whispered. ' Miss Laura. She's been tinkin' ob you and wringing her hands ober you for de las two days. She's had red eyes, sah ; powerful red eyes, Massa Bryant.' These words added strength to a resolution I had already made. While this was going on. Caucus had turned the boat down-stream and we were gliding toward the Federal gun-boats, somo five miles distant. We had already reached a point in the river only a hundred yards above Fort Pemberton. • Where is your mistress ?' whispered I. • Miss Laura ?' • Certainly ?' ' Oh, she's a mile or two up de ribber stopping wid Judge Elliotts family. Her brudder's stoppin' dar, too. He's looking after diggin' up some forts near heah. I's to go back and 'pore to her when I\s got j'ou safe down de ribber to de Yanks.' 'Very well,' said I. C I must see her before I go. Turn the boat up the stream !' ' No, sah. I ain't nebber goin' up dis ■ stream agin !' ' What do you mean ?' 'I mean when I gits to dc Yanks I's agwine to stay dar. I's bound to be free like you is, sah.' ' Then you are not going to return to your mistress ?' • No, sab. If I once geb to de Yanks, I stays.' ' Turn that boat up-stream ! I must — I will see her before I go. ' I seized the tiller to change the direction of the little craft. • Dis boat don't go up-stream wid me in ib ! I's gwine to be free !' 'Look here, Caucus,' l said, 'there's no use of your arguing with me or acting in that way ;' for the black had raised his oar threateningly. "I am going up that river to see Laura Peyton, and you have gob to go with me.' • Nebber !' 1 Then I've got to go without you !' and I clapped my revolver to his head. • You ain't gwine to kill me f he gasped. ' Not if you do as I say, but if you make any disturbance here now, I will !' By this time the boat had floated almost opposite the fort. -

'If you want to get out, you can do so after we have gob up-stream a little way, but we must go back first. It is too late to do anything else,' I whispered, as I saw two patrol boats moving about down the river opposite the fort. * You see they know of our escape. We never could pass between them.' Fortunately during this conversation we had been drifted by an eddy under the shadow of the bank and the patrol boats did not see us. The wind was blowing upstream, and they could not hear us. Urged by my revolver, and perhaps by his fears, Caucus turned the boat and rowed slowly up the river away from the Federal gunbtats for which he longed. * Look heah,' he said, • it's sartin death for you to go up dar. It de robs cotch you, whar am you ?' ' I am going to see her before I go.' 1 Golly, you's gone mad, you has sah ! You dunno what you's doin'. If do rebs cobch you, you's a goner, and de Yankee gunboats ain't but few miles away, I reckon dey ain'b so much, sah.' ' Pull ahead !' I cocked the revolver, and Caucus said no more for some time save an occasional ejaculation of 'Fo' de Lord, you's gone crazy !' or some similar expression of astonished horror and disgust. ' Row quicker !' said I, sternly, whenever lie relaxed his efforts, and in about an hour we rounded a bend in the stream upon the bank of which I could see lights, apparently from a house. ' Dac's de place, sah !' * Where she is V ' Yes, sah !' As tho boat drew up at the bank, I said, ' Go into the house quickly, and tell her 1 am here. Don't you alarm the family, for the Elliotts are southerners to the backbone, and if this comes out it means the whipping post for you, as woll as imprisonment tor me.' ' I know dat, sah. Colly ! I tink you treat pretty hard dis boy who helped you to 'scape.' 'Tell her quickly,' said I, 'and when thi3 is over, Caucus, I will make your disappointment up to you in some way. You know I was kind to you before. Be faithful to me, and T will be so again.' 'All right, sah,' said that volatile black, with a grin. Ts bound to get free dis trip, somehow, an' I s'pose I can put it off for a day or two. ' With that he stole up one of the paths leadiug through tho garden to a pretty cottage erected upon the banks of the stream, while I impatiently and anxiously placed myself in the shadow of some trees to wait as well as I could for the coming of the being for whom I had risked so much. A few moments after this she was by my side with impatient words, almost reproaches. c For God's sake, Laurence !—! — you may never escape now !' Why didn't you go ?' * Because I love you.' ' Yes ; but think how unhappy you make me. It you are taken again, they will peihapa kill you !' ' To win you I would risk anything !' ' But you cannot win me if you die.' ' I will win you be/ore /' ' For Heaven's ;sake, leave me i Take the boat and go down the river.' ' That is an impossibility now, 5 said I. ' The Confederate patrol boats are on the alert. Every picketjbetween here and the Federal lines knows that we have escaped,' for at that moment I heard the booming of a gun down the river, ' You can go. You must go !' ' I will not go. I came here deliberately.' ' And why ?' 'To win you !' 1 Win me !— what do you mean ?' ' I mean this,' said I. •If you love me, you would wish to save mv life.' * 'I cannot save it if you do not leave South Carolina.' ' I never will leave South Carolina until you are [my wife. 1 made that resolution six months ago, when I was forced back into this State. Providence brought me back to be your husband.' ' This is madness !' 'Laura, you must love me, after what you have done for me. For God's sake, do the only thing that will make me wish to save my life— marry me now /' The astonished girl panted at thi3, and in a sort of desperate frenzy I seized her in my arms and supplemented my peculiar wooing with all the kisses and endearments that I had hoarded up in my imagination during the long time I had been parted from her. 4 For Heaven's sake have mercy upon me ! Think of what my friends, my family, would say to my marrying you in this way.' ' For my sake, have mercy upon me ! Think of what ray misery will be if I leave this place fearing I have lost you.' ' We cannot be married to-night.' 'Before I fly irom South Carolina, we must be,' I muttered, the sudden joy of knowing riiat I had won her coming to me with her words. ' For my sake, me ! You will be captured ! JYJy heavens ! they are coming now !' The girl panted and clung to me while I listened, and through the darkness of tho night heard the sound of cavalry and the clanking of sabers. ' Conceal yourself, for my sake !' she begged. ' Not unless you promise to be mine.' * And if not ?' ' They'll find mo here,— l don't care what becomes of me !' ' You are mad !' ' Yes, mad enough to do this.' ' Quick i You won't have time, — let me hide you !' ' Do you promise ?' ' Yes ! Anything to save your life 3 Come!' She glided up the pathway. I followed her silently. 1 knew that I had conquered — that Laura Peyton's promise was her bond. ' This way !' She passed around one of the outbuildings, and coming to the barn, she led me into an old deserted portion of it, filled, as well as 1 could discover in the gloom, with rice seed and sacks for holding the same. ' Conceal yourself between these ! I will send Caucus to look after you.' ' By this kiss, remembor your promise !' She tore herself from me and left the place. I could hear the Confederate soldiers outside questioning the family if they had seen about there a white escaped coDvict and a red-headed negro. Next I heard Caucus' voice. ' Golly, I 'specks I's do only red-headed nigger 'round dose parts !' # ' Well,' laughed tho officer of the cavalry* ' if you meet your twin brother, arrest him and we'll give a reward for him.' ' How much reward ?' said Caucus. ' Well, perhaps a hundred dollars.' ' Say, you make it a thousand, and I'll delibber myself up for him,' laughs Caucus, as the patrol rode away. After a few minutes, the astonished exclamations and hearty laughter of the Elliotts at the wit of Caucus died away. I could tell from the voices that they were all women, young Arthur Peyton and the men of the house being off on duty at this time.

Half an hour or so after this Caucus came to me, but in a very surly mood, and gave me a very stale piece of corn bread and a by-no-means succulent sweet potato. * Why didn't you bring better ?' asked I. 4 Cuss you !' replied Caucus. 'Bo you tink I's gwine to give you a good meal after you robbed me of my liberty ? What am I now? A slabe! But for yous I'd have been a free' man an' a Caucussion ! Heah's something else, ealri' He handed me a scrap of paper, * How am E to read this without any light?' ' Come wid me !' I followed Caucus to an old cabin, perhaps two hundred yards from the house. It was noar the bank of the river where our boat was moored. Here the negro soon lighted a tallow dip. By its light I saw Laura Peyton's well-remembered handwriting. It said : ' Darling- : I daro not visit you now, but will take ttie first opportunity as soon as the family nro asleep— perhaps in half-an-hour. Was it not a little ungeneroxis, dear one, to take advantage ofniy iears for you? Could you not sec that it would have broken my heart if anything had happened to you? That was the reason I gavo you my pi'omiso ; but I will keep it if you will keep yours, and try to fly to safety.' If the delicate and maidenly reproach in the letter made me feel that I had not treated my sweetheart generously, the thought that I had won her obliterated it with joy. A movement of the negro's attracted my attention. In the uncertain light I could see he still eyed me in a very sullen manner. I knew he had not forgiven me for bringing j him back to slavery. If he betrayed me, there was an end to every hope. 1 Caucus,' said I, 'you don'L seem to like me as you used to.' j * No, I's cussed if I does !' j * Here's twenty dollars.' I took this out of my hoard of greenbacks that Laura had returned to me. ' I don't want no money from you, Massa Bryant,' he said, savagely, though he eyed the greenback in a greedy way. 'Oh yes, iyou do, Caucus,' said I ; ' you ' want it to hire a minister.' ' Mire a minister ! What for ? To bury us when de rebs catch us ?' ' JSTo,' I said, ' to hire a minister to marry me.' ' Marry you ? Who you marry ?' ' Can't you guess, Caucus ?' said I. 1 Golly ! not Miss Laura ? Dab's what you wanted to come back for ?' 'Y«s,' I replied, 'otherwise we would now both be freetogether. I have comeback to marry your mistress. ' ' Fo' de Lord ! Dats what you brought me back for ?' said Caucus, a grim smile lighting up his dusky features. * Well, den ! If Miss Laura marries yous, I forgive yous. Great Gosh ! How de Peytons will cuss !' His grin changed into a guffaw. ' Then,' replied 1,. ' I will soon be in your good graces again. I will soon marry your mistress.' ' Golly, there's fun ahead ob us ! Fo' de Lord, you's cute as a coin !' and the negro gave another wild chuckle. I did not answer thi3. My thoughts had taken another turn. How was Ito get a minister to make me the husband of Laura Peyton, unknown to her family, in a land where civil war made everyone suspicious ? How was I, a fugitive, to do this ? ( To be Continued. )