University of Virginia Library

SCENE VI

A Rocky Pass in the Hills. Large set rock and platform.

PHINEAS:

(Without.)
Out with you in a twinkling, every one, and up into
these rocks with me! run now, if you ever did run! (Music. Phineas enters, with
Harry in his arms. George supporting Eliza.)
Come up here; this is one of our
old hunting dens. Come up. (They ascend the rock.)
Well, here we are. Let 'em
get us if they can. Whoever comes here has to walk single file between those two
rocks, in fair range of your pistols—d'ye see?

GEORGE:

I do see. And now, as this affair is mine, let me take all the risk,
and do all the fighting.

PHINEAS:

Thee's quite welcome to do the fighting, George; but I may have
the fun of looking on, I suppose. But see, these fellows are kind of debating
down there, and looking up, like hens when they are going to fly up onto the
roost. Hadn't thee better give 'em a word of advice, before they come up, just to
tell 'em handsomely they'll be shot if they do.

(Loker, Marks, and three Men enter.)

MARKS:

Well, Tom, your coons are fairly treed.

LOKER:

Yes, I see 'em go up right here; and here's a path—I'm for going
right up. They can't jump down in a hurry, and it won't take long to ferret 'em
out.

MARKS:

But, Tom, they might fire at us from behind the rocks. That would
be ugly, you know.

LOKER:

Ugh! always for saving your skin, Marks. No danger, niggers are
too plaguy scared!

MARKS:

I don't know why I shouldn't save my skin, it's the best I've got;
and niggers do fight like the devil sometimes.

GEORGE:

(Rising on the rock.)
Gentlemen, who are you down there and what
do you want?

LOKER:

We want a party of runaway niggers. One George and Eliza Har-
ris, and their son. We've got the officers here, and a warrant to take 'em too.
D'ye hear? An't you George Harris, that belonged to Mr. Harris, of Shelby
county, Kentucky?

GEORGE:

I am George Harris. A Mr. Harris, of Kentucky, did call me his
property. But now I'm a freeman, standing on heaven's free soil! My wife and
child I claim as mine. We have arms to defend ourselves and we mean to do it.
You can come up if you like, but the first one that comes within range of our
bullets is a dead man!

MARKS:

Oh, come—come, young man, this ar no kind of talk at all for you.
You see we're officers of justice. We've got the law on our side, and the power
and so forth; so you'd better give up peaceably, you see—for you'll certainly
have to give up at last.

GEORGE:

I know very well that you've got the law on your side, and the
power; but you haven't got us. We are standing here as free as you are, and by
the great power that made us, we'll fight for our liberty till we die! (During this,
Marks draws a pistol, and when he concludes fires at him. Eliza screams.)
It's
nothing, Eliza; I am unhurt.

PHINEAS:

(Drawing George down.)
Thee'd better keep out of sight with thy
speechifying; they're teetotal mean scamps.

LOKER:

What did you do that for, Marks?

MARKS:

You see, you get jist as much for him dead as alive in Kentucky.

GEORGE:

Now, Phineas, the first man that advances I fire at; you take the
second and so on. It won't do to waste two shots on one.

PHINEAS:

But what if you don't hit?

GEORGE:

I'll try my best.

PHINEAS:

Creation! chaw me up if there a'nt stuff in you!

MARKS:

I think I must have hit some on'em. I heard a squeal.

LOKER:

I'm going right up for one. I never was afraid of niggers, and I an't
a going to be now. Who goes after me?

(Music. Loker dashes up the rock. George fires. He staggers for a moment, then
springs to the top. Phineas seizes him. A struggle.)

PHINEAS:

Friend, thee is not wanted here! (Throws Loker over the rock.)

MARKS:

(Retreating.)
Lord help us—they're perfect devils!

(Music. Marks and Party run off. George and Eliza kneel in an attitude of
thanksgiving, with the Child between them. Phineas stands over them exulting.
Tableau.)