University of Virginia Library

24. CHAPTER XXIV.

The first words which passed between Mr. Trevor
and Lieutenant Whiting, had been overheard by Tom,
who was in the act of leaving the room at the moment.
He gave the alarm to his mistress, who,
hastening to her husband, met him at the door, and
just received from him the instructions already mentioned.
She immediately sent for Mr. B—, who, with
Jack's aid, was in the act of distributing arms and ammunition
to the negroes. To him the management of
the whole affair was committed. No doubt was entertained
that Lieutenant Whiting had not come unattended.
The first thing to be done was to ascertain
the force by which he was supported, and the place
where he had posted his men.

They, meantime, quietly awaited the return of
their officer at the great gate, a quarter of a mile
from the house. Rather as a point of military
etiquette than from an idea that any precaution was
necessary, they had stacked their arms in form before

the gate, and stationed a sentinel, who, with head
erect and military step, walked his post in front of
them. They had not long been there, before they
heard a negro's voice, who, as he approached from
the house, sung merrily a song, of which only the
following lines could be distinguished:

The song ceased, and cuffee advanced in silence,
but with a heavy swinging step, that rung audibly
on the hard ground. As soon as his dusky figure
began to be distinguishable, which was not until he
was quite near, he was arrested by the sharp challenge
of the sentry.

“High!” exclaimed the negro, in a tone of
amazement and alarm: “Law-Gorramighty! what
dis?”

“Advance!” said the sentinel, mechanically,
“and give the countersign.”

“What dat, Massa? I never see sich a ting in my
life.”

“Advance!” repeated the sentry, bringing his
piece down with a rattling sound against his right
side.

The metal glimmered in the light from the windows.

The negro caught the gleam, and, falling flat
on his face, roared lustily for mercy.

The Sergeant now went to him, raised him up,
calmed his fears, and, as soon as he could be made to
understand any thing, asked if Lieutenant Whiting
was at the house.

“I hear 'em say, sir, one mighty grand gentleman
went there while ago. Old Tom say, he Mass Douglas'
old crony, and Massa and Mass Douglas, and all,
mighty glad to see him.”

“The devil they are!” said the Sergeant. “Well,
I hope they'll be mighty glad to see us, too. I do not
care how soon, for this night air is something of the
sharpest; and I have drawn better rations than we
had at that damned tavern. I say, darkee; the old
man keeps good liquor, and plenty of belly-timber,
don't he?”

“Ah, Lord! Yes, Massa, I reckon he does. But
it an't much I knows about it. Old Massa mighty
hard man, sir. Poor negur don't see much o' he
good ting.”

“But, I suppose, he gives his friends a plenty?”

“Oh, to be sure, sir! Massa mighty proud. Great
gentleman come see him, he an't got nothing too
good for him. But poor white folks and poor negur!
—pshaw!”

“A bad look out for us, Rogers,” said the Sergeant
to one of his men. “Damn the old hunks, I
hope he don't mean to leave us to bivouack here all

night. Well, we must wait our hour, as the Lieutenant
told us, and then he'll come back to us, or we
have to march to the house. Damn it! I shall be
pretty sharp-set by that time, and, if it comes to that,
the old gentleman's kitchen and wine-cellar may look
out for a storm.”

“You talk like you hungry, Massa,” said the
negro, in a tone of sympathy. I mighty sorry I an't
got nothing to give you.”

“But could not you get something, cuffee? Is
there no key to your master's cellar and smoke-house
besides the one he keeps? Don't you think, now,
you could get us some of his old apple-brandy? I
hear he has it of all ages.”

“Ah, Lord, Massa; dat you may be sure of. I
hear old Tom say brandy dare older an he; and he
most a hundred. 'Spose I bring you some o' dat,
Massa, what you gwine give me?”

“Will a quarter do for a bottle of it?”

“Law, Massa! why he same like gold. Half a
dolla, Massa!”

“Well, bring us a bottle of the right old stuff,
mind!—and you shall have half a dollar. And see,
darkee; cannot you bring us a little cold bread and
meat?”

“I don't know, Massa, what de cook say. I try
her.”

“Well, go; and, while your hand is in, help
yourself well. If the liquor is good, may be we'll
take two or three bottles.”

“Well, Massa, I try old Tom. He keep de key.
Ah, Lord! Old Massa tink Tom mighty desperate
honest; and he tink Tom love him so—better an
he own self. He better mind; one o' dese days
Tom show him how dat is.”

“I don't think you love him much yourself, Sambo.”

“Who?—I, Massa? My name Jack, sir. Lord,
no sir! What I love him for? Hard work and little
bread, and no meat? No, Massa, I love soldier;
cause I hear 'em say soldier come after a while, set
poor nigur free.”

“That is true enough. I hope it will not be long
before we set you all free from these damned man-stealers.
How would you like to go with us?”

“Lord, Massa, you joking. Go wid you? I reckon
the old man find it right hard to get somebody to
saddle his horse if all our folks was here.”

“Well, cuffee, the old man's in hockley by this
time; and when we march him off in the morning,
you will have nobody to stop you. But bring us the
brandy, and then we'll talk about it.”

“Ees, Massa! tank ye, Massa! But, Massa, I got
two boys big as me, and my brother, and my wife,
and all; I don't want to leave them. And, Massa,
my boys got some apples. You want some, sir?”

“To be sure I do. Bring them along; but mind
and bring the brandy, at all events.”

The negro disappeared, and the soldiers occupied

themselves in discussing the means of making a profitable
speculation on their disposition to leave their
master. They were still on this topic when they
heard Jack returning, with several more. One
brought a chunk of fire; another a basket of apples;
another one of eggs; a fourth came provided with
some cold provisions; Jack himself brandished a
couple of bottles of brandy; and one of his boys
brought a pint of water and a tin cup. The liquor
was tasted, approved, paid for, and eagerly swallowed.
A torch of light-wood being kindled, a
chaffering commenced, interrupted by occasional allusions
to the interesting subjects of slavery, hard
masters, and emancipation. The brandy, however,
chiefly engaged the attention of the soldiers. The
sentry, whose duty was but formal, was permitted to
join, as the guns were but a few feet off, just without
the gate, which stood open. The light of the torch
glittered strongly on the arms, and seemed to make
all things distinct, while in fact its unsteady flickering
did little more than dazzle their eyes. The
negro held it aloft, and, as if to brighten the flame,
occasionally waved it to and fro. Suddenly it dropped
from his hand into the pail of water, and in an
instant the blackness of impenetrable darkness
shrouded every eye.

At the same moment, a heavy trampling, as from a
rush of many feet, was heard without the gate, and a
shivering clash from the stack of arms, as if it had

fallen down. The soldiers groped their way towards
it, feeling where they supposed it to be. They felt
in vain. They winked hard, as if to free their eyes
from the blinding impression left by the flaring
light, then opened them, and looked about. Judge
their astonishment, when, as they begun to recover
their sight, they found themselves surrounded by a
dusky ring, from which issued a voice, not unlike
that of their friend Jack, which informed them, in
good English, that they were prisoners. The prick
of a bayonet on one or two who endeavored to pass
through the circle, convinced them that such was
the fact; and, after a short parley, they permitted
themselves to be marched off, and safely stowed
away in a strong out-house.

I would not have the reader give the negroes the
credit of this stratagem. It had been devised by
B—, who knew that he could depend on the address
and quick wit of Jack for drawing the soldiers into
the snare. All that part of the business had been
left to his own discretion. As soon as he had secured
the amicable reception of himself and a few
others, the rest, dividing into two parties, left the
house, and, crossing the fence at some distance from
the gate, and on each side of it, advanced stealthily
toward it. Here they met, and having arranged
themselves for a sudden rush on the stack of arms,
an agreed signal was given by a negro who possessed
a faculty of mimicking the voices of all animals.

As soon as the light was extinguished, the
necessary number rushed forward to the object on
which their eyes had been fixed; seized the arms,
and, falling back, ranged themselves in a half circle
outside of the gate. Those who had been with the
soldiers, and who all wore concealed arms, closed
in behind them, and completely hemmed them in.
B—, in the mean time, who had his reasons for not
wishing to be seen, kept aloof; and, as soon as he
knew that the soldiers were secured, returned to the
house. There, too, he took care not to show himself;
and Arthur was advised that he should not, by
making his appearance, at all involve himself in
what had been done.