University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER VIII.
LUCKY AJAX.

AFTER a while, when Ajax had consumed the meat, and fallen back again on to the crackers and cheese, with his fifth cup of coffee, Rod thought it worth while to ask more questions.

He found himself growing interested in the plight of the poor wretch, who had been made so supremely happy over a small thing like that meal.

"How did you and Yellow happen to escape?" he inquired.

"I done tell yuh how dat was, boss," Ajax responded, promptly, and with an air of confidence that impressed them very much, since it seemed to say that the fellow had come to look upon them as his friends; "dey done got me word in de camp de udder day dat my lil piccaninny, George, he was mighty sick. Dat boy am de apple ob my eye, an' I felt as how I'd jes' take any sorter chances tuh git tuh whar de ole woman an' de chillen was. An' like he knowed what was passing in my mind, dat Yaller, he tempt me tuh hit it up wid him. Since den he done inform me dat he on'y wanted me along 'case two might be harder tuh track dan one.

An' I kinder specks he done meant tuh sacrifice me, if in dat way he could shunt off de dawgs."

"You ran for it then, did you, boy, when a chance came?" asked Elmer.

Rod noticed that his chum always spoke to the other, who was at least middle-aged as "boy;" and he concluded that it was a common practice in the South, even negroes with white hair being addressed in that way.

"Yassah, dat's what we did; an' Yaller, he fix it so well we gits a good start afore dey smells a rat. So fo' three days now, we's been ahidin' out, now in de dark ob de woods, an' agin in de swamp, which ain't like de canebrake ob ole Alabama State. But I ain't no nearer seein' my lil George than afore I skipped out. It makes me right sad tuh think ob it, sah."

Rod looked at the others. Apparently he had conceived some sort of idea. He beckoned to Elmer, and then in turn to Josh, Hanky Panky and Rooster, all of whom gradually withdrew from the vicinity of the black man, and joined Rod close by.

"I c'n give a guess what you're agoin' to spring on us, old fellow," said Josh, in his customary breezy way, quick as a flash to read any one's mind; "and before you say one single word I want you to know that I'm for it, hoofs, hide and horns."

"And you can count on me helping out, Rod," added Hanky Panky.

"Ditto here, suh," Elmer said, gravely, but with his usual sunny smile.

"I don't know what's in the wind," Rooster went on, piteously; "but whatever it may be, I'm for it with my whole heart; because I know that anything Rod originates is just bound to be all right."

All this made Rod very happy. He knew that those boys had hearts of gold; and no appeal for help, would find them shut.

"Thank you, fellows," he went on to say; "it's just this way, Rooster -- here we are, with everything we want in the wide world, and plenty to satisfy our appetites whenever we just feel like eating. And here's this black man, without one single friend in the wide world, seems like to him just now. He's learned that his little boy is sick, and he wants to get to see him the worst kind; but his time isn't up, and in his desperation he links his fortunes with those of a bad scoundrel who tempts him, and they take French leave of the convict camp. Now, we've fed and sheltered him, and perhaps by going back on his tracks he may escape those dogs and men. The question is, shall we go even further, and help him escape?"

The boys looked at each other. They wondered whether they would be doing a grave wrong in assisting a convict to get away. Under many circumstances it would certainly be a mistake; but somehow they felt that Ajax ought to be helped. If

his story were true, it would never come back to them that they had done wrong in assisting the poor fellow to get to where his wife and family were.

"All of you who are ready to help, raise your hands," asked Rod.

At once every one of the five quickly had a right hand elevated; it looked as though they could hardly get it in evidence fast enough.

"Well, that settles it for once and all," commented Rod; "whether it's right or wrong, we're going to help Ajax on his way, if he can show us any proof that the story he tells us is true. I've got an old sweater I'll let him have; Josh, you might contribute that pair of khaki trousers you fetched along, but have never had on; and Hanky Panky, how about those sneaker shoes you complained of being a mile too big for you; they would fit his bare feet, I take it?"

"Only too glad to help out, and get rid of the old things," observed Hanky.

"And if he should happen to be caught, we can fix it so that Ajax'll say he took the things out of our camp when we were looking the other way," announced Josh.

And so they came back to where the convict still sat, just finishing the last drop of coffee the pot contained, the like of which he had possibly never tasted before in all his life.

"See here, Ajax," said Rod, without any prelude, "we mean to help you still more, but think it only right that you should show us something to prove that your story is true. How did you hear about your little child being sick? Can you show us anything that would go to prove it?"

At that the other nodded his head eagerly, and grinned.

"'Deed, an' dat's jes' what I kin do, sah, sho's yuh bo'n," he said, as he started to thrust a hand into the ragged garments with which he was clad, and which, faded as they were, still bore the degrading stripes that stamped the bearer a convict.

"I heerd de sad news when Willie Sharps he done kim tuh de camp. My wife she tells him tuh find me, an' let me know dat she jest 'bout agwine back ober de state line tuh ole Alabama agin, whar we belongs, she done got enuff ob Tennessee, she say. An' he slips dis lil paper intuh mah hand. I ain't a dreffle peart reader, sah, but I done able tuh make out what it say."

He handed Rod the soiled slip which had been carried for days, and doubtless read many times. Indeed, the boy was not sure but what some of the discolorations he noticed on the paper had been made by the scalding tears shed by the poor convict when he realized again and again that there was a mighty slim chance of his ever seeing his. "lil George" alive again.

The writing, which was almost illegible by now, ran as follows:

"Lil George he done be rite sick. He keeps acallin fo yu so mutch. Ise ahopin yu gits out in tim to see him afore he go. Dats al I knoes. Liza."

Rod passed it around until every one of them had read those pitiful words.

"We believe you've been telling us the truth, Ajax," he went on to say, as he handed the slip of precious paper back, and watched the other fold it with trembling hands, and store it safely away again; "and now listen to what I want to say to you."

"Yassah! yuh done be mighty kind tuh de ole man, an' I ain't agwine tuh furgit it, neither. Ebery time I kneels down I mean tuh bress de good Lawd fo' sendin' me sich fine friends in my time ob need. If de shiny ang'ls done come down outen de hebens dey couldn't ahelped me any moah dan you has. 'Deed an' 'deed I'se suah grateful, fo' it, sah."

"Now, we're going to place these things right here," continued Rod; "you'll find an old sweater, a pair of trousers, and some shoes that you can wear. When we look the other way you must grab them up, and then scoot. We'll pretend to chase after you, but don't be afraid, for we won't try to capture you. In the pockets of the trousers you might happen to find a little cash, too.

Keep it, Ajax, as a present from us all, And we hope you'll be able to get across the state line, and find things all well. And when you look into the face of 'lil George' just remember that five boys from the North felt sorry for you. That's all, Ajax."

The man looked as though he could hardly believe his ears. He seized Rod's hand that happened to be closest, and kissed it passionately, until the embarrassed boy snatched it away.

"Here, none of that, Ajax!" he exclaimed, as though really offended. "But if you feel like it, perhaps you might shake hands all around. And while you're about it, give me an address where a letter would reach you later. Some time we would like to know whether you really did get safely through, and how you found 'lil George.'"

Ajax hastened to tell where a letter would find him, or his wife at least. Then he started to squeeze a hand of each of them. Meanwhile Rooster had been busily at work making up a small package of food, which he also thrust into a pocket of the khaki trousers that were to be donated to charity.

Somehow the boys felt a peculiar delight in thus helping a poor unfortunate who may have transgressed the law, yet was no ordinary offender; and who had doubtless learned a lesson he would never forget.

Perhaps, too, they could not get the ugly face of

that cross-grained guard wholly out of mind; and there was something akin to satisfaction in thinking how, if their friendly plans turned out all right, he would never again have a chance to let one wretched prisoner feel the weight of his fist when angered.

"Now, we're going to be looking the other way, Ajax; and we'll count a hundred only, so be spry about it, you hear."

"Yassah, yassah, suah I does!" ejaculated the other, as he scrambled to his feet eagerly, rubbing his eyes as though trying to make sure that he was awake, and not lying under a rude shelter in the convict camp, dreaming.

So Rod began counting out loud, as he and his chums stood there with their backs turned. He knew that Rooster and Hanky Panky, perhaps Josh as well, insisted on peeping; but neither Rod nor Elmer would descend to this, and not until the whole hundred had been reeled off would either of them turn.

When they did, of course Ajax was gone, as was also the little heap of clothes.

"Hey! he's hooked a lot of our duds!" exclaimed Hanky Panky, doubtless thinking he ought to make out to be dreadfully surprised.

"After him, fellows!" called Josh.

They made a little bluff of trying to beat the bushes in search of the fugitive convict, but of

course had to give it up, and return to the vicinity of the fire, chuckling among themselves.

"I only hope," said Rod, when they sat down again, and Elmer prepared to repeat his story to the other three chums who were gathering around him; "that the poor chap gets clear, and crosses over into Alabama again, that's all. He may have been deceiving us, but I don't think so, for he was a simple darky; and I guess that letter was genuine. Anyhow, we did what we thought was right; but we want to keep mighty quiet about it, or we're apt to get in trouble."