Roebuck: a novel

Page 97

) 18·1 ROEBUCK. "\V ell, Joe, ,vhaL do you think about this insurrec­tion 7" ' Lorcl, n1::t tor, da w·on't be no rcsurr ction of nig­ger , snrc ?'' ' I \Vi~h to talk \vith 01nc of the other boys abont l• uI . " "Dey ,vj11 be 1nighty glad, 111a. tcr." . The colonel \vent atnong th m, an<.l convcr.~ca w1th rnany of thcn1, separately and toO'cthcr. Being Lllo­ronO'hly acquainted with their habits, he \vas able to gle~~l from them all they knew or ~cliev a, antl to .de­tenninc ·wh:-tt wa true. Indeed lu servant~, havlllg confidence in his justice, seldotn atte1nptcd to dccei vc hitn unless it 1night be by that ~·ort of cxago-crntion ' . \Vhich a negro regards as but a decent clrcsl) oinnkccl truth. lie beca1ne convinced that there \vas no danger of an insurrection. lie pron1iBed his servants the protection \vhich they desircu, and aclrnonishccl then1 to keep clo 'ely to their \vork in day-tin1c, :111tl to their cabin a.t night. At the church, that day, he heard of popnl:-tr cxcite­Jncnt and of preparations 'vhich thrca.tcned violence to the negroes. lie exerted all his influence 'viLh the peoplo \Vhotn he rnet, to allay the cxcit.01nent, and to discourao·c ra h action. When he returned home, v ' his anxiety on the subject 'vas so great that, after dinner, he rode out in search of the persons who \vcre reported to be engaged in the lawlc::5~ organiz:t­tion for the supprcs~ion of in~urrection. lie had not gone far fi·on1 h01ne, \vhcn he Hlct hulf a dozen 1ncn ou horseback, armc(l 'vith fowling-picceB anll pi~tol~. lie knc'v thc1n to be ignorant pcr::5ons oC inflamn1ablo tempers, and they 'vcre 1nanifestly under great ex­citement. One of the1n, 'vho sceinctl to l>c a ring- ROEBUCK. 185 Je~der ·was onr a.cqnaintanr , Bob FariR, who hafl not yet exccutc<l hi~ pnrpo~c t cnt r the army an<l fip;h t for t l1o pri n ci pl ~ of fro g overn men L. On Jnc ting Colonel Ji~:tirf:l.r th y a<1tlrc.·He<l hitn cirilly, tlto11gh abrnpLly. They nskec1 \vhat stepR he hncl tnk en to prevent his .ncgrocs f'ro1n joining in the projcetcc1 in ~ snrrection. lie told thent that he <lid not hclicvo there wa. any . nch plot, and that, having 110 i(:ar or his servanttt, he had <.1 n nothing bn t ad \'isc th m to rC~mnin q nict at hon1 , until the agitation , ·hould sub­sido. They angTily r bukecl his negligence, an­nounced them~cl vcs as a volunteer patrol for the rcg·n­lation of ncon Toes and abolitioni. ·t~, informed him that they hnd conclusive prooJ;.; of a \Vi<1c-FqH· n,<l con-spiracy, \vi th Y a.n kcc I ad0rs ~1nd final! y <1 clared tlwy were goin ,o· to cxmnine his . hv ~, and arr .RL all of them wh01n th y 1niO'ht find to be :-tceomplicc~;. h ITe remon~Lrated, and r :1~ nc<l \vi lh thctn 11pon the impropriety of their con<lttcL, th folly of th eir fearH, nnd the mi Hchi 1~_, th y 'v re about to canse. Ile acl­vised them to a.bn.n<1on th ir lawlcB. organ izfl.ti n, and flppeal to the Inagistra.tcs iu due forn1. Their n1i n ch were too highly inllan1ccl to liHten to rca. on, and in the f:lCe of such in1n1incnt and horrible dn.ngrr nR they fancied, they wonld not await the .low operation of law. Tic then ofl'erecl to p1c<1ge him. elf ~ r the ~ood Leha.vior of l1i~ . 'n·nnlR, and be.:ought the patrol 11ot to 1nolcst his f~unily and dcpcn<1ents with their inquisition. Th y pro!'es~ \d r e:4pcct fo r hin1 :llld his f:unily, unt lllHiHl cl thaL he W:l.' clcltH1ing him­self with n1ispl:wccl r 1 iance on the fide] ity of hit1 slaves, and they felt bound to proceed. "Th n, g n­tlemen," he R:-ti(1, firmly, "let 1ne 'varn you that Y tl will en conn ter resistance. I \vill protect 1ny scrvau ts.