Harriet Beecher Stowe : Three Novels (15 page)

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Authors: Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Page 87
dog closes on a piece of meat, and seemed to be digesting the idea at his leisure.
"Ye see," said Marks to Haley, stirring his punch as he did so, "ye see, we has justices convenient at all p'ints along shore, that does up any little jobs in our line quite reasonable. Tom, he does the knockin' down and that ar; and I come in all dressed upshining bootseverything first chop, when the swearin' 's to be done. You oughter see, now," said Marks, in a glow of professional pride, "how I can tone it off. One day, I 'm Mr. Twickem, from New Orleans; 'nother day, I 'm just come from my plantation on Pearl river, where I works seven hundred niggers; then, again, I come out a distant relation of Henry Clay, or some old cock in Kentuck. Talents is different, you know. Now, Tom 's a roarer when there 's any thumping or fighting to be done; but at lying he an't good, Tom an't,ye see it don't come natural to him; but, Lord, if thar 's a feller in the country that can swear to anything and everything, and put in all the circumstances and flourishes with a longer face, and carry 't through better 'n I can, why, I 'd like to see him, that 's all! I b'lieve my heart, I could get along and snake through, even if justices were more particular than they is. Sometimes I rather wish they was more particular; 't would be a heap more relishin' if they was,more fun, yer know."
Tom Loker, who, as we have made it appear, was a man of slow thoughts and movements, here interrupted Marks by bringing his heavy fist down on the table, so as to make all ring again.
"It 'll do!"
he said.
"Lord bless ye, Tom, ye need n't break all the glasses!" said Marks; "save your fist for time o' need."
"But, gentlemen, an't I to come in for a share of the profits?" said Haley.
"An't it enough we catch the boy for ye?" said Loker. "What do ye want?"
"Wal," said Haley, "if I gives you the job, it 's worth something,say ten per cent. on the profits, expenses paid."
"Now," said Loker, with a tremendous oath, and striking the table with his heavy fist, "don't I know
you,
Dan Haley? Don't you think to come it over me! Suppose Marks and I have taken up the catchin' trade, jest to 'commodate gentle-

 

Page 88
men like you, and get nothin' for ourselves?Not by a long chalk! we 'll have the gal out and out, and you keep quiet, or, ye see, we 'll have both,what 's to hinder? Han't you show'd us the game? It 's as free to us as you, I hope. If you or Shelby wants to chase us, look where the partridges was last year; if you find them or us, you 're quite welcome."
"O, wal, certainly, jest let it go at that," said Haley, alarmed; "you catch the boy for the job;you allers did trade
far
with me, Tom, and was up to yer word."
"Ye know that," said Tom; "I don't pretend none of your snivelling ways, but I won't lie in my 'counts with the devil himself. What I ses I 'll do, I will do,you know
that,
Dan Haley."
"Jes so, jes so,I said so, Tom," said Haley; "and if you 'd only promise to have the boy for me in a week, at any point you 'll name, that 's all I want."
"But it an't all I want, by a long jump," said Tom. "Ye don't think I did business with you, down in Natchez, for nothing, Haley; I 've learned to hold an eel, when I catch him. You 've got to fork over fifty dollars, flat down, or this child don't start a peg. I know yer."
"Why, when you have a job in hand that may bring a clean profit of somewhere about a thousand or sixteen hundred, why, Tom, you 're onreasonable," said Haley.
"Yes, and has n't we business booked for five weeks to come,all we can do? And suppose we leaves all, and goes to bushwhacking round arter yer young un, and finally does n't catch the gal,and gals allers is the devil
to
catch,what 's then? would you pay us a centwould you? I think I see you a doin' itugh! No, no; flap down your fifty. If we get the job, and it pays, I 'll hand it back; if we don't, it 's for our trouble,that 's
far,
an't it, Marks?"
"Certainly, certainly," said Marks, with a conciliatory tone; "it 's only a retaining fee, you see,he! he! he!we lawyers, you know. Wal, we must all keep good-natured,keep easy, yer know. Tom 'll have the boy for yer, anywhere ye 'll name; won't ye, Tom?"
"If I find the young un, I 'll bring him on to Cincinnati, and leave him at Granny Belcher's, on the landing," said Loker.
Marks had got from his pocket a greasy pocket-book, and

 

Page 89
taking a long paper from thence, he sat down, and fixing his keen black eyes on it, began mumbling over its contents: "BarnesShelby Countyboy Jim, three hundred dollars for him, dead or alive.
"EdwardsDick and Lucyman and wife, six hundred dollars; wench Polly and two childrensix hundred for her or her head.
"I 'm jest a runnin' over our business, to see if we can take up this yer handily. Loker," he said, after a pause, "we must set Adams and Springer on the track of these yer; they 've been booked some time."
"They 'll charge too much," said Tom.
"I 'll manage that ar; they 's young in the business, and must spect to work cheap," said Marks, as he continued to read. "Ther 's three on 'em easy cases, 'cause all you 've got to do is to shoot 'em, or swear they is shot; they could n't, of course, charge much for that. Them other cases," he said, folding the paper, "will bear puttin' off a spell. So now let 's come to the particulars. Now, Mr. Haley, you saw this yer gal when she landed?"
"To be sure,plain as I see you."
"And a man helpin' on her up the bank?" said Loker.
"To be sure, I did."
"Most likely," said Marks, "she 's took in somewhere; but where, 's a question. Tom, what do you say?"
"We must cross the river to-night, no mistake," said Tom.
"But there 's no boat about," said Marks. "The ice is running awfully, Tom; an't it dangerous?"
"Don'no nothing 'bout that,only it 's got to be done," said Tom, decidedly.
"Dear me," said Marks, fidgeting, "it 'll beI say," he said, walking to the window, "it 's dark as a wolf's mouth, and, Tom"
"The long and short is, you 're scared, Marks; but I can't help that,you 've got to go. Suppose you want to lie by a day or two, till the gal 's been carried on the underground line up to Sandusky or so, before you start."
"O, no; I an't a grain afraid," said Marks, "only"
"Only what?" said Tom.
"Well, about the boat. Yer see there an't any boat."

 

Page 90
"I heard the woman say there was one coming along this evening, and that a man was going to cross in it. Neck or nothing, we must go with him," said Tom.
"I s'pose you 've got good dogs," said Haley.
"First rate," said Marks. "But what 's the use? you han't got nothin' o' hers to smell on."
"Yes, I have," said Haley, triumphantly. "Here 's her shawl she left on the bed in her hurry; she left her bonnet, too."
"That ar 's lucky," said Loker; "fork over."
"Though the dogs might damage the gal, if they come on her unawars," said Haley.
"That ar 's a consideration," said Marks. "Our dogs tore a feller half to pieces, once, down in Mobile, 'fore we could get 'em off."
"Well, ye see, for this sort that 's to be sold for their looks, that ar won't answer, ye see," said Haley.
"I do see," said Marks. "Besides, if she 's got took in, 'tan't no go, neither. Dogs is no 'count in these yer up states where these critters gets carried; of course, ye can't get on their track. They only does down in plantations, where niggers, when they runs, has to do their own running, and don't get no help."
"Well," said Loker, who had just stepped out to the bar to make some inquiries, "they say the man 's come with the boat; so, Marks"
That worthy cast a rueful look at the comfortable quarters he was leaving, but slowly rose to obey. After exchanging a few words of further arrangement, Haley, with visible reluctance, handed over the fifty dollars to Tom, and the worthy trio separated for the night.
If any of our refined and Christian readers object to the society into which this scene introduces them, let us beg them to begin and conquer their prejudices in time. The catching business, we beg to remind them, is rising to the dignity of a lawful and patriotic profession. If all the broad land between the Mississippi and the Pacific becomes one great market for bodies and souls, and human property retains the locomotive tendencies of this nineteenth century, the trader and catcher may yet be among our aristocracy.

 

Page 91
While this scene was going on at the tavern, Sam and Andy, in a state of high felicitation, pursued their way home.
Sam was in the highest possible feather, and expressed his exultation by all sorts of supernatural howls and ejaculations, by divers odd motions and contortions of his whole system. Sometimes he would sit backward, with his face to the horse's tail and sides, and then, with a whoop and a somerset, come right side up in his place again, and, drawing on a grave face, begin to lecture Andy in high-sounding tones for laughing and playing the fool. Anon, slapping his sides with his arms, he would burst forth in peals of laughter, that made the old woods ring as they passed. With all these evolutions, he contrived to keep the horses up to the top of their speed, until, between ten and eleven, their heels resounded on the gravel at the end of the balcony. Mrs. Shelby flew to the railings.
"Is that you, Sam? Where are they?"
"Mas 'r Haley's a-restin' at the tavern; he 's drefful fatigued, Missis."
"And Eliza, Sam?"
"Wal, she 's clar 'cross Jordan. As a body may say, in the land o' Canaan."
"Why, Sam, what
do
you mean?" said Mrs. Shelby, breathless, and almost faint, as the possible meaning of these words came over her.
"Wal, Missis, de Lord he persarves his own. Lizy 's done gone over the river into 'Hio, as 'markably as if de Lord took her over in a charrit of fire and two hosses."
Sam's vein of piety was always uncommonly fervent in his mistress' presence; and he made great capital of scriptural figures and images.
"Come up here, Sam," said Mr. Shelby, who had followed on to the verandah, "and tell your mistress what she wants. Come, come, Emily," said he, passing his arm round her, "you are cold and all in a shiver; you allow yourself to feel too much."
"Feel too much! Am not I a woman,a mother? Are we not both responsible to God for this poor girl? My God! lay not this sin to our charge."
"What sin, Emily? You see yourself that we have only done what we were obliged to."

 

Page 92
"There 's an awful feeling of guilt about it, though," said Mrs. Shelby. "I can't reason it away."
"Here, Andy, you nigger, be alive!" called Sam, under the verandah; "take these yer hosses to der barn; don't ye hear Mas'r a callin'?" and Sam soon appeared, palm-leaf in hand, at the parlor door.
"Now, Sam, tell us distinctly how the matter was," said Mr. Shelby. "Where is Eliza, if you know?"
"Wal, Mas'r, I saw her, with my own eyes, a crossin' on the floatin' ice. She crossed most 'markably; it was n't no less nor a miracle; and I saw a man help her up the 'Hio side, and then she was lost in the dusk."
"Sam, I think this rather apocryphal,this miracle. Crossing on floating ice is n't so easily done," said Mr. Shelby.
"Easy! could n't nobody a done it, widout de Lord. Why, now," said Sam, "'t was jist dis yer way. Mas'r Haley, and me, and Andy, we comes up to de little tavern by the river, and I rides a leetle ahead,(I 's so zealous to be a cotchin' Lizy, that I could n't hold in, no way),and when I comes by the tavern winder, sure enough there she was, right in plain sight, and dey diggin' on behind. Wal, I loses off my hat, and sings out nuff to raise the dead. Course Lizy she hars, and she dodges back, when Mas'r Haley he goes past the door; and then, I tell ye, she clared out de side door; she went down de river bank;Mas'r Haley he seed her, and yelled out, and him, and me, and Andy, we took arter. Down she come to the river, and thar was the current running ten feet wide by the shore, and over t' other side ice a sawin' and a jiggling up and down, kinder as 't were a great island. We come right behind her, and I thought my soul he 'd got her sure enough,when she gin sich a screech as I never hearn, and thar she was, clar over t' other side the current, on the ice, and then on she went, a screeching and a jumpin',the ice went crack! c'wallop! cracking! chunk! and she a boundin' like a buck! Lord, the spring that ar gal 's got in her an't common, I'm o' 'pinion."
Mrs. Shelby sat perfectly silent, pale with excitement, while Sam told his story.
"God be praised, she is n't dead!" she said; "but where is the poor child now?"

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