CHAPTER V.
MARCY'S RASH WISH.
"I know mighty well that Kelsey is trifling and lazy when he ain't gotnothing much to occupy his mind," said Beardsley, who was not slow tocatch the meaning of the frightened glances which mother and son soquickly exchanged, "but when he was working on my place and bossing myhands, I found him----"
"Are you in earnest in proposing him for my mother's overseer?" criedMarcy, as soon as he could speak. "Our fields can grow up to briarsfirst."
"But really, he wants work," began the colonel.
"Then let him go down to the Island and work in the trenches," repliedMarcy. "He can't come here."
"But Kelsey is the only support of his family," the colonel remarked."He is loyal to our cause, and would enlist in a minute if he had enoughahead to support his wife and children during his absence; but he hasn'tgot it."
"They will fare just as well without him as they do with him. If theyget hungry, my mother will no doubt feed them as she has done a hundredtimes before; but Kelsey can't come on this place to work. There isn'tmoney enough in the State to induce us to agree to that."
"But what you uns going to do for an overseer?" said Beardsley again."You'll need one if you intend to run the place."
"Not until the hands return from the Island," replied Marcy, "and then Ishall take hold myself."
Having done all they intended to do when they came there the visitorswere ready to leave, and Colonel Shelby gave the signal by arising fromhis chair and pulling his collar up about his ears.
"I still think, Mrs. Gray, that Marcy ought to take this money," saidhe. "The captain does not offer it to him as a gift but as his due."
"We perfectly understand the object he had in mind," answered the lady;whereupon the colonel opened his eyes and looked at her very hard. "Butif Marcy thinks he ought not to receive it I have nothing to say."
"I hope you will not regret it," said the colonel. "Some people seem tothink that we are about entering upon a long conflict, and that moneywill be a necessary thing to have after a while."
"But if you get hard up, which I hope you won't, don't forget that thisthousand dollars is all yourn, Marcy," exclaimed the captain.
Marcy assured him that he would bear it in mind. If Beardsley hoped tohear him declare that his mother had more money in the house than shewas likely to need, he was disappointed.
"And don't forget either, that if at any time you stand in need of suchassistance as the captain and I can give, you must not hesitate to sayso," continued the colonel, as he bowed to Mrs. Gray and followed Marcyto the door. "Our little settlement, I am sorry to say, is full of themeanest of traitors, and it may comfort you to know that there are a fewpersons in it to whom you can speak freely."
"We know that, and it certainly is a very great comfort to us," repliedMarcy, thinking of Aleck Webster. "It will take more than a thousanddollars to keep roofs over your heads if anything comes of this day'swork," was what he added to himself when he had seen the men ride out ofthe yard. "I saw through your little game from the first, and yet I wentand gave myself away. That was about the biggest piece of foolishness Iwas ever guilty of; but I suppose it was to be so. I was all in the darkbefore, but I know what I am going to do now."
In order that we may know whether or not Marcy's fears were wellfounded, let us ride with Beardsley and his companion long enough tooverhear a few words of their conversation. The moment they rode out ofthe gate, and were concealed from the house by the thick shrubbery andtrees that surrounded it, Beardsley threw back the collar of his coat,giving the cold rain and sleet a fair chance at him, and almost reeledin his saddle, so convulsed was he with the merriment that could nolonger be restrained.
"I done it, by gum!" he exclaimed, shaking his head and flourishing hisriding-whip in the air. "I done it, didn't I?"
"You did not purchase his good-will, if that is what you mean," answeredhis companion. "He wouldn't touch your gold. He knew why you offered itas well as I did, and I was satisfied from the start that you would notcatch him that way. He will put those Union men on you if you so much ascrook your finger."
"But I aint a-going to crook no fingers," said Beardsley, with a hoarselaugh. "Let him sick 'em on if he wants to, but he'd best watch out thatI don't get there first. Say, colonel, that there money is in the houseall right, just as we uns thought it was."
"How do you know?" exclaimed his companion. The colonel had not noticedthe frightened glances that Marcy and his mother exchanged when Kelsey'sname was mentioned, and he was surprised to hear Beardsley speak sopositively.
"Say!" answered the captain. "You aint forgot how you sent Kelsey up toMrs. Gray's, while I was at sea, to make some inquiries about the moneyshe was thought to have stowed away, have you? Well, Marcy and hismother aint forgot it nuther; and when I spoke Kelsey's name, and saidmebbe he would be a good one to take Hanson's place, Marcy jumped like Ihad stuck a pin in him."
"Well, what of it?"
"What of it? Marcy knowed in a minute that I wanted to have that mantook on the plantation for to snoop around of nights and find out allabout that money. But I aint a caring. I know the money is there, andthat's all I wanted to find out. The ways I have talked and schemed andplanned to make that there boy say that him and his maw had as much asthey wanted to tide them through the war that's coming, is just amazing,now that I think of it; but not a word could I get out of him. He wastoo smart to be ketched; but all on a sudden he gives out the secret aseasy as falling off a log. The money is there, I tell you."
"And you intend to get it, I suppose?" added the colonel. "Well, now,look here, Beardsley; don't say a word to me about it."
"All right, Colonel," said Beardsley, who could scarcely have beenhappier if he had had the whole of Mrs. Gray's thirty thousand dollarswhere he could put his hand upon it at any time he pleased. "I know whatyou mean by them words. Of course you are too big a man and too rich togo into business with me, but I know some who aint. I'll show them Graysthat they aint so great as they think for."
"Have you so soon forgotten what that letter said?" inquired thecolonel. "If anything happens to Marcy's mother or her property some ofus will be sure to suffer for it, unless you are sharp enough to lay theblame upon some one else."
"Say!" replied Beardsley, in a whisper. "That's what I'm thinking ofdoing. Your time's your own, I reckon, aint it? and you don't mind alittle mite of rain, do you? Then come with me and see how I am going towork it."
So saying the captain urged his horse into a lope, and Colonel Shelbyfollowed his example. After a while they turned into one of the narrowlanes that ran through Beardsley's cultivated fields to the woods thatlay behind them, galloped past Mrs. Brown's cheerless cabin, and at lastdrew rein before the door of one that was still more cheerless anddilapidated. It stood in one corner of a little patch of ground that hadbeen planted to corn and potatoes, and which had received such slightcare and attention of late years that the blackberry briars werebeginning to take possession of it. A small pack of lean and hungry coondogs greeted the visitors as they stopped in front of the cabin, andtheir yelping soon brought their master to the door. He was the samelazy Kelsey we once saw sitting on the front porch of Mrs. Gray's house,only his hair was longer, his whiskers more tangled and matted, and hisclothes worse for wear.
"Alight and hitch," was the way in which he welcomed Captain Beardsleyand his companion. "Git out, ye whelps!"
"Can't stop so long," replied the captain. "Been over to Mrs. Gray's tosee how my pilot was getting on, and tried to scare up a job for you atoverseering, in the place of that chap who was took off in the nighttime."
"I dunno's I am a-caring for a job of that sort," answered Kelsey. "I'vegot a sight of work of my own that had oughter be did."
"That's so," said Beardsley, glancing at the broken fences, the barewood-yard and the briars that were encroaching upon the borders of thelittle field. "But there's no ready money in your work, while there is asight of it up to the Grays."
> "I won't work for no sich," declared Kelsey. "They think too much oftheir niggers."
"They set a heap more store by them nor they do by such poor folks asyou be. But you needn't bother. They won't take you and give you achance to keep your head above water, and put a bite of grub into themouths of your family and a few duds on their backs. They allowed thatthey wouldn't have no such trifling hound as you on their place."
"Did Mrs. Gray use them words about me?" exclaimed Kelsey, growingexcited on the instant.
"I heard somebody say them very words, but I aint naming no names; nor Iaint been nowheres except up to Mrs. Gray's to-day. One of 'em allowedthat if you wasn't too doggone useless to live, you'd go and 'list onthe Island."
"I'm jest as good as they be," said the man, who by this time waslooking as though he felt very ugly.
"That's so. And some of 'em likewise said that a man who was too lazy tokeep a tight roof over his own head, when he could have nails and boardsby asking for 'em, wouldn't do no good as an overseer," added Beardsley,counting the holes in the top of the cabin through which the rafterscould be seen, and glancing at the stick chimney, which leaned away fromthe wall as if it were about to topple over. "But that aint what I comehere for, to carry tales about my neighbors. I want to say I'm glad tosee you doing so well, and that if you are needing a small side of meatand a little meal, you know where to get 'em."
"Sarvant, sah," replied Kelsey. "That there is more neighbor-like thandemeaning a man for a trifling hound because he is pore, and I'll bearit in mind, I bet you. As for my roof, it's a heap better'n the one themGrays will have to cover them in a week from now; you hear me? That bighouse of theirn will burn like a bresh-heap."
"Well, take care of yourself," answered the captain. "But if I'dsuspicioned you was going to fly mad about it, I wouldn't 'a' spoke aword to you."
"Kelsey will never carry out his threat," said Colonel Shelby, as thetwo rode away from the cabin. "He is too big a coward."
"I know that mighty well, but you can say that you heard him speak themvery words, can't you?"
Captain Beardsley was very lively and talkative after that, and plumedhimself on having done a neat stroke of work that would turn suspicionfrom himself, when the results of a certain other plan he had in hishead should become known in the settlement. But perhaps we shall seethat he forgot one very important thing. As to the colonel, although heapproved the work that was to be done, he had the profoundest contemptfor the man who could deliberately plan and carry it out. He had littleto say, and was glad when his horse brought him to a bridle-path thatwould take him away from Beardsley and toward his own home.
Meanwhile Marcy Gray was in a most uncomfortable frame of mind. When hesaw the visitors ride out of the gate, he closed the door and went backto his mother. "The captain never spoke of meeting you and Jack atCrooked Inlet," were the first words she uttered.
"Of course not," replied Marcy. "You did not expect him to, did you? ButI rather looked for him to give some reason for coming home, and to hearhim say that he would have no further occasion for my services; but hewas so disappointed because I would not take that hush-money----"
"O Marcy!" exclaimed his mother. "I was afraid that that was what themoney was intended for."
"That was just it, and how the colonel stared when you said youunderstood the object Beardsley had in view in offering it. Those menthink we can destroy their buildings or protect them, just as weplease."
"But, Marcy, we cannot do it."
"Let them keep on thinking so if they want to. And another reasonBeardsley didn't say all he meant to was because I was foolish enough togive him something else to think about. I was frightened when hementioned Kelsey's name, for I knew in an instant what he wanted the manon the place for, and I showed that I was frightened."
"So did I, Marcy," groaned Mrs. Gray. "So did I."
"Well, it can't be expected that a woman will be on the watch all thetime, but I ought to have had better sense. I gave Beardsley good reasonfor thinking that there is something on or about the place that we don'twant a stranger to know anything about, and of course he believes it ismoney. But don't you worry. We'll come out all right in the end."
So saying Marcy put on his coat and cap, kissed his mother, and left thehouse to tell one of the hands to put the saddle on his horse. At thedoor he met old Morris, who was just coming in with the mail. He saw ata glance that the darky was frightened.
"Marse Marcy, dere's going be great doings 'bout dis place," he began.
"Never mind. I can't stop to hear about it now, for I am in a hurry.Give those papers and letters to one of the girls, and let her carrythem in. I wouldn't have you go into my mother's presence with that faceof yours for anything. Say nothing to nobody, and I will see you againas I can go to the quarter and back."
From his earliest boyhood Marcy had always been glad to go among thefield hands when he was troubled, for they were so full of fun, and hadso many quaint and amusing things to say to him that gloomy thoughtscould not long keep his company in their presence; but it was not sothis time. He silenced all their laughter by the very first words hespoke to them. All the able-bodied men among them (and Marcy designatedthem by name) were to start for Plymouth before daylight the nextmorning, to work on the Confederate fortifications. Some of themrebelled at once, and declared that they wouldn't stir a step, butthought better of it when Marcy told them that, if they did not gowillingly, they would be marched down by a squad of soldiers, who wouldnot hesitate to help them along by a prod from a bayonet if they showedthe least disposition to lag behind. It took him longer to get throughwith this disagreeable duty than he thought it would, for the blackshung around him, and clung to his hands as though they never expected tosee him again; but it was accomplished at last, and then Marcy turnedabout, and rode back to the house to interview the coachman. He foundhim wandering disconsolately about among the horses, too dispirited towork. The two went out in the rain together, taking care to keep out ofsight of the sitting-room windows, and the faithful old darky astonishedthe white boy by describing, almost word for word, as we have told it,what had been said and done in Mrs. Brown's cabin that morning while TomAllison and Mark Goodwin were there. He said not a word until Morrisfinished his story, and then he inquired:
"Where did you hear all this?"
"Marse Beardsley's niggah gal, Nancy, was dar, and heared and seen itall wid her own eyes and ears," replied Morris. "She met me on de roadwhen I was coming home wid de mule and de mail, and done told me. Is data fac' 'bout de money, Marse Marcy?"
The boy did not in the least doubt the truthfulness of the story. Heknew that the girl Nancy looked out for Mrs. Brown's comfort in ashiftless sort of way; that long association with the old gossip hadmade her a tolerable gossip herself; and that, although she was oftensent to the overseer on account of it, she kept on talking just thesame. Besides, Nancy could not have known about the money unless she hadheard somebody speak of it. And Mark Goodwin was sure it was concealedin the cellar wall! That was the worst piece of news Marcy Gray had everlistened to. He stood for some minutes looking down at the ground indeep study, and then he seized the black man's arm and drew him closerto him. He gave him some rapid whispered instructions, old Morris nowand then nodding, as if to show that he understood them perfectly, andthen they shook hands, as two brothers might have done, and separated.
At daylight the next morning there was not a single able-bodied blackman to be seen on Mrs. Gray's plantation, if we except the few who foundemployment about the house, the working party having left hours before.Marcy saw them from his window as they marched out of the gate withtheir bundles on their backs, but he did not go down to speak to them.He had taken leave of them once, and had no desire to go through thesame ordeal again. He rode into Nashville that morning, as he did everyother morning for the next two weeks, but the only news he heard relatedto the fortifications at Roanoke Island, which grew in size and strengthevery day, and were to be held at all hazards. He thou
ght it strangethat he did not see Aleck Webster, but, of course, he dared not askafter him. He saw Allison, and Goodwin, and others of that stamp, whowent out of their way to profess friendship for him; but Marcy neverlingered long in their company until one day when they followed him tothe hitching-rack, after he had secured his mail, to warn him that hehad better have an eye on that man Kelsey, who meant harm to him.
"What does he think he has against me?" was the first question Marcyasked. "Doesn't he want me to feed him any more?"
"He doesn't want grub so much as he wants work," replied Goodwin. "Andyou wouldn't hire him to take Hanson's place."
"Hadn't we a right to say who shall work for us and who shall not?"demanded Marcy. "But we don't need anybody. I am going to act as mymother's overseer; that is, if I ever have any hands to oversee."
"But Kelsey doesn't like to be called a lazy, trifling hound; and youwouldn't like it either," said Allison.
"I never called him that. I simply said that I would let the fields growup to briars before I would have him on the place, and I say so yet. Lethim enlist, if he wants something to do."
"But he can't enlist. The doctors wouldn't pass him."
"Has he tried them?"
"What would be the use? Can't you see for yourself how he is bent almostdouble with rheumatism?"
"I can see how he bends over because he is too lazy to straighten up,but I never heard that he had rheumatism. What is he going to do tome?"
"He has threatened to burn you out."
"I expect to be burned out, but not by that man Kelsey. Now mind what Isay, you two. When that thing happens you will see some disappointed menand boys right here in this settlement, and our house will be in goodcompany when it burns. Good-morning."
"Hold on!" exclaimed Mark. "Don't go off mad. What do you mean?"
"I mean what I say," answered Marcy, who wanted to say more, but thoughtit would not be prudent. "And there is no need that I should enter intoexplanations with you and Tom Allison."
Marcy rode away, wondering if he had done wrong in letting those youngrebels see that he was so well posted. If he had made a mistake inspeaking so plainly it was too late to mourn over it now. He wished hemight have opportunity to exchange a few words with Aleck Webster, andsometimes, during the week that followed, he was strongly tempted toride by his house in the hope of seeing him there; but prudence alwaysinterposed in time to keep him from doing anything so rash. Then hewaited and hoped for a sign from some of the other members of the band;but, although he was sure that he met and spoke to them every day in thepost-office, they said no word to him that could not have been utteredin the presence of a third party, nor did they give him a chance tospeak to them in private. Marcy told himself that it was little short ofmaddening to live in this way to know that there were enemies all abouthim and not a single old-time friend of his family to whom he could gofor advice or comfort. The state of suspense he was in day and night washard to bear, and Marcy was almost ready to do some desperate deed tobring it to an end.
A few days more passed and once more Colonel Shelby and CaptainBeardsley came to visit the family. This was nothing unusual, for theyand others often came now to keep up an appearance of friendship, and toinquire if there was any way in which they could be of assistance toMrs. Gray. They stayed an hour, and when they went away, and Marcy andhis mother reviewed the conversation that had taken place during thevisit, to see if they had been entrapped into saying anything they oughtnot to have said, the only news they remembered to have heard was thatShelby and Beardsley, and some others whose names they mentioned, weregoing down to the Island to inspect the works, and see how their handswere getting along under their military overseers. They would probablybe gone three or four days, and if Marcy or his mother desired to send aword of remembrance to any faithful old servant, they should be pleasedto take it.
"I am getting heartily tired of visits of this sort," said Marcy. "Iwish they would keep away, and let us alone, for I don't care to talk tomen I have to watch all the time. I am afraid there is something back ofthese friendly calls."
There was something back of this one at any rate--something that wasvery like a tragedy; and the first act was performed that night a littleafter dark. Marcy was just rising from a late supper, when the sound ofhoofs was heard on the carriage-way, and Bose challenged with all hismight. When Marcy opened the door he saw the horseman bending down fromhis saddle, and waving his hand at the dog as if he were trying to quiethim. He was so far away that Marcy could not see who he was, althoughthe light from the hall lamp streamed brightly out into the darkness.When he heard the boy's step upon the porch the man straightened up, butdid not offer to come any nearer.
"What is wanted?" demanded Marcy.
"Does this yere road lead to Nashville?" asked a hoarse, gruff voicethat Marcy had never heard before.
"The one outside the gate leads to Nashville, but the one you are onleads up to this door," answered the boy, who, for some reason or other,began to feel uneasy.
"You aint overly civil to strangers in these parts, seems like," saidthe man. "I've been out lookin' for niggers to work on the forts, an'got lost, if it will do you any good to know it." And, with the words,he turned his horse about, and galloped out of the yard.
It was a very simple incident--one that was likely to happen at anytime--but all that evening Marcy could not get it out of his mind. Hecould not read, either, and did not want to talk, so he went to bed atan early hour; but before he did so, he made the rounds of the housewith a lighted lantern in his hand. Bose was in his usual place on therug in front of the door, and so fast asleep that he did not move whenhis master stepped over him, and the doors and windows in the lower partof the house, as well as those in the cellar, were closed and fastened,and, having satisfied himself on these points, Marcy bade his mothergood-night, and went to his room. But he did not close his door. He tookpains to leave it wide open, and called himself foolish for doing it.
"I am getting to be afraid of the dark," was what he thought, as heturned down his lamp and tumbled into bed. "There isn't a darky on theplantation who hates to have night come as bad as I do, and I don't knowthat there is anything surprising in it. If there is danger hanging overthis house, I wish it would drop, and have done with it."
Marcy went to sleep with this rash wish half formed in his mind.