TheClansman 10096951 PDF

T HE C L A N S M A N
AN H I S T O RI C A L RO M A NC E
OF T HE KU K L UX KLAN
T H OM A S D IXON , J R .
I L L US T RA T E D BY
A RTH UR I . KE L L E R
NE W Y OR K
D O UB L E D AY , PA G E C O M PA NY
I 90 5
C o p y rig h t , 1 90 5
By T HOM A S DIXON , JR
.
T O T HE ME MORY OF
A S COT C H I R I S H L E A DE R
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OF T HE SOUT H
m
inds , ! inland I mp wai ter
G R A ND T I T A N OF T HE I NVI I B S LE E MP I R E
KU K LUX K LA N
TO THE READ E R
TH E C LANS M AN is the second bo ok of a series of

“
hi storical no vels planned o n the Race Conflict The.
Leopard s Spots was the statement i n historical outl ine

’
of the conditio ns from the enfranchisement o f the Negro

to his d isfranch ise m e nt .
“ ”
The Clansman develo ps the true story of the K u
”
Klux Klan Consp iracy which o vert urned the Recon
,
struction r egime .
The o rgan is at ion was go verned by the Gran d Wi z ard

Commander in Chief who lived at Memphis Tennessee
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, , .
The Grand Dragon commanded a State the Grand ,
Titan a C o ngressional District the Grand Giant a

,
County and th e Grand Cycl ops a Township Den The

,
.
twel ve volum es o f Government repo rts o n the famous

K l an refer chiefly to e vents which occurred after 1 870 ,
the date o f its dissolution .
The chaos of blind passion that followed Linco l n s ’
assassination is inconcei v able to day The Re volution

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.
it produced in our Government an d the bold attempt

,
o f Thaddeus Ste vens to African i se ten great st ates

“
of the American Union read now like tales from The
,
”
Arabian Nights .
I have sought t o preserve in this romance bo th the

lette r and the spirit of this remarkab l e period The .
men wh o enact the drama o f fierce re v enge into which

T O THE READ E R
TH E C LAN S MAN is the second book o f a ser ies of

“
histori cal novels planned o n the Race Conflict The .
Le opard s Spo ts w as the statement in historical outline

’
of the conditions from the enfranchisement of the Negro

to hi s d isfranchi sement .
“ ”
The C l ansman d evelops the true story of the K u
”
Klux Klan Consp i racy which o verturned the Recon
,
struction r egime .
The organ is ation was go verned by the Grand Wi zard

Commander in Chief who l i ved at Memphis Tennessee
- -
, , .
The Grand Dragon commanded a State the Grand ,
Titan a Congressi onal D istrict the Grand Giant a

,
County and th e Grand Cycl ops a Town ship Den The

, .
twelve volumes of Government repo rts o n the famous

Klan refer chiefly to e vents which occurred after 1 870 ,
the date of its d i sso l ution .
The chaos of blind passion that followed Linco l n s ’
assassination is inconcei v able to d ay The Re volution

-
.
it produced in o ur Government an d the bold attempt

,
o f Thaddeus Ste vens to African i se ten great states

“
o f the Ameri can Union read now like tales from The
,
”
Arabian Nights .
I have sought t o pres e rv e i n thi s romance bo th the

letter an d the spirit of this remarkab l e period The .
men who enact the drama o f fierce re v enge into which

To th e R e a de r
I have woven a double love story are h i sto ri cal figu res
-
.
I have merely changed their names w ithout taki ng a

lib e rty w i th any essential h i sto ric fact .
In the darkest hour o f the life o f the South when he r ,
wounded people lay helpless amid rags and ashes und e r

the beak and tal o n o f the Vulture su d denly from the ,
m ists o f the mountains appeared a whi te cl o ud the si ze

’
o f a man s hand . It grew until i ts mantle of mystery
“
enfolded the stri cken earth and sky An Invi sibl e .
”
Empir e had ri sen from the fi eld o f D e ath an d challenged
the V isi ble to m ortal c o mbat .
Ho w the yo ung South led by the r e incarnat e d s o uls o f

,
the Clansmen o f O ld Scotland went fo rth under this ,
cove r and agai nst o v erwhelm ing odds darin g exile im , ,
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pri sonm e nt and a felon s d e ath and saved the life o f a
, ,
peopl e fo rms one of the m o st dramati c chapte rs i n the

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hi st o ry of the Aryan race .
TH OM AS D I XON j r , .
DIXOND AL E Va D e c e mb e r 1 4 1 904
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C ONT E NT S
B OOK I
THE ASSAS SINATI ON

CH A P TE R P A GE
The Bruised Reed

The Great Heart
The Man of War
A Cl ash of Giants
The Battl e of Lo ve.
The Assassination
The Frenzy of a Nation
B OOK I I
THE REVOLUTI O N
CH A P TE R P A GE
The F irst Lad y of the Land

Sweetheart s
The J oy of Living
Hidden Treasure
Across the Chasm
The Gauge of Ba ttl e
A Woman Laughs
A Dream
The K ing Amuses Himself
Tossed by the Storm
The Supreme Test
Tr iumph in Defeat
C o n t e nt s
B OOK I II
THE REIGN O F T ERR OR

CH A P TE R P AGE
A Fall en Slavehol der s M ansi on

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The Eyes of the Jungle

Augustus Caesar
At the Po i nt o f the Bayonet
Forty Acres and a Mule
A Whisper i n the Crowd
By the Light o f a Torch
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The R i ot i n the Master s Hall
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At Lo ver s L e ap
A Night Hawk
The Beat o f a Sparrow 3 Wi ng
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At the Dawn o f Day
B OOK I V
THE K U K LUX K LAN

CH A P TE R t‘
A GB
The Hunt for the Animal

The Fi ery Cross
The Part n o f the Ways
The Banner of the Dragon
The Reign o f the Klan
The Counter Stroke
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The Sn are of the Fowler

A Ride for a Life
“
Vengeance i s Mine
LEADING CHARACTERS O F THE ST O RY
S c en e : Washington and the Foot Hill s o f the Carolinas

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Tim e: 1 86 5 to 1 870
.
BE N C AM ER O N Grand Dragon o f the K u Klux Kl an

M A R G ARE T His Sister
M RS CAM ER O N
. His Mother
DR R I C H A RD C A M ER ON
. His Father
HON AU S TIN S T ON E M A N
. Ra dical Le ader of Congress
PH IL His S o n
E LS IE His Daughter
MA RI O N L E N OIR ’
Ben s First Lo ve
MRS L E N OIR . Her Mother
JAK E A Faithfu l Man
S IL A s L Y N C H A Negro Missionary
UN C L E AL EC K The Member from Ulste r
C IND Y His Wife
COL HO WL E . A Carpet bagger -
AU G U S T U S C AE S A R O f the B l ack Guard

CH A RL E S S U MN E R O f Massachuse tts
G E N B EN J AMIN F B UTL E R
. . O f Fort Fisher
ANDR E W JO H N S O N The President
U S G R ANT
. . Th e Comman ding Ge neral
ABRAH AM LIN C O LN The Friend o f th e South
THE C L ANSM AN
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Bo o k I Th e A ssassin atio n
CHAP TER I
TH E B RUI S E D R EE D
HE fa ir g irl who was pl ayi ng a banjo and si ng i ng

to the wounded soldiers suddenly stoppe d and , ,
turn ing to the surgeon whi sp e red ,
’ ”
What s that ?
It sounds l i ke a mob
With a common impu l se they m oved to th e o pen windo w
o f the hospital and l istened .
O n the soft spri ng air came the ro ar of excite d thou s an ds

S weep ing d o wn the avenue from the Cap itol toward the
White House Ab ove all rang the cri es of struggl i ng
.
“
newsboys screaming an Extra On e of them darte d .
around the corner hi s shril l vo i c e qu iveri ng wi th e xci te

,
me nt :
“
E xtra! E xtra ! P eac e! Victory !
Wi n do ws were s uddenly rai sed wo men thr u s t thei r ,
he a ds o ut and o the rs rushe d int o the street an d crowde d

,
aro un d the b o y stru ggl ing t o g e t hi s pap e rs H e thre w

, .
the m right an d left and snatched the money—n o one asked

for change Witho ut ceasing rose hi s cry :
.
3
4 Th e C la n s m a n
E xtra! P eac e! Victory ! L ee has surren dered!
At last the en d h ad c o m e .
The gre at N o rth wi th i ts m ill io n s of s tu rd y peo pl e

,
an d th ei r exhau s tl ess re so ur c es had gre e te d the fi rst

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sho t o n Sumter wi th c o ntempt an d i ncre d ul ity A f ew .
’
re g iment s we nt fo rward fo r a month s o ut ing t o se ttl e
the tro ubl e Th e Th irtee nth Brooklyn marche d gayly
.
S o uthw ar d o n a thi rty day s jaunt with p i eces o f ro p e

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,
c o n s p i cu o usly t ied t o thei r muskets wi th whi ch t o

br ing back each man a So uth e rn pri s o ner to be l ed i n
a n oo s e thr o ugh the stree ts on thei r early tri umphant
re turn ! It wo uld b e unki nd to t ell what b e cam e o f
th o se ro pes whe n the y su d denly started back ho me
ahe ad o f the sched ule d ti me fro m the first battl e o f
Bull Run .
Peo pl e from the So uth equally Wise marched gayly

, ,
No rth to Whi p fi ve Yankee s e ach b e fo re breakfas t an d

, ,
e nc o unte red unfo res een d i fficulties .
B o th s i de s had th i ngs to learn an d learn e d the m i n a,
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s chool who se l og i c is fi n al a fo ur years course in the ’
Un ive rs ity o f Hell —the scre am o f eagl e s the ho wl of ,
, ,
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wol ves the bay of tige rs the roar o f l io n s all l o cked
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i n Death s embrace an d e ach ma d scen e l it by the
,
glare o f volcan oes of savage pas sio n s !

But th e l o ng agony was over .
The c i ty b ell s be gan to ri ng The gu ns o f th e fo rts.
j oin ed th e c h o rus an d the i r dee p stee l thr o ats ro ar ed u ntil

,
the earth tre mbl ed .
J ust acro ss th e stree t a m o the r who was re a di ng the

fate ful news turned and suddenly clasped a b o y to he r
Th e B i
ru s e d Re e d 5
heart cryin g fo r joy The last draft o f half a mill i on had

,
.
cal led for him .
Th e Cap i tal o f the Nation was sha king off the l o ng

nightmare o f horro r and suspense More than o nce the .
city had shivere d at the mercy o f those dari ng men in

gray and the reveille o f thei r drums had startled eve n th e
,
President at his desk .
Again and again had the destiny of the Republic hung

on the turn i ng of a h air and in every crisis Luck Fate
, , , ,
Go d had t i pped the scal e for the Un i on

, .
A procession o f more than five hundre d Confederate

deserters who had crossed the l i nes i n groups swung i nto
, ,
vi ew marchi ng p as t the hosp ital in difle re n t to the

, ,
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tumult O nl y a nomi nal guard flanked them as they

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shu ffled al ong ti red ragged and d irty The gray in

, , , .
their uniforms w as now the c olour o f c l ay So me had o n .
blue pantal oons some blue v ests others blue coats

, ,
captured on the field of blood Some had p i ece s o f .
carpe t and others old bags around their S houlders

, .
They had been passing thus for weeks Nobody paid any .
attention to them .
”
O ne of the secrets o f the surrender ! exclai med Doctor
Barnes Mr Lincoln h as been at the front for the
. .
p ast wee ks with o ffers of pe ace and mercy if they woul d ,
l ay down their arms The great soul of the President

.
,
e ven the genius o f Lee could not resist Hi s sm ile b e gan .
to me lt those gray ranks as the sun i s warming the earth

t o d ay
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“
You are a great admi re r of the Presi d ent said the ,
girl with a curi ous smil e

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Yes Miss Elsie and so are all who know him

, , .
She turned from the window wi thout reply A sha dow .
cro ssed her face as S h e looked past the long rows o f c o ts ,
on whi ch rested the men i n blue until her eyes found o ne ,
o n which lay alo ne am ong h i s enemies a young C o n

, ,
federate o fficer .
The surgeon turned with he r t o ward the man .
“ ”
Wil l he l iv e ? S he asked .
”
Yes only to be hung
, .
”
For what ? sh e cried .
’
Sente nced by court martial as a guerilla It s a l ie
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but there s some powerful hand back o f it— some mys

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te rio u s i nfluence in high authori ty

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The boy wasn t fully .
”
consc i ous at the tri al .
“
We must appeal to Mr Stan to n . .
As well appeal to the D ev il They say the o r de r .
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cam e from h i s O ffi ce .
“ ’
A boy o f n i nete en ! S h e e xclai m e d It s a sham e . .
I m lo o king for his m o ther You told me t o telegraph to

’
.
”
R i chmon d for her .
“ ’
Yes I ll ne ver fo rget h i s cri es that n ight s o utterly
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piti ful and child like I v e heard many a cry o f pai n but
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i n all my l ife n o th i ng so heart breaki ng as that b o y i n -
fe ve red deliri um talki ng to his mother His voice is o ne .
of p e cul i ar tenderness penetrating and mus i cal It goe s

,
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qu iv er ing i nto your soul and compels yo u to l i sten until

,
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you swe ar i t s yo ur brother or sweetheart o r siste r
or m o the r call i ng you You S hou l d have s e en h i m
.
the day h e fell God o f merc ie s the pity an d the gl o ry

.
,
”
o f it !
Th e re we re n o t m o re than thre e hun dred o f them n o w ,
but o n the y came g iving that hell i sh reb el yell at eve ry

,
—
j ump the cry o f the hunte r from th e hillto p at the sight
o f h i s game ! All So uth e rn m e n are hunte rs an d that ,
cry wa s tran s forme d i n war i nto something un e arthly

when i t came from a hun d red throats in chorus and the
game was human .
“
Of course i t was madness
, We b l ew them d o wn .
that hill like chaff before a hurr icane When the l ast man .
had stagge re d back or fallen o n came this boy alone , ,
carryi ng the c olours he had s natched from a fall i ng

s old ie r as i f he we re l e ad ing a million men to vi cto ry
, .
“
A bullet had blown hi s hat fro m his head and we ,
c o ul d see the blo o d streaming down the s ide of his face .
H e charge d straight i nto the jaws o f o ne of o u r guns .
An d the n wi th a s mile o n his lips and a dareto Death in

,
’
his big bro wn eyes he ramme d that flag into the cannon s
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m o uth reele d an d fell ! A cheer bro ke from our men

, , .
“
Yo ur bro ther sprang forward and caught him in his
arm s and as we b e nt over the unconsc ious form he ex
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clai m ed : My God do cto r l o ok at h i m ! He i s so much

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, ,
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l ik e m e I feel a s i f I had been shot mysel f ! They
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were a s much alike as twi ns o nly his ha ir was d arker .
I tell you Mi ss El s i e it s a sin to k ill me n l ike that O ne

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s uch man i s worth m o re to thi s Nation than e very negro

”
that eve r s et hi s flat fo o t o n this conti n e nt !
’
Th e girl s e yes had grown di m as sh e l i stened to the
story .
“
I will appe al to the President sh e sai d firml y , ,
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’
It s the only chance An d just now he is u nder .
,
T h e B r u is e d R e e d 9
t re men dou s pre ssu re Hi s fri e ndl y order to the Virginia

.
Le gislature t o re turn to Richm o n d Stanto n fo rce d him ,
to cance l A mas t e r han d has organ ised a co n s p irac y In

.
C o ngres s t o crush the Pres id ent The y c urse his pol i cy

.
of m e rcy as imbec ility and S wear to make the So uth a

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second Po l an d Their watchword s are vengeanc e an d

.
con fiscation Four fifth s of his party in Congre ss are

.
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in thi s plot The President has less than a d ozen real

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friends in e ither House o n whom he can de pend They .
s ay that Stanton is to be given a free han d and that the ,
gall o ws will be busy This cancell e d o rd e r o f th e Preside nt

.
”
l oo ks l i ke i t .
“’
I ll try my hand wi th Mr Stanto n sh e sai d with sl ow
.
,
emphasis .
“ —
Go od luck Littl e Sister let me know i f I can help
, ,
the surge on answered cheerily as he pa s se d on hi s ro un d

o f work .
Elsi e Stoneman to o k her seat b e s i de the c o t o f the

wo unde d Confederate and began softl y to si ng an d play .
A little farther a l ong the same row a s ol di er wa s dying ,
a faint choking just audible i n hi s throat An atte ndant .
sat be s i de him and would n ot leav e till the last The .
ordinary chat and hum of the ward went on indiffere nt

to pe ace vi ctory life o r death Before the final ity o f
, , , .
the ho spital all other events of earth fade So me we re

, .
pl aying cards or checke rs s o m e laughi ng an d j o kin g an d

, ,
others re ading .
At the fir st soft note from the singe r the games ceased , ,
and the re ader put d own h is boo k .
The banj o had c o m e to Was hi ngton wi th the n e groes

foll owi ng the wake o f the army She had lai d aside her .
gu i tar an d l e arned t o play all the stirri ng camp songs o f -
the S o uth Her voi ce was low soothing and te n de r It

.
, , .
hel d e very silent l istener in a spel l .
As sh e pl aye d and sang the songs the wounded man

lo ve d he r eyes lingered in pity o n his sun bronzed face
,
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p i nche d an d drawn with fe ver He was Sl eeping the .
stupi d sleep that giv es no rest She cou l d count the .
irre gul ar pounding of h is heart i n the throb o f the big

v e i n o n his neck H i s lips were dry and burnt and the
.
,
l ittl e b o yi sh moustache curl e d upward fro m th e row o f

whit e te e th as i f scorched by the fiery breath .
He began t o tal k in flighty sentences and sh e listene d ,
— —
his m other his sister and ye s sh e was sure as sh e b e nt ,
near e r— a l i ttle sweetheart who lived next door They .
—
all had sweethearts these Southern boys Again he was .
—
te as ing his dog and then back in battle .
At length he ope ned h is eyes great dark bro wn eyes ,

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unnaturally bright wi th a strange yearning l ook in their

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d epths as the y re s te d o n Els i e He trie d t o sm il e and .
feebly s aid
— —
Here s a fly ou m y left e ar m y guns
’
— —
’
— — —
can t somehow reach h im wo n t you — — ’
She sprang fo rward and brush e d th e fly away .
Again he open ed hi s eyes .
“ — — — —
E xcuse me fo r asking but am I al ive ? ”
“ ”
Yes i n d ee d w as the ch e erful answe r
, , .
Well n ow then is th i s me or is i t not me o r has a

, , , , ,
”
cannon sh o t m e or has the Dev il go t me ?
,
“ ’
It s yo u The cann o n di d n t sho o t yo u but three
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Th e B rui s e d Re e d I I
’
m uskets did The De v il h as n t go t yo u ye t but he wil l
.
, ,
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unl e ss you re goo d .
“ ’
’
I ll be good if you won t leave me
E l sie turned her head away smil ing and he we nt on ,
sl owly :
“
But I m dead I know I m sleep ing o n a cot with
’
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’
a canopy o ver it I ain t hungry any more and an .

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angel has been ho vering o ver me pl ayi ng on a harp o f

go l d
“
O nly a little Yankee girl playing the banjo .
— ”
Can t fool me I m in heaven
’ ’
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’
You re in the hospital .
—
Funny hospital look at that harp and that b i g
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trumpet hangi ng cl ose by it that s Gabriel s tru mpet ’ ’
”
No S he laughe d
, This is the Patent O ffice build ing
.
,
that co vers two blocks now a tempo rary hospital There , .
are se v enty thousand wounded sol diers in to wn and more ,
com ing on e ve ry train The th irty five hospitals are .

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o vercrowded .
He closed h is eyes a moment in S ilence and then sp o ke ,
with a feebl e tremor :

“ ’
—
I m afraid you d on t know who I am I can t impo s e ’ ’
on yo u — I m a rebel
’
“
Yes I know Yo u are Co l onel Ben Cameron It
, . .
makes no difference to me now which side you fought o n .
“ — ’
Well I m in heaven been dead a l ong time I can
, .
” ’
prov e it i f you ll play again
, .
“
What shall I play ? ”
Firs t O J arm y B ooker H elp Dis Nigg er

, .
She played and sang it beautifully .

1 2 Th e C la n s m a n
Now Wak e Up I n the Morn in g

, .
Agai n he l iste ne d wi th wi d e staring e yes that saw , ,
n o th ing e xcept visio ns wi thin .
“
No w the n The Ole Gray H 033
, , .
As the last notes died away he tried to sm ile again ,
H ard Times an Wuss er

“
On e m o re
’
With de ft sure touch and soft negro d i alect sh e sang i t

,
thro ugh .
“ ’ ’
N o w d id n t I tell yo u that you co uldn t foo l m e ? No
,
’
Y ankee girl could play and sing the se s o ngs I m in .
’
he ave n and yo u re an angel
,
.
“
Are n t yo u ashamed o f yo urself t o flirt with m e with
’
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o n e foot in the grav e ?
“ ’
That s the time to ge t on good te rm s with the angel s
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but I m done dea d
E ls i e laughe d i n spite o f hers elf .
“ “
I kn o w it he we nt on b e caus e you have shi n ing
, ,
gol d en ha ir and amber e yes inste a d of blu e o n es I ne ve r

, .
”
s aw a g irl i n my l i fe before wi th s uch eye s and ha ir .
“ ’ ”
But you re young yet .
Ne ver was such a g irl on e arth

yo u re an—
’ 9,
She lifted her finger i n w arn i ng an d his eyel id s d roo p e d ,
i n e xhauste d stupor .
“
You mustn t talk any m o re s he whis pe red s haking
’
, ,
her h e ad .
A co mmotion at th e d oo r c au sed El sie t o turn fro m the

cot . A sweet mothe rly w o man of fifty i n an old faded ,
bl ack dress w as pl e a di ng with the gu ard t o be all owed

,
to pass .
T h e B r u ise d R e e d I3
’ ’ ’
Can t do i t M um It s ag in the rul es
, . .
But I m ust g o i n I ve tramp ed fo r fo ur d ays thro ugh

.
’
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a wil d ernes s o f h os p ital s an d I kn ow h e m us t be he re
,
.
“
Sp e c ial o rde rs M um — ’
wo un ded re b el s i n he re that
,
”
b el o ng i n pri s o n .
“
Very well yo ung man , said th e pl e ad i ng vo ic e
,
.
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My baby boy s i n thi s place wo unded an d about to d ie , .
I m going i n there You can s hoo t me i f you l ike o r yo u

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.
,
”
can turn yo ur he a d the o the r way .
She s te pped qu ickly past the sol die r who me rely s tare d ,
wi th di m e yes o ut the do or and saw n o th ing .
Sh e stood for a m o me nt with a l oo k o f helpl ess b e wil de r

me nt The v ast are a o f the s eco n d st o ry o f the gre at
.
m o n ol ithi c p il e was crowded wi th rows of si ck wounded , ,
—
and d yi ng men a strange sol e mn an d curi ous sight , , .
Against th e wall s we re po nde ro us glass case s fill e d ,
with m odel s o f eve ry ki n d o f i n ve nt ion th e genius of man

had dre amed Betwe e n the s e cases were deep lateral
.
Ope n i ngs e ight fee t wi de crow de d wi th the sick and long

, , ,
row s o f th e m we r e stretched thr o ugh th e c e ntre of th e
hall A gallery ran aro und abo v e the cases an d thi s was
.
,
fille d with co t s The clatt e r o f the fee t o f pas s ing surge ons
.
and nurses ove r the marbl e floo r added t o the we i rd

impres s io n .
’
El si e s aw the l o ok o f helple ss appe al i n the mo ther s
face an d hurrie d forwar d t o meet he r :
”
“
Is th i s Mrs Came ro n o f S o uth Caro l i na ?
.
,
The trembling figure in black gr as pe d her hand eagerl y

“ ’
Ye s yes my dear and I m l o oki ng for my boy who is
, , , ,
”
woun ded unto d e ath Can you help m e ? .
I 4 Th e Cl a n s m an
’
I tho ught I re cogn i sed yo u from a miniature I ve see n ,
“ ”
sh e answe red so ftly
’
I ll l ead you di re ct to his co t
. .
“ ”
Thank yo u thank you ! came the low reply
, .
In a moment sh e was beside him and E l sie walked away ,
to the open window thro ugh which came the chirp o f

sparrows from the lilac bushes in ful l bloom bel ow -
.
The mother threw o n e l ook o f infinite tenderness

on the drawn face and her hands sudden l y claspe d in
,
prayer :
“
I thank Thee Lo rd Jesus for this hour ! Thou hast
, ,
”
h e ar d the cry o f my soul and led my feet ! She gen tlv
knelt kiss e d the hot lips smoothed th e dark tangle d hair
, ,
back from his forehead and he r han d re sted o ve r his e yes , .
A fa int flush tinged his face .
“ ’
It s you Mama — I,
— — — —
know you that s yo ur hand — ’
—o r—e lse— it s —Go d s ! ’ ’
Sh e slipped her arms about him .
”
My he ro my darling my baby !
, ,
“
I ll get well now Mama ne ver fear You s ee I had
’
, ,
.
,
whippe d th e m that day as I had many a time befo re I .
—
do n t kn o w ho w it happened m y men seemed all to go
’
—
down at once Yo u know I couldn t surre n de r in
.
’
f
that new un i fo rm o a colonel you sent m e we made a —
— — — — —
gallant fight an d no w I m just a l ittl e tired but
,
— — ’
’
yo u are here an d it s all right
, .
“
Yes yes de ar It s all o v er now General Lee has
, , .
’
.
’
surr e n de red and when yo u are b e tter I ll take you ho m e
, ,
whe re th e sunsh ine an d fl o we rs will give yo u s tre ngth

again .
“ ’ ”
How s my l i ttl e Sis ?
’
an d thras hed hi m nearly to death We haven t seen h im .
”
s ince .
“
Well I ll tak e care of yo u Mama when I get home
,
’
, , .
Of co urse I ll get w ell

’ ’
It s absurd to d i e at n i nete en
. .
Yo u know I n eve r b el i e ved the bullet had be en mo ulded

that c o ul d h it m e In three ye ars o f battle I l ive d a
.
,
”
charmed l i fe and n eve r got a s cratch .
H i s vo i ce had gro wn feeble an d lab o ured and hi s face ,
flushed H i s mothe r placed h e r hand o n h i s l i ps

. .
” “
Just o n e m o re h e pleaded feebly , D i d you see the .
l ittl e angel who h as been playi ng an d si nging fo r m e ?

You must thank her .
“
Yes I se e her c o ming n o w I must go and tell
,
.
”
Margaret and we will get a pass and come every day
, .
She kissed him and went to meet Elsie , .
And yo u are the dear gi rl who h as be en playing and

s i ng ing for my b o y a woun d e d stranger here al o ne among
,
”
hi s fo e s ?
“
Ye s an d for all the O
, thers to o ,
.
Mrs Cameron se i zed both o f her han d s and l oo ked at

.
he r tenderly .
“
Yo u w ill let me kiss yo u ? I shall always l ove you .
’
Sh e pres se d Els i e to her heart In S pite of the girl s .
rese rv e a s ob caught h e r bre ath at the touch of the warm

,
lips Her o wn m o the r had died whe n she was a baby

.
,
an d a shy hungry heart long h id de n from the world

, , ,
l e aped i n te n de rn e s s an d pa in to mee t that embrace .
El si e walke d wi th he r to the doo r wonde ri ng ho w the ,
’
te rribl e truth of her boy s d o om could be to l d .
She tri e d to spe ak looked into Mrs Camero n s face , .

’
,
T h e B ru ise d R e e d 1 7
radi ant wi th grate ful joy and the words froze o n her l i ps
, .
She decided to walk a l ittle way wi th her But the t ask .
be cam e all the harder .
At the c o rn e r s he sto pped abruptly an d bade her g ood

bye :
“
I must leave yo u n o w Mrs Cameron I wi ll call fo r ,
. .
you i n the m o rn ing and help yo u secure the passe s to e nte r

”
the ho sp ital .
’
The m other s tro ked the gi rl s hand and hel d i t l i nge r
in gly .
Ho w good yo u are she said so ftly , An d yo u , .
”
have not told m e your name ?
E lsi e h es itated an d sai d :
“ ’
That s a l ittle s e cret The y call me S i ste r El sie the
.
,
Banjo Mai d in the hosp itals My father i s a man of

,
.
disti nction I shoul d be annoyed if my full name were

.
known I m Elsie Sto neman My father is the leade r

.
’
.
”
of the Hous e I l ive wi th my aunt . .
“
Thank yo u she wh ispere d pres s i ng he r han d
, , .
E lsi e watche d the dark figure disappe ar i n the cro w d

wi th a strange tumult of feel ing .
The mention of her father had revived the su s p ic io n

that h e was the mysteri ous po wer thr eaten ing the pol i cy
of the Pres i dent and plann ing a reign o f terror for the
S o uth Next to the Pres i dent he was the most po werful
.
,
man in Was hin gto n an d the unre l e nt ing fo e of Mr

, .
Lin c oln altho ugh the l e ader o f hi s party i n Co ngress

, ,
whi ch he rul ed with a rod o f iro n H e was a man of .
fierc e an d te rri ble resentme nts An d ye t i n his pe rso nal.

,
l i fe to tho se he k n e w he was ge nerous an d co ns ide rate

, .
1 8 Th e C la n s m e n
O ld Austi n Stoneman the Great Commoner he was

, ,
call ed an d his nam e w as o n e to c o njure wi th in the wo rld

,
o f deed s To th i s fair g irl h e wa s th e noblest Roman o f

.
them all he r id eal o f greatn e ss He wa s an i ndulge nt

, .
father and whil e n o t dem o nstrative l ove d h i s ch il d re n

, , ,
wi th pass io nate devotion .
She pause d and lo oke d up at the huge marbl e c olumns

that s ee me d each a s e nti n el b e ckon i ng her to return
wi thin t o the cot that held a wounded foe The twil i ght .
had d ee pe n e d and th e soft l ight of the ri sing m oo n had

,
cl o the d the solemn majesty o f the bu ilding w i th S himm e ring

te n derness and beauty .
“
Why S hould I be d istresse d for o n e an enemy am o ng , ,
”
these thousands who have fallen ? S he asked herse lf .
E very de tail o f the scene sh e ha d passe d through wi th h i m

and h i s mother stood o ut i n her sou l w ith startl ing dis
tin c tn e S S — and the horr o r of his doo m cut with the deep
sense o f personal angu i sh .
“ ”
H e S hall not die sh e sai d wi th sud den re s olut io n
, , .
“ ’
I ll take h i s m o ther to the Pre s i d e nt He can t re s i st
’
.
’ ”
her I ll s e n d for Phil to help me
. .
She hurried t o the tel e graph o ffi ce an d summ o ned he r

brother .
CHAPTER II
TH E G RE AT H E ART
HE n e xt mo rn i ng when Els i e reached the obscure

,
boardi ng house at whi ch Mrs Cameron stoppe d

- .
,
the mother had gone to the market to buy a bunch

’
of roses to place beside her b o y s cot .
As Els ie awa ited her return the pr ac t i cal l i ttl e ,
Yankee maid thought with a pang of th e tendern e s s

an d folly o f such people She knew this mother .
had scarcely en o ugh t o eat but to her brea d ,
was of small i mportance flowers nec e ssary to life

, .
Afte r all it was very sweet this fo ol i shn e ss of

, ,
these S o uthern pe o ple and i t someho w made her

,
home s ick.
“ ”
How can I tell he r ! she s ighe d An d yet I must . .
She had only waite d a moment when Mrs Camero n .
su d denly entere d with her daughter She threw her .
flowers on the tabl e sprang forward to meet El sie se i zed

, ,
her hands and called to Margaret .
“
How goo d of you to come so s o on ! Thi s Margare t , ,
i s o ur d ear little friend who has been s o good to B e n and

to me .
’
Margaret t o ok Elsi e s han d and l o nged to throw he r
arms aro und her n e ck but something in the quiet dign ity
,
o f the No rthern g i rl s manner held he r back

’
She only .
I
9
sm il ed ten de rly through her b ig d ark e yes an d s o ftly ,
said
“
We l ove yo u ! B e n was my last bro the r We we re .
playmates an d chums My he art broke whe n he ran

.
away to the fro nt H o w can we thank yo u and yo ur

.
bro ther !
“ ’ ’
I m sure we ve d o n e n o thi ng m o re than yo u w o ul d
”
have d o n e for us said Elsi e as Mrs Cameron l e ft th e
, ,
.
roo m .
“
Yes I kn o w but we can n eve r t ell you h o w grate ful
, ,
’
we are t o yo u We feel that you have saved Ben s l i fe
.
an d o urs The war h as been o n e long horro r to us since

.
’
my first brother was killed But now i t s over an d we .
,
hav e Ben l e ft an d our hearts have b e en crying for joy

,
”
all n ight .
“
I hop ed my brothe r Captai n Phil Sto n e man would
, ,
be he re to d ay to me e t you and help me but he can t

-
,
’
reach Wash ington before Friday .
“ ”
H e caught Ben i n hi s arms ! cri e d Margare t I .
’ ”
kn o w he s brave and you must be proud of h i m
,
.
“
Doct o r Barnes says they are as much al ike as twi ns
only Phil i s not qu it e so tall and h as blond hair l ike m i n e .
“
You will l e t m e see h i m and thank hi m the mom e nt
”
he comes ?
“ ”
Hurry Margaret ! cheerily cri ed Mrs Camero n
,
.
,
“
re enter i ng the parlour
- Get ready ; we must g o at
.
”
onc e t o the ho sp ital .
Margare t turn e d and wi th stately grace hurr ie d fro m

the room The old dress she wo re as unconsc i ous o f
.
its shabb i ness as though i t were a royal robe .

Th e G re a t H e art 2 1
”
An d n o w my dear what must I do to get the passes ?
, ,
asked the mother eagerly .
’
E l sie s warm amber eyes grew m i sty for a moment and ,
the fai r ski n with its gorgeous rose t i nts o f the North paled -
.
She he s itated tried to speak and w as sil ent

, , .
The S ensitiv e soul of the Southern woman read the

message of sorrow words had not framed .
“
Tel l me qu i ckl y ! The doctor has— not— concealed
,
—
— his —true — condition — from — me

”
N0 he is certai n to rec over
,
.
”
What then ?
Worse — h e is condemne d to d eath by court martial -
.
— —
Condemned to death a wounded prisoner o f — —
”
war ! sh e whispered sl owly wi th blanched face , .
“
Ye s he w as accused of v i o l ating the rules o f war as
,
”
a guerilla raider in the inv asi on o f Pennsyl v an i a .
“
Absurd and monstrous ! He was o n General Jeb
’
Stuart s staff and cou l d have acted onl y under his ord ers .
’
He joine d the infantry after Stuart s death and rose to be ,
’
a co l onel though but a boy There s some terrible
,
.
”
mistake !
“
Unl ess we can obtain his pardon Elsie went o n in ,
“
even restrained tones there is no hope We must appeal
, , .
”
to the Presi d ent .
’
The m o ther s l i ps trembl ed and S h e s ee med about to ,
faint.
“ ”
C o uld I s e e the Pre s ide nt ? she asked re c ove ri ng ,
herself with an eflort .
“
He has just reached Washington fro m the fro nt and i s ,
”
t hr onged by thousands It will be di ffic ul t . .
’
The mothe r s lips were moving in s ilent praye r and her ,
eyes were tightly cl ose d to keep back the t e ars .
“ ”
Can you he lp me dear ? S h e asked p i te ously
, , .
Yes was the quick resp o nse

, .
” “
You see S h e went o n I feel so helples s I have
, , .
ne ver been to the White House or seen the President ,
’
an d I do n t kn o w how to go about seeing him or how
k i —
to as h m an d f I am afraid o f Mr Lincoln ! I have
w
.
heard so many harsh th ings said of hi m .
“’
I ll do my best Mrs Cameron We must go at once
, . .
”
to the Wh ite House and try to see hi m .
’
The mother l i ft ed the girl s hand and stroked i t gently .
“
We wi ll not tell Margaret Poor child ! sh e could .
not endure th i s When we retu rn we may have

.
,
’ ’
bette r news It can t b e worse I ll s en d he r o n
. .
”
an errand .
She t o ok up the b o uqu et o f go rgeo us r o ses wi th a s igh ,
burie d her face i n the fresh perfume as if to gai n stre ngth ,
i n th eir beauty and fragrance and left the r oo m ,

.
In a few m o ments S h e had returned and was on her way

with Elsi e to the Wh i te House .
It was a beautiful S pring morn i ng th i s ele ve nth day of ,
April 1 865 The gl o ri ous sunshine the shimmering

, .
,
green of the grass the warm breezes and the shouts of

, ,
’
vi ctory mocked the mother s angu i sh .
At the White House gates they passed the blue s entry

pacin g S il e ntly back and forth who m e rel y gl anc ed at ,
the m with keen e yes and said nothing In the steady b e at .
of his feet the mother coul d hear the tramp o f s old ie rs

leading her boy to the place of d eath !
24 Th e C la n s m an
What must I cal l h im ? Must I say Your Excel ‘
’
lency
“ —
By no means h e hat e s titles and forms Yo u s hould .
‘ ’
sa
y Mr Pres .id ent in addressing h i m But y o .u will
pl e ase him b e st i f in yo ur sweet homelike way you will
, , ,
just call him by h i s name Yo u can rel y on his sym

pathy Read th i s letter of his t o a widow I brought it
. .
”
to S ho w you .
Sh e handed Mrs Cam e ron a newspaper cl ipping o n

.
which was print e d Mr Lincoln s letter to Mrs Bixby of

.
’
.
,
B o st o n who had lost fi ve sons in the war

, .
Ove r and o v er sh e read its sentences until they echo ed

as sol e mn music in her soul
“
I feel h ow weak an d fruitless m us t b e an y words of mine
wh i ch Sh ould attemp t to b eguil e y ou fro m th e grief of a loss so
overwh elming B u t I c anno t refrain fr o m tendering y o u th e
.
c onso l a t ion t h at m ay b e fou n d in th e th an k s o f th e rep ub lic
th ey died to save I p ray th at o ur Heaven ly F ath er may

.
a ssu ag e th e an g ui sh Of y o u r b er eave m ent an d l e ave y o u o n ly

,
th e c h erish e d m em ory o f th e l o ve d an d l ost an d th e so l em n ,
p rid e th at must b e y o urs t o h ave l aid so c o stly a s ac r ifi c e u p on

th e a l tar of freedo m .
Yours very S in c erely an d re sp e c t fully ,
AB RA H AM L IN C O LN .
And the President paused amid a thousand cares to

”
write that letter to a broken hearted woman ? th e mother
-
asked .
“
Yes .
Then he is good down to the las t se cre t depths of a

great heart ! O n l y a Christian father could have written
that l etter I S hal l n o t be afrai d to speak to h im And
. .
”
they tol d me he was an infidel !
Elsie l ed her by a priv ate way past the crowd and
Th e G r e at H e art 2
5
’
i nto the o ffice of Major Hay the President s pri vate ,
secretary A word fro m the Great Commoner s daugh

.
’
’
ter admitted them at once to the President s ro o m .
“ ”
Just take a seat on o n e side Miss Els ie said Major , ,
“
Hay ; watch your first opportunity and introduce your
”
friend .
O n entering the room Mrs Cameron cou l d not see the

, .
President who was seated at his desk surrounded by three

,
men in deep consu l tation o ver a mass of o fficial documents .
She looked about the room nerv ously and felt reassured
by its plain aspect It was a medium s ized otfic e like
.
-
,
-
pl ace with no signs of el egance or ceremony Mr Lincoln

, . .
was seated in an arm chair beside a high wr iting d e sk an d

- -
table combined She noticed that his feet were large an d

.
that they rested on a piece o f simple straw matting .
Around the room were sofas and chairs co vere d wi th gree n

worsted .
When the group about the chai r parted a m o me nt she ,
caught the first glimpse of the man wh o held he r l i fe i n

the hollow o f his hand She studied him with bre athl ess
.
i n terest His back was still turned E ve n wh ile se ate d

. .
,
she saw th at he was a man of en o rmous stature fully S ix ,
feet four inches tall legs an d arms abn o rmally l o ng and

, ,
huge broad shoulders sl ightly stoo pe d H is head was .
p owerful and cro wned w ith a mas s of he avy brown hair ,
tinged with sil ver .
He turn e d hi s head slightly an d S h e saw his profil e se t

—
i n it s sho rt dark beard the broad intellectual brow half ,
co ve red by unmanageable hair his face marke d wi th ,
d eep cut lines of life and death with gre at holl o w s in the
-
,
o
cheeks and under the e yes In the lines which marked .
the c o rners o f his mouth sh e cou l d see firmn e ss and h is ,
bee tl i ng brows and unusuall y heavy eyel i ds lo o ked stem

and form i dable H e r heart sank She looke d again
. .
and saw goodness tenderness sorrow canny shr ewd , , ,
ness and a strange lurking smile al l haunting his

,
mouth and eye .
Suddenly he threw himsel f forward in his chair whee l ed ,
and faced one o f h is tormentors with a curious and comical

expression With one han d patting the other and a
.
,
funny look ove rspreading h is face he sai d : ,
“
My frien d l e t me tell you so mething
,
The man agai n stepped before h im and she c o uld he ar ,
n o thing When the story was finished the man trie d to

.
,
laugh It died i n a feeble e ffort But the Pre s i dent

. .
laughed heartily laughed all o ver and laughed hi s visit o rs

, ,
out of the room .
Mrs Camero n turned toward Elsie wi th a mute look o f

.
appe al t o giv e her th i s moment o f good hum o ur i n wh ich -
t o pl e ad her cause but before S h e could mo v e a man o f

,
mil itary beari ng sud d enly stepp ed befo re the Pres ide nt .
He b egan to speak but seeing the look o f ste rn dec i sion

, ,
’
i n Mr Li ncol n s face turned abruptly and said :
.
,
“
Mr Preside nt I s e e you are fully dete rmi ned not to
.
,
”
do me justice !
Mr Lincoln sl ightly compressed his l i ps rose qu i etly
.
, ,
s eized the i ntrude r by the arm and l ed him t o ward the ,
do or .
“
!
This i s the th ird time you have forced yo ur prese nce
o n me Sir aski ng that I re verse the just s e nte nce o f a
, ,
Th e Gre at H e a rt 2
7
court martial dismissing you from the service I to l d

-
,
.
yo u my decis ion was carefull y made and was final Now .
I give you fair warn i ng never to S how yourself i n this room

”
again I can bear censure but I wil l not endure insul t !
.
,
In wh in i ng tone s the man b e gged for his papers he had

,
dro pped .
“
Begone Si r said the President as he thrust him
, , ,
“ ”
through the door Your papers will be sent to you
. .
The po or mother tremb l ed at this start l ing act and sank

back limp in her seat .
With quick swinging stride the President walked back

,
t o h is desk accompanied by Major Hay an d a young

,
German girl whose simpl e dress told that sh e w as fro m

,
the We stern plains .
He handed the Secretary an o ffi cial paper .
Giv e this pardon to the boy s mother when S h e comes ’
this morning he said kindl y to the Secretary his eyes

, ,
suddenly ful l o f gentl eness .
“
How could I consent to shoot a boy raised o n a farm ,
in the habit of going to bed at dark for fall ing asl eep at h is ,
’
post when required to watch all night ? I ll never go into
”
eternity with the b l ood o f such a boy on my S k irts .
Again the mother s heart ro se ’

.
“
You remember the young man I pardoned for a
’
S imil ar o ffence in 6 2 about which Stanton made such a
,
” “
fuss ? he went on in s o ftly reminiscent tones Wel l .
,
”
he re is that pardon .
He d re w from the lining o f his silk hat a ph o to gra ph ,
around which Was wr apped an executive pardo n Through .
the lower en d of it was a bull et ho l e staine d with b l ood -

.
I got this i n R i chm o nd They foun d h i m d ead o n .
the field He fell in the front ranks wi th my photograph

.
in h i s po cket next to his heart this pardo n wrappe d ,
aroun d it and o n the back o f it in his boy s scrawl God

,
’
,
‘
bless A bra ham L in coln

’
I lo v e to i nvest i n b o n ds like
.
that .
The Secretary returned to his room the girl who was ,
waiti ng stepped forward and the President rose to receive

,
her .
’
The mothe r s qu i ck eye noted w ith surprise the , ,
s i mpl e dignity and chi v al ry of manner with which he re

c e ive d th i s humble w o man o f the peopl e .
W ith straightforward eloquence the girl poure d ou t

her s t o ry beggi ng for the pardon o f her young brother
,
who ha d been s e ntence d to death as a deserter He .
listen ed i n silence .
Ho w pathetic the deep melancholy o f his sad face !

Yes S h e w as sure the saddest face that Go d e ver made i n
, ,
all the worl d ! Her o wn stricken heart for a moment

went out to h i m i n sympathy .
The President took o ff h i s spectacle s wi ped his ,
forehe ad with the large red S ilk handkerch i ef he

carried and h is eyes twinkled ki ndly d own i nto the
,
go od Ge rman face .
“
Yo u seem an honest truthful sweet g irl he said, , , ,
”— — “
an d h e smi l ed you don t wear hoop S kir ts ! I may ’
-
b e wh i pped for this but I ll trust you an d yo ur brother

,
’
,
too He shall be pardoned

. .
E ls i e ro se t o introduce Mrs Cameron when a Congress .

,
man from Massachusetts sudden l y stepped befo re her and

Th e G r e at H e ar t 2
9
pressed for th e pardon o f a Sl ave trader whose ship had -
been confiscate d He ha d spent five years in prison but

.
,
cou l d not pay the heavy fine in money imposed .
The President had taken his seat again and read the ,
eloquent appe al for mercy He looked up o ver his .
spectacl es fixed his eyes piercingl y on the Congressman

,
and said
This is a mo ving appeal sir e xpressed with great , ,
e l oquence I might pardon a murderer under the S pe ll

.
o f such words but a man who can make a b usiness o f

,
going to Africa and rob b ing her o f her hel pless chil dren
i
and sel l ng them into bondage no — sir — h e may rot in ,
”
jail before he shal l have liberty by any act of m ine !
’
Aga in the mother s heart sank .
Her hour had come She must put the i ssue o f l ife
.
o r death to the test and as E l sie rose and stepped quickly

, ,
forward S h e fo llowed nerving hersel f for the ordeal

, , .
’
The President took E l sie s hand famil iarl y and smil ed
wi thout r isin g E videntl y S he was well known to him
.
-
.
“
W ill you hear the prayer o f a broken hearted mother -
o f the So uth who has lost four sons in General Lee s ’

,
”
army ? sh e asked .
Loo king quietl y past the girl he caught S ight for the , ,
first ti me of the faded dress and the sorrow shadowed face

,
-
.
He was o n his feet in amome nt exte nded h is hand and ,
l e d her t o a chair .
Take th is seat Madam and then tell me i n yo ur own

, ,
”
way what I can do for you .
In simple words mighty wi th the eloquence of a mother s

,
’
heart she told her story and asked for the pardon of her
,
boy promising his word o f honour and her o w n that he

,
would never again take up arms against the Union .
“ '
The war is over now Mr Lincoln S he said and , .

, ,
we have lost al l Can you conceive the desolation o f my

.
heart ? My fo ur boys were nob l e men They may have .
been wr o ng but they fought for what they bel ie ved to be

,
”
right Yo u to o hav e lost a boy
.
,
.
The Pre sident 3 eyes grew dim .
“
Yes a beaut iful boy
, he said simp l y , .
Well mine are all gone but this baby O ne o f them

, .
sle e ps i n an unmarked grave at Gettysburg O ne died .
in a Northern pri son O ne fel l at Chancel l orsvil l e o n e in

.
,
the Wil derness and this my baby before Petersburg

, , ,
.
’
Pe rhaps I v e lo v ed him too much th i s last o n e he s — ,
’
only a child yet

“
Yo u shall hav e your boy my dear Madam the , ,
Pre s i dent said S imply seating himself and writing a brief

, ,
or de r to the Secretary of War .
The m o ther drew n e ar his desk softly crying Through ,

.
he r t e ars she said

“
My heart i s he avy Mr Lincoln when I thi nk o f all, .
,
the hard and b i tter things we hav e heard o f yo u .
“
Well give my lo ve to the peopl e of South Carolina
, ,
when you go home an d te ll them that I am their President

, ,
and that I hav e ne ve r forgotten this fact in the darkest

hours of th i s awful war ; and I am go i ng t o do e v eryt hing
”
in my po wer to help them .
“
Yo u will ne ver regre t th i s genero us act the mothe r ,
crie d wi th gratitude .
“ ” “ ’
I re ckon not he answered ,
I ll tell you someth ing ,
3 2 Th e Cl a n s m an
If we had only known you i n t i me

The President accompan i ed her to the door with a
d efe re nce o f manner that showe d he had bee n de e ply
t o uched .
“
Take this l e tter to Mr Stanton at once he said
.
, .
Some folks complai n o f my pardons but it rests me

,
’ ’
after a hard day s work i f I can save some poor boy s
l ife I g o to bed happy thi nki ng o f the joy I have g iven
.
,
”
t o those who lov e h im .
As the last words were spoke n a p e cul i ar dreami ness

,
o f express i on stole over hi s care worn face as if a

-
,
throng o f graci ou s memori es ha d l i fte d for a m o ment

the burden o f hi s l i fe
.
CHAP TER III
TH E MAN OF WA R
LS IE l e d Mrs Cameron direct fro m the Wh ite
.
House t o the War Department .
“
Well Mrs Cameron what did you thi nk of
, .
,
”
the Pres ide nt ? she asked .
“ ”
I hardly kn ow was the thoughtful answer
, He i s .
”
the greatest man I ever met O ne feel s this i nsti nctively
. .
’
When Mrs Cameron was ushered i nto the Secretary s
.
O ffi ce Mr Stanton was seated at hi s desk wr iti ng

,
. .
She han d e d the o rder of the Pres i dent t o a cl e rk who ,
gave i t t o the Secretary .
He was a man i n the full pri me o f life inte ll e ctual an d ,
physi cal low and heavy set about five fe et e ight i nches i n
, ,
hei ght an d i ncl i ned to fat His mo vements ho we ver

.
, ,
we re qu ick and as he swung in his chair the kee nest

,
vigour marked every movement of bo dy and e very change

of his countenance .
His face was swarthy and covere d with a l o ng d ark ,
bear d t o uched with gray He turne d a pair o f l ittl e

.
black pi erc i ng eyes o n her an d wi thout ris ing sai d

“
So yo u are the woman who has a wounded so n un de r
”
sentenc e o f death as a gu eril la ?
“ ”
I am s o unfortunate sh e answered ,
Well I have nothi ng to say to yo u he went on in

, ,
33
a louder an d stern e r t o ne and n o t i me to waste on y o u,

.
If you have rais e d up men to rebel aga inst the best

gover nm ent un d er the su n yo u can ta ke the con se ,
3,
u e n ce s
q
“
But my d ear sir broke i n the mothe r he i s a m e re
, , ,
b o y of n ineteen who ran away three years ago and

,
entere d the service

“ ’
I don t want t o hear an o ther wo rd from yo u ! he
ye ll e d i n rage I have no time to waste— go at once
. .
’ ”
I ll do nothi ng for you .
But I bri ng you an order from the Pres id ent pro ,
tested the mother .
“
Yes I know it he answered with a s neer an d I ll
, , , ,
’
do with i t what I ve done with many others — see that it

’
— ”
i s t executed now go
n o .
But the President to l d me yo u woul d give me a pass to

the hospital and that a fu ll pardon wou l d be i ssued to
,
3’
my boy ‘
Ye s I see , But let me give you some i nformatio n

. .
The Pres i dent i s a fool a d— foo l ! Now will you ,
”
go ?
With a S inking sense o f horror Mrs Cameron w ithdrew ,
.
and reported to E l sie the une xpected encounter .
”
The brute ! cried the girl We ll go back im .
’
”
med i ately and report this insult to the Pres i dent .
“ ”
Why are such m en intrusted with power ? the
m o ther sighed .
“ ’
It s a mystery to me I m sure The y say h e i s the ,
’
.
’
greate st Secretary o f War i n our histo ry I don t bel ieve .
it Phil hates the sight o f him and so does e v ery army

.
,
Th e M an of W ar 35
o fficer I know from General Grant down I hope Mr

,
. .
Lincoln w ill exp el him from th e Cab inet for this insul t .
’
When they were again u shered i nto the President s
o ffice E l sie hastened to i nform him of the outrageous
,
reply the Secretary of War had m ade to h is order .
”
Did Stanton say that I was a foo l ? he asked with a ,
quizzical look out o f h i s k indly eyes

“ ”
Yes he did snappe d Els ie
, , And be repe ated it
.
”
w ith a blan kety pre fix .
The President looked good h u m oure dly o ut o f the -
wi ndow toward the War O ffice and musingly sai d

“
Well if Stanton says that I am a b l ankety fool i t
, ,
must be so for I have fo u nd out that he is nearl y always

,
’
right and generally means what he says I ll just step
,
.
”
o ver and see Stanton .
As he spoke the last sentence the humour sl o wly faded ,
from his face an d the anxi ous mother saw back of those
,
pat ient gray eyes the sudden gl eam o f the courage and
conscious power of a lion .
He dismissed them with instructions to return the next

d ay for his final orders and wal ked over to the War
Department alone .
The Secre tary of War was in o n e of his ugliest moods ,
and mad e no e ffort to conceal it when asked his reasons

for the refusal to execute the order .
“
The grounds for my action are very simpl e he said , ,
“
wi th bitter emphasis The execution o f this traitor is
part o f a carefu ll y considered pol icy o f justice on which
the future security o f the Nation depends If I am to .
ad m in is te r th is o ffi ce I w ill n o t be h am strung by co n st ant

,
3 6 Th e C la n s m an
Exe cutiv e interference Besides in this particu l ar case

.
, ,
I was urged that justice be promptl y executed by the most

powerfu l man in Congress I adv ise you to avoid a
.
quarre l with old Stoneman at this crisis i n o u r history .
The President sat o n a sofa with his l egs crossed re ,
lapsed i nto an attitude o f resignation and l istened i n ,
silence until the last sentence when sudden l y he sat b o lt

,
upright fixed his deep gray eyes intently o n Stanton and

,
sai d
“
Mr Secre tary I reckon you will hav e to execute that
.
,
”
o rde r .
“
I cannot do it came the firm answer
, It i s an .
i nterference with justice and I wil l not execute it

,
.
Mr Lincoln held his eyes steadily o n Stanton and

.
slowly said
“
Mr Secretary it wil l have to be done
.
,
.
Stanton wheeled i n hi s chair seized a pen and wrote

,
ve ry rapidly a few lines to which he fixed h i s Si gnature .
He r o se w ith the paper in his hand wal ked to his chief , ,
and with deep emot ion said

, ,
Mr President I wish to thank you for yo ur constant

.
,
friendship during the trying years I have held this o ffice .
The war is ended and my work i s don e I hand you my

,
.
”
resignation .
Mr Lincoln s l ips came sudden l y together he s l owly

.
’
,
rose and l ooked down with surpri se into the flushed

,
angry face .
He took the paper tore it into pieces slipped one o f

, ,
his long arms around the Secretary and sai d in low

acc e nt s
Th e M an of W ar 37
Stanton you have been a faithfu l publ ic se rv ant an d

, ,
it is not for you to say when yo u will be no longer needed .
Go o n with your work . I will have my way in this

”
matter ; but I wil l attend to it pers o nally .
Stanton resumed his seat and the Pres ident returne d t o

,
the Wh ite Ho use.

CH APTER IV
A CL AS H OF G IANTS
LS IEsecured from the Surgeon General temporary -
passes fo r the day and sent her friends t o the

,
hosp ital with the prom i se that she would not leav e
the Wh ite House until S he had secured th e pardon .
The President greeted her with unusual warmth The .
sm ile that had on ly haunted his sad face duri ng four years
o f struggl e defeat and uncertainty had now burst i nto
, ,
joy that ma d e his powerfu l head rad i ate light Vi ctory .
ha d l ifted the veil from his s o u l and he was g ird i ng him

,
s elf for the task o f healing the Nation s wounds ’

.
“ ’
I ll hav e it ready for you in a moment M i ss E ls ie , ,
he sai d touching with hi s sinewy hand a paper whi ch lay

,
o n his de s k bear ing on its face the red seal of the Repub
,
“ ”
l ic I am o nly waiting to rece iv e the passes .
I am ve ry gratefu l to you Mr Pre s ident the girl

, .
,
said feeling l y
,
.
“
But tel l me he said with quaint fatherl y humo ur
, , , ,
why you of all o ur girl s the brightest fiercest littl e

, , ,
”
Yankee in town take so to heart a rebel boy s sorrows ?
,
’
Elsie b l ushed and then l ooked at him frankly w ith a

,
s aucy smile .
“
I am fu l fil ling the Commandments .
”
L ove y o ur enemies ?
H e rare ly vi s ited th e White Hous e He was the able

.
,
b o l d unscrupulous leader o f leaders and men cam e t o

, ,
see h i m He rarely sm iled and when he d i d it was th e

.
,
smil e of the cyn i c and misanthrope His tongue had the

.
l ash o f a scorpion He was a greater terror to the trim

.
mers and time servers o f his own party than to his p ol iti
-
cal foes He had hated the President with sullen con

.
,
sistent and unyielding venom from his first nomination at

,
Chicago d o wn to the last rumour o f his new procl amation .
In temperament a fanatic in impu l se a born re volu

,
tion ist the word conservatism was to him as a red rag to

,
a bull .The first cl ash of arms was music to his soul .
H e laughed at the cal l for volunte e rs and demand ed ,
the i mmed i ate equipment of an army o f a m illion men .
He saw it gro w t o From the first his eagle ,
eye had seen the end and all the long blood marked way ,
-
b e tween And fro m the first he began to plot the m os t

.
,
cruel and awful vengeance in human h i story .
And now his time had come .
The gi ant figure in the White H o use alone had dare d

t o brook his anger and block the way ; for o l d St o neman
was the Congre ss o f the Un ited States The oppositi o n .
was too we ak e v en fo r his contempt Cool delib e rat e.

, ,
an d v en o mous alik e i n vi ctory o r defeat the fasc inat i on

, ,
of his posit i ve faith and re v olutionary programme had

drawn the rank and file o f his party in Congress t o h i m
as charm e d satellites .
The Pre s i de nt greeted h i m cord i ally and wi th h is ,
hab itual defe rence to age and physical infirmity has te n ed

to place fo r h i m an easy chair near his d e sk .
A C las h of G ia n t s 41
He was breathi ng heavily and evidentl y l ab o uri ng und e r

great emotion He brought his cane to the floor wi th
.
violence pl aced b oth hands o n its crook leaned h i s

, ,
massive jaws on his hands for a moment and then ,
said
“
Mr President I have no t annoyed you with many re
.
,
quests during the past four years nor am I here to day ,

-
to ask any favours I have come to warn you that in the

.
,
course you have mapped o u t the e xecutive and l egisl a

,
tive b ranches have come to the parting of the ways and ,
that your encroachments o n the functions o f Congress

wil l be tol erated now that the Rebell ion is crushed n o t
, ,
”
for a single moment !
Mr Lincoln l i stened with dignity an d a ri pple o f fun
.
,
played ab o ut his eyes as he looked at his gr im vi si to r .
—
The two men were face t o face at last the two men ,
abo ve all others who had built and were to bu il d th e

—
foundations o f the New Nation Lincoln s in love and ,
’
wisdom to endure forever the Great Commoner s in hate

,
’
and madness to bear its harvest o f tragedy and death

,
for generations yet unborn .
“ ”
Wel l now Stoneman
, , began the good humoured
,
-
“ 7)
voice that puts me in mind
,
The old Commoner lifted his han d wi th a gesture o f

angry i mpatience :
“
Save your fables for fools IS it true that yo u have
.
prepared a procl amation restoring the conquered pro v

ince o f North Caro l ina to its p l ace as a state in the Uni o n
with no provision for Negro su ffrage o r the exile and d i s
”
franchi se ment of i ts rebels ?
42 Th e Cl a n sm an
The Pre s id ent rose and walked back and forth w ith
his hands folded behind him before answeri ng , .
“
I have The C onstitution grants to the National
.
Government no po wer to regu l ate su ffrage and makes no ,
pro vi sion for the control of conquered ‘
“ ” “
C o nsti tution ! thundered Stoneman I have a .
”
hundred constituti ons in the pigeon holes of my desk ! -
“ ”
I hav e sworn to support but o n e .
A worn out rag

-
’ ’
Rag o r sil k I ve sworn to execute it and I ll do it so
, , ,
”
help me God ! S aid the quiet voice .
“ ’
You ve been doing it for the past four years hav en t ,
’
” “
you ! sneered the Commoner What right had you
.
under the Constitution to decl are war against a sovereign ‘ ’
state ? To invade on e for coercion ? To blockade a

po rt ? To declare slaves free ? To suspend the wr it of
h abeas cor p us ? To create the state o f West Virg i nia by
the c o nsent of two states o n e of whi ch was dead and the
, ,
o ther one o f which lived in O hio ? By what authority

‘ ’
have yo u appo inted mil itary governors i n the soverei gn
states of Vir ginia Tennessee and Louisi ana ? Why
, ,
tri m the hedge and l ie about i t ? We too are revolu , ,
tion ists and you are o u r executive

, The Constitution .
‘
sustained and protected Slavery It w as a league with .
’ ‘
death and a co ve nant wi th hell and o ur flag a po lluted
,
In the stress of war s ai d the Presi dent wi th a far

, ,
“
away look it was necessary that I do t hings as Com
,
mande r in Chi ef o f the Army and Navy to save the Union

- -
which I have no right to do now that the Unio n i s save d

A C la s h of G ia nt s 43
an d its Constitution preserved My first duty is to re .
estab l ish the Constitution as o ur supreme law over every

”
inch of o ur soil .
“
The Co nstitution be d— d ! hissed the old man
”
.
It w as the creation both i n letter and S pirit o f the sl ave

, ,
”
ho l de rs o f the South .
“
Then the world i s their debtor and their work is a ,
monument o f i mperi shab l e gl ory to them and to their

”
chil dren I have sworn to preserv e it !
.
We hav e outgrown the swaddl ing clothes o f a babe .
”
We will make new constitutions !
‘“
Fools rush in where angel s fear to tread softl y ,
s p o ke the tal l self contai n ed man

,
-
.
For the first time the old leader winced He had long .
ago e xhauste d the v ocabulary of contempt on the Presi

d ent hi s characte r ab il ity and pol icy He felt as a
, , ,
.
sho ck the first impression of supreme authority wi th which

he spoke The man he had despised had grown i nto th e
.
gre at c o nstruct ive statesman who wou l d dispute wi th him

every i nch of ground i n the attainment of his sini ste r
l i fe purpose
-
.
Hi s hatred grew more intense as he realised the pre s

tige and po we r with which he was cl othed by hi s m ighty
o ffi ce .
With an e ffort he restrai ned his anger and assume d an ,
argume ntative tone .
“ ’
Can t yo u see that your so called states are now but -
c o nqu e r e d ro v mc e s ? That North Caro l ina and o ther

p
waste terri t o ries of the United States are unfit to asso ci
”
ate wi th civilis e d commun i t ies ?
We fought n o war o f conquest qu i etly urged the ,
“
President but on e o f self preservation as an i nd i ssolubl e
,
-
Union No state e ver got out o f i t by the grace of G od

.
,
and the p o wer o f o ur arms Now that we have w o n

.
,
an d established for all ti me i ts unity shall we stultify ,
oursel ves by declaring we were wrong ? These states

must be i mmediate l y restored to their rights or we shall ,
betray the blood we have S hed There are n o con .

‘
’
quered pro v inces for us to S poil A nati on cannot make.
”
conquest o f its own territory .
“
But we are acting outsi de the C o nsti tuti on ,
ru te d St o neman
p .
“
C o ngress has n o e xi stence outsid e the Consti tut i on ,
was th e quick answer .
The ol d C o mmoner sco wle d and his beetling br ows

,
hid for a mom e nt hi s eyes . Hi s keen i ntel lect w as catch

in g i ts fi rst gl i mpse o f the i ntellectual grandeur of the man
wi th whom he was grappl i ng The facil i ty wi th which
.
he c o uld see all S ides o f a questi on an d the vivi d i magi ,
nati on whi ch li t his mental pro ce s se s were a revelatio n ,

.
We always un deresti mate the men we despise .
“ ”
Why n o t o ut with i t ? crie d Stoneman suddenly ,
changi ng h is tack . You are determined to Oppose

”
Ne gr o suffrage ?
“
I have suggeste d t o Go vernor Hahn of Louisi ana to
c o ns ide r the pol i cy o f adm i tt i ng the more i ntel li gent and
those who serv ed i n the war It i s o nly a suggesti o n

. .
”
The state alone h as the power to confer the ballot .
“ ’
But the truth i s this little suggesti o n o f yo urs i s o nly
‘
a b o ne thr o wn t o radical d o gs t o sat i sfy o ur h o wl i ngs for

A C l as h of G i a nt s 45
’
the m o ment ! In yo ur soul o f s o uls you don t belie ve in
,
the equality o f man if the man under compari son be a

”
ne gro ?
“
I bel i eve that there is a physical difference betwee n
the white and b l ack races which wi ll forever forbid thei r
l iving together on terms o f po l itical and social equal ity .
”
If such b e attempted o n e must go to the wall
,
.
“
Very wel l pin the Southern white man to the wall
,
.
”
Our party and the Nation wi ll then be safe .
“
That is to say destroy African s l avery and establish
,
whi te sl avery under Negro masters ! That would be

”
pro gress with a vengeance .
A grim S mil e twitched the old man s lips as he said ’
“
Yes your prim conservative snobs and male waiti ng
,
mai ds in Congress went into hysterics when I arm e d the

”
n e groes Yet the heavens have not fal len
. .
“
True Yet no more i nsane blunder could n ow be
.
mad e than any further attempt to use these Negro troops .
There can be no such t hing as restoring th is Union to its

basis of fraternal peace with armed negroe s wearing the ,
uniform o f this Nation tramp ing over the South and

, ,
rousing the basest passions of the freedmen and their

former masters General Butler their o l d commander
.
, ,
i s now making plans for their removal at my request , .
He e xpects to dig the Panama Canal with these black

troops .
“ —
Fi ne scheme that on a par wi th yo ur messages to
Congress as ki ng fo r the c olon i satio n o f the wh ole Negr o
”
race !
“
It will co me to that ultimately sai d the Preside nt
, ,
46 Th e Cl a n s man
firmly . The Negro has cost us the d e so

lation of ten great states an d rivers o f b l ood We can
, .
well afford a few mi lli on do ll ars more to effect a permanent

settlement o f the i ssue This is the on l y policy o n which
.
Seward and I have differed

“ ’
The n Seward was not an utterly hopeless fool I m .
”
glad to hear som e thing to his credit gr owled the old ,
Commoner .
“
I have urge d the colonisation of the negro e s and I ,
S hall continue until it i s accomplished My emancipa .
tion procl amation was linked with this plan Thousan ds .
o f them hav e lived in the North for a hundred years yet ,
not on e is the pastor o f a white church a judge a go v ern o r , , ,
a mayor or a co ll ege president There i s no room for two

,
.
distinct races of white men i n Ameri ca much l e ss for two ,
dist i nct races of whites and b l acks We can have no in .
fer ior servi le class peon or peasant

,
We must assimilate
.
or expel The American is a citizen king or nothing I

. .
can conce ive of no greater calam i ty than the assim ilati on

o f the Negr o i nto o u r social and polit i cal life as our equal .
A mulatto citizenship would be to o dear a pri c e t o pay

”
even for emancipation .
“
Words have no power to express my loathi n g for such
”
twaddl e ! cried Stoneman snapp i ng his great jaws to
,
gether and p ursing his lips with contempt .
“
If the Negro were not here would we all o w him t o
”
land ? the President went o n as if tal king to him ,
self. The duty to e xcl ude carri es the r ight to expel .
Withi n twenty years we can peacefull y col o nise the Negro

,
i n th e tropics and give him o ur language literature

, , ,
sible for Slavery ? Has n o t the South lost all ? Have

not the Southern peopl e paid the fu ll penalty o f all the
crimes o f w ar ? Are o ur skirts free ? Was Sherman s ’
march a picnic ? This war h as b een a giant conflict o f

principles to decide whether we are a b undle o f petty
s o vereignties held by a rope of sand or a mighty natio n o f
fre e men But for the loyalty of four border Southern
.
—
states but for Farragut and Thomas and their two
hundred thousand heroic Southern brethr en who fought
for the Uni on against their o w n flesh and b l ood we shoul d ,
hav e lo st Yo u cannot indict a peop l e

.
’3
“ ”
I d o indict them ! muttered the old man .
”
Surel y went on the even thr obbing voice surely
, , , ,
the v astness of this war its titanic battles its hero i sm

, , ,
its subl i me e arnestness S h o uld sink i nto obliv ion al l low

,
schemes of v engeance ! Before the sheer grandeur o f its

hi story our children will wal k with sil ent lips and un c ov
,
”
e red heads .
“
And forget the pri son pen at Anderson v ille ! -
Yes We refused as a policy of war to exchange

.
, ,
those pri soners b l ockaded their p o rts made med i ci n e

, ,
c o n tr abr an d and brought the Southern Army itself t o

,
starv ati on The prison records when made at last fo r

.
,
”
history will S how as many deaths on o ur S ide as on the i rs
,
.
“
The murderer o n the gall ows al ways wins more sym
”
pathy than his forgotten victim interrupted the cynic ,
.
“
The sin o f vengeance is an easy o n e under the subtle
” “
plea of justice said the sorrowfu l voice
, Hav e we not .
’
had en o ugh of bloodshed ? IS not God s v engeance
e n o ugh ? Whe n She rman s army swept to the sea be ’
,
A C la s h of G ia nt s 49
fore him lay the Garden o f Eden behind him stretched a ,
d e sert ! A hundred years cann o t give back to the wasted

South her weal th or two hundred years restore to her the
,
lo st seed treasures o f her young manhood

“
The imbecility o f a po l icy o f mercy in this crisis can
”
only mean the re ign of treason and vio l ence pe rsisted ,
the old man ignoring the Pres i dent s words

,
’
.
“
I leave my policy before the judgment bar o f time ,
content wi th its verdict In my pl ace radical ism would .

,
hav e driven the border states into the Confederacy every ,
Southern man back to his kinsmen and divided the North ,
itself into civil conflict I hav e sought to guide and .
contro l public opinion into the ways o n which depended

our l ife This rational fle x ibil ity of po l icy you and your
.
fel l ow radical s have been please d to call my v ac illating

”
imbecil ity .
“ ”
And what is your message for the South ?
‘
Simp l y this : Abolish sl avery come back home and , ,
’
behave yourse l f Lee surrendered to our o ffers o f peace
.
and amnesty In my last message to Congress I told

.
,
the Southern peopl e they coul d have peace at any moment

b y simply laying down their arms and submitting to
National authority Now that they have taken me at .
my word shal l I betray them by an ignob l e revenge ?

,
Vengeance cannot heal and purify ; it can onl y b rutalise

”
and destroy .
Stoneman shu ffled to his feet with impatience .
I see it is usel ess to argue with yo u I ll not waste .

’
my breath . I give yo u an u l timatum The South is .
co nquered soil I mean to bl ot it fro m the map Rather

. .
than admit o n e traitor to the halls o f Congress from the se

so cal led states
-
I will shatter the Union itself i nto ten
,
thousand fragments ! I will n o t sit beside men whos e

clothes smell o f the b l ood o f my kindred At least d ry .
them before they come in Four years ago w ith yells and.
,
curses these traitors l eft the hall s o f Congress t o j oi n the

,
”
arm ies o f Cataline Shall they return to rule ?
.
“ ” “
I repe at sai d the President y o u cannot ind i ct a
, ,
people Treason is an easy word to S peak A traito r

. .
i s one who fights and l oses Wash ington was a traito r t o.
George III Treason wo n and Washin gton is immortal

.
, .
T reason i s a word that victors hurl at those who fa il .
“ ”
Listen to me Stoneman inte rrupted with vehem en ce
, .
The l ife of our party demands that the Negro be given

the ballot and made the ru l er of the So uth Thi s can .
be done o nly by the exterm ination o f its landed ar isto c

racy that the ir mothers shal l not breed another race o f
,
traitors This is not vengeance It is justice it i s p a

. .
,
tr iotism i t i s the highest w i sdom and human ity

,
Nature .
,
at t imes blots o ut whole communities and races that ob

,
struct pro gress Such is the po l itical genius o f these

.
people that unless you make the Negro the ruler the South
, ,
wil l yet reconquer the North and undo the work of th i s

war .
“
If the South i n poverty and ruin can do thi s we de ,
serve to be rul ed ! The North is rich and powerful the —
South a land of wreck and tomb I greet with wonder

, .
,
shame and scorn such ignob l e fear ! The Nation cannot

,
be heal ed until the South is heal ed Let the gulf be closed .
i n wh ich we bury Slavery sectional animos i ty and all , ,

Th e S o u th is c on
q u e re d s o il. I m e an to b l o t it fro m th e map .
A C la s h of G i a nt s 5 1
strifes and hatreds The good sense of our pe o ple will

.
”
never consent to your scheme of insane v engeance .
“
The people have no sens e A new fool is born every .
”
second They are rul ed by impul se and p as s ion
. .
“
I have trusted them before and they have not faile d ,
me The d ay I left for Gettysburg to dedicate the battle

.
field you were so sure of my defeat in the approaching

,
convention that you shouted across the street to a fri end

‘ ’
as I passe d Let the dead bury the dead ! It was a bril
,
liant sally o f wi t I laughed at i t myself An d ye t the

. .
peo ple unan im o usly calle d me agai n to l e ad the m to

”
vi ctory .
“
Yes i n th e past sai d Stoneman b itterly yo u have
, , , ,
tr iumphed but mark my word : from this ho ur your star

,
g r o w s di m The slumbering
. fire s o f passion will be
’
kin dle d In the fight we join to day I ll break yo ur back
.
-
,
and wr i ng the n e ck of e very dastar d and t ime server wh o -
”
fawns at yo ur feet .
The President broke into a laugh that only incre ased

’
the old man s wrath .
“ ”
I pro test against the insult of your bu flo o n ery !
E xcuse me Stoneman ; I have to laugh or die beneath
,
”
th e burden s I bear surrounded by such supporters !
,
“
Mark my word growled th e old leader from the,
“
,
m o m e nt yo u publish that North Carolina proclamation ,
”
yo ur nam e w ill b e a by word in Congress -
.
“ ”
There are h igher powers .
”
You will need them .
“ ’
I ll hav e help was the cal m repl y as the dre am iness
, ,
“
of th e o et an d myst i c stole o ver the rug ge d f c e I
p a .
would be a presumptuous fool i ndeed i f I thought that , ,
for a day I coul d discharge the duties of this great office

without the aid of O ne who i s wiser and stronger than
”
all others .
’
You ll need the help of Alm ighty God in the c o urse
’ ”
you ve mapped o ut !
“
Some ships come into port that are not steered we nt ,
“
on the dreamy voice Suppose P i ckett had charged
.
o n e hour earli er at Gettysburg ? Suppos e the Mon itor

had arr ived o n e hour later at Hampton Roads ? I had
a dream last night that always presages great e vents .
I saw a white S hip passing sw i ftl y under ful l sail I have .
often seen her before I have never known her port o f

.
entry or her destination but I hav e always known he r

,
”
Pilot !
’
The cynic s l ips curled with scorn He leaned heavily .
o n his c a ne and took a shamb l ing step toward the door

, .
“ ”
Yo u refuse to heed the wishes of Congress ?
If your words vo ic e th e m y e s Force your scheme
,
,
.
o f revenge o n the South and you so w the wind to reap the

,
”
whirl wind .
“
Indeed ! and from what secret cave wil l this wh irl
”
wind come ?
“
The despair o f a mighty race o f worl d conquering -
men even in defeat is still a force that statesm e n reckon

, ,
”
with .
“
I defy them growled the old Common e r
, .
’
Again the dreamy l ook returned to Lincoln s face and ,
h e spoke as if repeating a message of the soul caught i n the

cl o uds i n an hour of tran sfigu ratio n :
54 Th e C lan s m an
shall strive to finish the work we are in an d bi n d up th e ,
’ ”
Nation s wounds .
“ ’
I v e g iven yo u fai r warn i ng crie d the o ld Comm o ner , ,
trembling with rage as he hobbled nearer the d oor , .
“
From this hour your administrat ion is doomed ”
.
“ ’ “ ’
Sto n e man said the kind l y voi ce I can t tell yo u
, ,
h o w your v enomous philanthropy sickens me You hav e .
misunderstood and abused m e at e very step duri ng the

past four years I bear you no ill wi ll If I have said
. .
anyth i ng to day to hurt your feel ings forg ive me Th e

-
,
.
e arnestness wi th which you pressed the war was an in

’
v aluabl e se rvice to me and to th e Nation I d rather .
work wi th you than fight you But now that we hav e .
t o fight I d as well tell you I m n o t afra id o f yo u

,
’
I ll ’
.
’
suffer my right arm to be se vered from my body befo re

’
I ll S ign one m e asure of ignoble re venge on a brave fallen ,
foe and I ll keep up this fight unt il I w in die or my

,
’
, ,
”
c o untry forsakes me .
“
I have always known you had a sneaking adm ir a
t ion for the South came the sullen sneer , .
“
I lo v e the South ! It is a part o f this Unio n I lo v e .
e very fo ot of its soil every hill and val l ey mountai n lake

, , , ,
and se a and every man woman an d child that breathe s

, , ,
”
beneath i ts ski es I am an Am erican . .
As th e burn i ng words leape d from the h e art of the

President the broad shoul ders o f his tall form lifted
, ,
and hi s massive head rose in unconscious heroic pose .
“
I marve l that yo u e ver made war upon your lo ved
”
on e s ! cried the cynic .
“
We fo ught the South because we l oved her an d wo ul d
Cl a s h of Gi a nt s 55
n o t let her go Now that she i s crushed and lies bleed ing
.
at o ur feet — y o u shall not mak e war o n the wounde d th e

,
”
dying an d the dead !
,
Again the l ion gleamed in the calm gray eye s .

CH AP TER V
TH E B ATTL E OF L OVE
L SIE
’
carried B e n Came ro n s pardon t o the anxio us
mother and s i ster with her m i nd i n a tumult .
The name on these fateful pape rs fascinate d

her She read it again and again w i th a curious p e rs o nal
.
j o y that she had save d a life !

She had entere d o n her work among the hosp itals a
’
b itter parti san o f her father s schoo l with th e s i mpl e ,
i dea that all Southerners were sav age brutes Yet as S h e .
had s e en the wounded boys from the South among the

men i n blue m o re and more sh e had forgotten the d iffer
,
e nce betwe e n them They were so young these slende r

.
, ,
—
dark haire d o nes fro m Dixie so pitifully yo ung ! S o me
-
of the m we re o nly fifte e n and hundreds not o ver s ixtee n

,
.
A lad of fourteen she had ki ssed on e day i n shee r ago ny

o f p ity for his lonel i n e ss .
The part her father was playi ng i n th e d rama on which

Ben Came ron s life h ad hung puzzled her Was his the
’
.
mysterious arm back o f Stanton ? Echoes of the fierce

struggl e w ith the Pres ident had floated through the half
Ope n d oo r .
’
Sh e ha d i mpl i ci t faith i n he r father s patrioti sm and
pri d e i n hi s g i ant i ntellect She knew that he was a ki ng
.
am o ng m e n by div ine right o f i nh e re nt p owe r His se n d

.
5 6
Th e B a tt le of L o ve 57
S itive sp i ri t broo d ing o ver a p it i ful lam e n e ss ha d hidde n

, ,
from the world behin d a frown ing bro w l ike a w o un ded

an imal Yet her hand i n hours o f love when n o e ye s ave
.
,
God s c o ul d se e h ad led his great s o ul out of i ts d ark

’
,
l air She l oved h i m with brood ing tenderness kn o wing

.
,
that sh e had go tten closer to his inner life than any o ther
‘
human be in g— clos e r than her o wn mother wh o ha d died ,
whil e she was a babe Her aunt wi th whom she an d

.
,
’
Phi l n ow l iv ed had told her the mother s li fe was n o t a
,
happy o ne Their natures had not pro ved c o ngenial and

.
,
her gentl e Quaker spirit had died o f gr ie f in the qu ie t

hom e in so uthern Pennsyl v an i a .
Yet there were times when he was a s tranger eve n t o

her Some secret dark and col d stood between them
.
, , .
O nce she had tenderly asked him what i t meant He .
me rely presse d her hand smil ed wearil y and said , ,
“
Nothing my d ear o nly the Blue De vil s afte r me
, ,
”
agai n .
He had al ways l ived in Washington i n a li ttl e h o u se

w ith b l ack shutters near the Capito l w hile the chi l dren
, ,
had live d wi th his s ister near the White H o us e where

, ,
they had grown from babyhood .
A curi ous fact about this place o n the Capito l h ill

was that hi s housekeeper Lydia Bro wn was a m u , ,
l atto a wo man o f e xtraordinary an imal beauty and the

,
fiery temper o f a leoparde ss Els i e had v entured there .
on c e an d got such a welcome she wou l d ne ve r return .
All so rts o f goss i p coul d be hear d i n Was hington about

this w o man her jewels her dresses her airs her assum p
, , , ,
tion o f the dignity o f the presiding ge ni us of Nat ional l egis

5 8 Th e C lan s m an
lat io n an d h e r do m inatio n o f the old C o mmon e r an d his

l i fe It gradually crept i nto the newspape rs an d mag a
.
zi nes but he ne ver once condesc e nded to noti ce i t

, .
Els i e begge d her fathe r t o close this house an d l ive w ith

them .
H is re ply was sho rt and emphati c

“
Impo s sible my child Th is club foo t m us t live n e xt
, .
-
do o r t o the Cap itol My house is simply an e xe cut ive

.
o ffi c e at whi ch I sleep Half the bus i ness o f the Nat ion

.
’ ”
is transacted there Don t ment io n this subject again
. .
E ls i e choked back a sob at the cold menace i n the tones

o f this command a n d ne ver rep e ate d her reques t It
, .
w as the only wish he had ev er den ied her and so meh ow , , ,
her heart woul d com e back t o i t wi th p e rs iste nc e an d

broo d and wonder over his motive .
The nearer s h e drew this morn i ng to the hos p i tal

, ,
’
doo r the clo se r the wo unded boy s l i fe an d l oved o nes
,
se emed t o her s She thought with anguish o f the sto rm

.
ab o ut t o break between her father and the Presi de nt

the o n e de mand ing the desolat ion o f thei r lan d w as te d , ,
harrie d an d unarmed the President fi rm in his po l i cy

,
-
o f m e rcy genero s ity and heal ing

, , .
He r father wo ul d n o t m i nc e word s H is s co rp io n .
tongu e s et o n fires of hell might s tart a c on flagration

, ,
that woul d light the Nation w i th its glare Wo ul d n o t h is .
nam e b e a te rror for ev ery man and wo man b o rn under

S o uthe rn sk ies ? The s i cken i ng feel ing s tol e ove r h e r that
h e was wrong and h i s po licy cruel and unjust
, .
S h e ha d n e v er before adm i red the Pre s i dent It was .
fash io nabl e to sp e ak with contempt of h i m i n Washingto n .

Th e B a t t le of L o ve 59
He had little follow ing i n Congress N i ne tenths o f the

.
-
pol iti ci ans hated or feared him and she kn ew her father
,
had been the soul o f a conspiracy at the Cap itol to pre

vent his sec o n d nom i nation and create a d i ctat o rsh i p ,
under which to carry out an iron pol icy o f re constr uction

in the So uth And now sh e foun d hers elf he art an d so ul
.
the champ io n o f the President .
She was as hame d o f her dislo yalty an d felt a rush o f ,
impe t uo us anger agains t Ben and his peop le for thr ust ing
them se l ves between her and her o wn Yet ho w absurd .
to feel thus against the i nnocent vi ctim s of a great tragedy !

She put the th ought from her Stil l sh e m ust part from
.
them n ow b efore the brew ing storm burs t It woul d b e .
be st for her and be st for them Thi s pard o n del ive red
.
woul d end their relati o n s She would sen d the pape r s

.
by a messenger an d n o t se e them again An d the n s h e .
thought wi th a thr o b of girl i sh pri de of the hour t o com e

’
i n the future when Ben s b ig bro wn eyes woul d be so fte ned
with a war when he wo uld learn that she had s aved his
life They had c o ncealed all from him as ye t
. .
She was afrai d to qu e stion too closely i n he r own he art

the shad o wy mot iv e that lay b ack o f her j o y She re ad .
“ ”
agai n wi th a linger i ng smile the name B e n Camero n on
the pape r wi th its b i g red Seal o f L ife She had laughed .
at b o ys wh o had ma d e l ov e to her dre am in g a wi der

'
, ,
n o bl e r l i fe o f he ro ic servi ce And she felt that she was

.
ful fill in g her i deal in the gener o us han d she had ex

ten ded to these wh o were fri en dl ess We re they not th e .
chil dren o f her so ul in that large r fin e r world of wh ich

,
s he ha d dre am ed and su n g ? Why s h o ul d s h e giv e them

up n o w for brutal pol i tics ? Thei r sorro w had b ee n h er s ,
th e ir joy should be hers too She would take the pape r s

.
herself and then say good bye -

.
Sh e found the m o ther an d sis ter bes ide the c o t Ben .
was sleepi ng wi th Margaret h ol di ng one o f his hands .
The m o the r was busy se wing fo r the wo unded Confe de rat e

boys she ha d fo un d s catte red thr o ugh the hospital .
At the si ght o f E ls i e hol di ng al o ft the m e ssag e o f l i fe ,
sh e sprang t o m ee t her w i th a cry o f j o y .
She clas pe d the girl t o her breas t unabl e t o S p e ak At

, .
last s he rel e ased he r an d s aid with a s o b

“
My chil d thro ugh g ood re p ort an d thr o ugh evil repo rt
, ,
”
my l ove wi ll e nfo l d yo u !
E lsi e stamm e red l oo ke d away an d tri ed to hi d e her
, ,
e m o t io n .Margare t had knelt an d bowed her head o n

’
Ben s cot She rose at length threw her arms around
.
,
E lsie i n a re sistl e s s impulse kis sed her and whispere d :

,
“ ”
My s weet s i ster !
’
E lsi e s heart l e ape d at th e words a s h e r e yes res te d o n
,
th e face o f the sl ee p ing sol die r .

CHAP TER VI
TH E AS S A S S INATI ON
’
call e d in the afternoon at the Came rons
L S IE
lodgings radiant wi th pride accompanied by her
, ,
brother .
Captain Phil Stoneman athletic bronze d a v eteran o f

, , ,
two years servi ce dressed in his fu l l uniform was the

’
, ,
ideal so l dier and yet he had ne ver lo ved war He w as

,
.
bub b ling o ver wi th quiet joy that the end had com e and h e
’
c o uld s o on return to a rational l i fe Inheri ti ng hi s m o ther s.
tempe rament he was generous enterpri s ing qu i ck in telli

, , , ,
g e nt
, modest and ambitious
, War had seemed . t o him
a horrible tragedy from the first He h ad early le arned to .
respect a brav e foe an d b i tterne ss had long since m elte d

,
o ut o f his heart .
’
H e had laughe d at h is father s hars h id eas o f S o uthe rn
l i fe gaine d as a pol itician and while loyal to hi m afte r
, ,
’
a b oy s fashion he took no stock i n his Radical programm e
, .
The father colossal egotist that he was heard Phi l s

, ,
’
pro tests with m il d amusement and qu i et prid e i n hi s

i nde pendence for he loved this b o y w ith deep te nderness
, .
’
Phil had be en touched by the story of Ben s narrow
escape and was anxi ous to sho w hi s m o the r and S iste r
,
e very c o urtesy p o ssib l e in part atonem e nt for the wrong

h e felt had b ee n do n e the m H e w as ti m id with girls
.
,
61
62 Th e C l a n s m an
an d ye t he w i shed to give Margaret a cord i al gr ee ting for

’
Els i e s sake He w as not prepared fo r the shock the
.
first appe arance o f the Southern girl gave hi m .
When the stately figure swept thr ough the door to greet
him her black eyes sparkl i ng wi th we l come her voice low
, ,
and ten de r with ge nu i ne feel i ng he caught hi s breath in ,
surpri s e .
Els i e n o ted his c o nfusio n with amus ement and said

I must go to the ho spi tal fo r a l ittle work Now Phil .
, ,
’ ” ’
I ll meet yo u at the do or at eight o clock .
“ ’ ”
I ll n o t fo rget he answe red abstrac te d ly w atch i ng
, ,
Margaret i ntentl y as sh e wal ked wi th El s i e to the door .
H e saw that her dress was o f coars e unbleached co tto n , ,
dyed wi th the ju i ce o f wal nut hulls and set w ith wooden

han d m ade buttons The story these things told of war and
-
.
want w as e l o quent ye t she wore them with unconscious

,
d ign i ty She had not a pin o r bro o ch o r pi ec e of jewelry

. .
E verything ab o ut her was plai n and smooth graceful and ,
—
grac io u s He r face was large the lo vely ov al type and
.
—
her luxuri ant hai r parted in the m i ddle fell d o wnward i n

, ,
two great wave s Tall stately hands o me her dark rare

.
, , ,
S o uthe rn b e auty full of subtl e langu o r an d i n d olent grace ,
she was t o Phi l a re v elati on .
The c o arse black d ress that clung cl o sely t o he r figure

see m e d al ive when sh e m ov e d vital wi th her b e auty ,
.
The mu sical cadences of her voi ce were vibrant with

feel ing swee t ten d er and h o mel ike And the o dour
, , , .
o f the rose s he wore p i nn ed low o n he r bre as t he could

swear was the perfume o f he r bre ath .
L in ge ring i n he r e yes an d e ch oin g i n the ton es o f he r

T h e A s s as s in a t io n 63
vo i ce he caught the shad o wy memory o f tears for the

,
loved and lost that gave a strange pathos and haunting

charm to her youth .
She had ret urne d q u i ckly and was talkin g at e as e with
“ ’
I m n o t going to tell you Captain Stoneman that I , ,
h o pe to be a siste r to you Yo u have already made .
”
yourself my brother in what you did for Ben .
“
No th ing I assure yo u Miss Cameron that any
, , ,
’
sold ier woul dn t do for a brave foe .
“
Perhaps ; but when the foe happens to be an on l y
brother my chum and playmate brave an d generous
, , ,
’
whom I ve wo rshipped as my beau ideal man why you — -
,
kn o w I must thank yo u for taking him in yo ur arms that

”
day May I agai n ?
.
,
Ph il felt the soft warm han d clasp h is wh ile the black ,
eyes sparkl e d an d gl o we d the ir friendly m es sage .
He murmure d somethi ng incoherently looked at ,
Margare t as if in a S pell and forgot to let her hand go

, .
She laughe d at las t an d he blushe d and dropped it as

,
though i t were a l ive coal .
“
I was about to fo rget M i ss Cameron I wi sh to take
, .
”
you t o the theatre to night if you will go ?
-
,
“ ”
To the theatre ?
’
Yes It s to be an occas ion Els ie tells me Laura
.
, .
K eene s las t appearance in Our Am e r i can Cousin and

’ ‘ ’
,
her one thousandth performance o f the play She played

-
.
it in Chicago at M c Vic k e r s when th e President was first

’
,
nominated to hundreds of the delegates who voted for

hi m He IS t o be p rese nt to n ight s o the E ven in g S tar
.
-
,
has ann o unced an d General and Mrs Grant with h im , . .
It will b e the Opportunity of your l i fe to see these fam o u s

—
me n b es ides I wi sh yo u to see the c ity illum i nate d o n
,
”
the way .
Margaret hes itated .
“
I sh o ul d like to go sh e s aid wi th some c o nfu sio n , .
But yo u see we are old fashi one d Scotch Presbyteri an s -
d o wn i n o ur village i n So uth Carolina I n eve r was i n

—
a theatre and thi s i s Go od Fr id ay
“ ’ ”
That s a fact sure said Ph il thoughtfully It , , , .
n ever occurre d t o m e War i s n ot exactly a sp ir i tual .
st i mulant and it blurs the calendar I bel ie ve we fight

, .
”
o n Sundays Oftener than on any other d ay .
“ ' ’
But I m crazy to see the Pre s id ent si nc e B e n s
pardon Mama w ill be here i n a m o ment an d I ll ask
.
,
’
”
her .
“ ’
You se e it s real ly an occas i on , Ph il we nt o n , .
The people are all go i ng the re to se e Pres i dent L i nc oln

i n the hour o f his triumph and h i s great Gen e ral fresh ,
from the field o f vi ctory Grant has just arr ived i n .
town .
Mrs Cameron entered an d greeted Phil w ith m o the rly

.
tenderness .
“ ’
Captai n you re so much l i ke my boy ! Had yo u
,
”
noticed it Margaret ? ,
“
Of course Mama but I was afrai d I d t i re h im
’
, ,
”
wi th flattery if I tried to tell him .
Only his hair i s light and wav y an d Ben s s traight an d

’
,
’ ’
black or yo u d call them twins Ben s a little taller
, .
’
e xcuse us Captai n St o neman but we ve fallen s o i n
, ,
T h e A s s as s in a t io n 65
’
lo ve with your little sister we feel we ve known you al l
”
our l iv es .
“
I assure you Mrs Cameron your flattery i s very
, .
,
sweet El sie and I do not remember our mother and

. ,
”
all this frie nd ly crit i cism is more than we l come .
“
Mama Captain Stoneman asks me t o go with him
,
and his S ister to night t o see the Pres i dent at the the atre
- .
”
May I go ?
“ ”
Will the Pres i de nt be there Captai n ? aske d Mrs , .
Cameron .
“
Ye s Madam wi th General and Mr s Grant i t s
, ,
— .
’
really a great publ i c function in celebrat ion o f peace

and vi ctory To day the flag w as rai sed over Ft Sumter
.
- .
,
the ann iversary o f i ts surrender fo ur years ago The .
”
city wil l be illum i nated .
Then of cours e you can go I wi ll sit w ith Ben

, ,
. .
”
I wi sh you to see the Preside nt .
’
At seven o clock Phil calle d for Margaret They .
walked to the Capitol hil l and down Pennsylvania Avenue .
The city was i n a ferment Vast c rowds thr onged the

!
.
streets In front o f the hote l where General Grant

.
stopped the t hr ong was so dense the streets were c o m

,
p le te l
y b l ocked Soldi e rs so l diers
. s oldiers at every , , ,
turn in squads i n compan ie s i n regi mental crowds

, , , ,
shout ing cries of victory .
Th e d i splay o f l ight s was d a zzl ing in it s s pl e ndour .
Every building in eve ry street i n every nook and c o rner of

the city was lighte d fro m atti c to cel l ar The publ i c bu ild .
ings an d churches vied with each other i n the magni fi cence

o f thei r d e coratio ns and splendo ur of illum i natio n s .
66 Th e C lan s m a n
They turne d a c o rner and suddenly the Capitol on the

,
thr o ne of its i mperial hill loome d a gran d co nste llat ion in

the he av ens ! An othe r look and i t seem ed a hug e b o n fire
,
aga inst the background o f the dark skies Eve ry wi nd o w .
in i ts labyr i nths o f marble from the mass ive bas e t o its

,
crown in g statu e o f F reedom gleam ed an d flashe d with

,
—
l ight m o re than te n tho usan d jet s p o ure d their rays
thr o ugh i t s win do ws b e s i des the i nnumerabl e l ights that
,
c ircl ed the m ighty d ome w ithin an d w i thout .
Margare t s to pp ed an d Phil fe lt he r so ft h an d gr i p h is
,
arm wi th s u d den emoti o n .
“ ”
Isn t i t s ubl i m e ! S h e whis p ere d
’
.
”
Gl o rio us ! he e ch oed .
But he was th inki ng o f the pre s s ure o f he r han d on

h is arm an d th e subtl e tones o f her voi ce S o m e h ow h e .
felt that the l ight came fro m her eyes H e fo rgo t th e .
Cap it o l and th e s urg i ng cro wds befo re the swee te r cr e ative

wo n de r s ilently gr o w i ng i n h i s s o ul .
“ “
An d ye t s he faltered when I th i nk o f what all th i s
, ,
—
m e ans for o ur pe opl e at home the ir s o rrow an d p ove rty
”
an d ru i n —yo u know i t make s me fai nt .
’
Ph il s han d t i m i dly sought the s o ft o n e res t ing o n h is
arm an d touch e d i t re v erently .
“
B el ieve m e M i ss Margaret i t wi ll b e all fo r the best
, ,
i n the end The S o uth wil l yet r i se to a nobler life than

.
s he has eve r l ive d i n the past Th i s is her victo ry as well

.
”
as o urs .
“
I wish I coul d think so she answered ,
.
The y passed the City Hal l and saw across its fro nt in ,
i ant l e tt er s o f fire th i rty fe et d ee p th e wo r d s

g ,
enacted i n every centre o f the North The whole city .
was now a fairy dream its dirt and sin shame and crime
, , ,
al l wrapped in glori ous light .
But above all other impressions was the contag ion o f

the thunder shouts o f hosts Of men surging through the
—
streets the human roar with its animal and spiritual
magnet i sm wild resistless unl ike any other force in the
, , ,
universe !
’
Margaret s hand again and again unconsciousl y
’
tightened its h old on Phi l s arm and he fel t that the whole
,
celebrati on had been gotten up fo r his benefit .
They passed through a little park on their way to

Fo rd s The atre on 10th Street and the eye o f the Southern
’
,
girl w as qu i ck t o n o te the budd ing flowers and full b l own -
lilac s
.
“ ”
S e e what an early S pri ng ! sh e cri ed I kn o w th e .
”
flowers at home are gorgeous now .
“
I shall h Op e t o see you among them some day whe n ,
”
all th e clouds have l i fted he sai d ,
.
She smiled an d repl ie d w ith S i mple earnestness

A warm welco m e w ill awai t your c o ming .
And Phil resolved to lo se no ti me i n test ing it .
They turned into 1 0th Street an d i n the m i ddle of ,
th e block stood th e pla i n three story br i ck structure o f -
’
Ford s Theatre an enorm o us crowd surging about its five
,
do orways and spreading o ut o n the s i dewalk and half

across the drive way .
“ ”
Is that the theatre ? asked Margaret .
”
Yes.
Why i t looks l ike a church with o ut a steeple

,
.
T h e A s s a s s in a t io n
Exactly what it real ly is Miss Margaret It was a ,

.
Bapti st church They turned it in to a pl ayhouse by

.
,
—
remodell ing its gallery i nto a dress circl e and bal cony and
add ing another gall ery abo ve My grandmother Stone .
man is a de voted Bapti st and was an attendant at this ,
church My father never goes to church but he used to

.
,
go here occasi onally to please her Elsie and I frequently .
”
came .
Phil pushe d his way rapidly through the crowd with a

peculiar sense o f pl easure in making a way for Margaret
and in defending h e r from the jostl ing throng .
They found E l sie at the door stamping her foot with ,
i mpatience .
“
Well I must say Ph il this i s prompt for a soldier who
, , ,
“ ” ’
ha d po s it ive orders sh e cried I ve been here an hour
,
. .
“
Nonsense S is I m ahead of time he prote s ted
, ,
’
, .
E lsie held up her watch .
“ ’
It s a quarte r past e ight Every seat i s fi lle d and .
,
they ve stop p ed s el l ing standing room I h Op e yo u have

’
-
.
good seats .
“
The best i n the house to night the fir st row in the -
,
bal cony dress — ci rcle Opposi te the Pres i dent s box We

,
’
.
can see everything o n the stage i n the b o x and every , ,
”
nook and corner o f the house .
“ ’
Then I ll forgive you fo r keep ing m e waiting
, .
They ascended the stairs pushe d thr o ugh the throng ,
stand ing an d at last reached the seats

, .
What a crowd ! The bu il ding w as a mass of throb b ing

humanity and over all the hum of the thrill ing wonder
, , ,
o f pe ace and victory !

The women i n magnificent costumes oflic ers i n un i ,
forms flashing with go l d the show of wealth and power

, ,
the perfume o f flowers and the mus i c o f v iol i n an d flutes

gave Margaret the i mpress i on of a dream so sharp ,
was the c o ntrast with he r o wn l i fe and people in

the S o uth .
The i nterior o f the house was a b ill o w of red wh i te and , ,
’
b lue The Pres i dent s box was wrapped i n two enormous
.
silk flags w ith gold fr inged edges gracefu l ly draped and

-
hanging i n festoons .
Withers the leader o f the orchestra was i n high feather

, , .
H e rai se d his baton w i th quick insp ired mo vement It ,

.
was fo r hi m a pe rsonal tri umph too He had com , .
pose d the mus i c of a song for the occas ion It was .
de d icated to the Pres i dent and the programme ann o unced

,
that i t wo uld be rende red during the evening between the

acts by a famous quartet assisted by the whole company
,
i n chorus The National flag would be draped about

.
each s i nger wo rn as th e togas o f anc ient Greece an d

,
R om e .
It was alre a dy kn own by the cro wd that General and

Mrs Grant had left the c i ty for the North and could not
.
be present but e very eye w as fixed on the door through

,
which the Pres i dent an d Mrs Li ncoln would enter It . .
was the h o ur o f hi s supreme tri umph .
What a romance h i s life ! The th o ught of i t thrilled the

crowd as they waite d A few years ago this tal l sad
.
,
face d man had floated d own the Sangamon River into a

rough Ill i no i s t o wn ragged pennil ess friendl ess alone
, , , , ,
begging fo r work Four years before he had ente red

.
,
T h e A s s a s s in a t io n 7 I
Washington as President o f the United States but he -
came under cover o f the night with a handful of personal

friends amid un iversal contempt for his abi l ity and the
,
loud expressed conv ictio n o f his fail ure from within and
wi thout his party He face d a divided Nati on and the
.
most awful civil convulsion in history Through it all .
he had le d the Nation in safety growing each day in ,
power and fame until to night amid the v i ctorious

,
-
,
shouts o f mill ions of a Union fixe d i n eternal granite he ,
stood forth the idol o f the people the first great American , ,
the foremost man o f the world .
The re was a stir at the door and the tall figure su d denly
,
lo o me d i n vi ew of the crowd With on e impulse they .
leaped t o the i r feet and sh o ut after shout shook the

,
“ ”
bu ilding The orchestra w as playing Hail to the Chief !
.
but nobody hear d it They saw the Ch ief ! They were

.
cryi ng their own welcome i n musi c that cam e from the

rhyt hm i c beat of human hearts .
As the Pres i dent wal ked along the aisle with Mrs .
’
Lincoln accompan i ed by Senator Harr i s daughter and
,
Major Rathbone cheer after cheer burst from the crowd

, .
He turned his face beam i ng wi th pl e as ure an d b o wed

, ,
as he pass ed .
The answer o f the cro w d shook the bu ilding t o its

foundations and the President paused H is dark face
, .
flashed w ith emoti on as he looked over the sea of cheering

human ity It was a moment of supreme exaltation
. .
The p e ople had grown to know and lo v e and trust h im ,
and it was sweet His face lit with the respo ns i ve fires o f
.
,
emotion was tran sfigu r e d The sou l seemed to separate

, .
i tself from it s dreamy rugged dwelling place an d flash ,

-
its i nspiration from the S pirit worl d .
’
As aro un d this man s personal i ty had gathered the
agony and horror o f war so now about h i s head glowed ,
and gleamed i n i magination the S pl endours of vi ctory .
Margaret i mpul sivel y put her hand o n Phil s arm : ’
“
Wh y how Southern he looks ! How tall and dark and
,
”
typical h i s whole figure !
“
Yes an d his traits of character e ven m o re typical
, ,
sai d Phil O n the surface easy friendl y ways and the

.
,
tenderness of a wo man— beneath an i ron w ill and lion ,
heart I like hi m An d what always amazes me i s his

. .
un iversality A Southerner finds i n h i m the So uth the

.
,
Weste rn man the West ev en Charles Sumner from , ,
Bosto n almost lo v es him You know I think he i s the

, .
first great all ro un d Am eri can who ever l ive d i n the

-
White House .
’
The Pres i dent s party had now entere d the b o x and as ,
Mr L in coln to o k the arm chai r nearest the audie nce

.
-
,
i n full vi ew o f every eye in the house agai n the cheers ,
’
rent the air In v ain Withers baton flew and the
.
,
o rchestra d id its best The mus i c was drown ed as i n the

.
r o ar o f the sea Again he rose and bowe d and smil ed

.
,
h is face radiant wi th pleasure The soul beneath tho se .
dee p cut l i nes had long p i ne d for the sunl ight His
- .
l ov e o f the theatre and the humorous sto ry were the

pro test of h is heart against pain and trage dy He sto od .
there bowi ng to the peopl e the grandest gentlest figure , ,
of the fiercest war o f human history—a man who was

always do ing mercifu l things stealthil y as others do
Th e A s s as s in at io n 73
crimes Littl e sunl ight had come into his life yet to
.
,
night he fel t that the su n o f a new day in his history and

the hi story o f the peopl e was al ready tingeing the horiz on
with gl ory .
Back of those smi l es what a story ! Many a night he

had paced back and forth in the tel egraph o ffice o f the
War Department read its awful news of defeat and
, ,
alone sat down and cried over the l ist o f the dead Many .
a black hour his sou l had seen when the honours o f

earth were forgotten and his great heart throbbed o n his
s l ee ve His character had grown so evenly and sil entl y
.
w ith the burdens he had borne working mighty deeds

,
with such l ittl e friction he cou l d n o t know nor could the

, ,
crowd to whom he bowed how deep i n to the core of the

,
’
peopl e s life the love of him had grown .
As he looked again over the surging crowd his tal l ,
figure seemed to straighten erect and buoyant with the

, ,
new dign ity of conscious triumphant l e adership He .
knew that he had come unto hi s own at last and his ,
brain w as teemin g with dreams o f mercy and heal ing .
The President resumed his seat the tumul t died away

, ,
and the pl ay began amid a low hum o f whispered comment

directed at the flag— draped box The actors struggl ed in
.
v ain to hold the attention o f the audience until finall y ,
Hawk the actor pl aying Dundreary determined to

, ,
catch their c ar paused and said :

,
“
No w that reminds me o f a little sto ry as Mr Li ncoln , .
says
Instantl y the crowd burst into a storm o f appl ause the ,
President laughed leaned o ver and S poke to his wife and

, ,
the electri c conn e cti o n was made betwe e n the stage th e ,
box and the peopl e

, .
After this the play ran its smooth course and the
, ,
audience settled into its accustomed humour of sym

pathetic attention .
In spite o f the nove lty of this her first vi ew of a theatre ,
the President fas cinated Margaret She watched the .
changing lights and S hadows o f his sensitive face with

untiring interest and the wonder of his life grew up o n her
,
imagi nation This man who was the idol of the North
.
and yet to her so purely Southern who had co me o ut of ,
th e We st an d yet was greater than the West or th e North ,
—
an d yet always supremely human this man who sprang
to his feet from the chair of State and bowed to a sorrowi ng
woman with the deference o f a knight e very man s ,
’
fri end good natured sensib l e masterfu l an d clear in

,
-
, ,
,
—
intel le ct strong yet modest kind and ge ntl e yes he was ,
, ,
m ore interest i ng than al l the drama and romance o f the

stage !
He hel d he r imagination in a spel l Els i e divining .
,
’
her abstraction looked toward the President s box and
,
s aw approach ing it al ong the bal cony aisle the figure o f
John W ilkes Booth .
’ ’
Lo ok sh e cried touching Margaret s arm
, , There s .
’
J o hn Wil kes Booth the actor ! Isn t he hands o me ?
,
The y say he s in lo v e with my chum a senator s daugh

’
,
’
”
ter whose father hates Mr Lincoln with perfect fury . .
“ ” ’
He is handsome Margaret answered ,
But I d
b e afrai d o f him with that raven hair an d e ye s shi ning
,
”
l ik e something wil d .
The mu ffled crack o f a pisto l in the Pres i dent s box ’
hushed the laughter for an instant .
No one real ised what had happened and when the ,
assassin sudden l y leaped from the box with a blood ,
marked knife flashing in his right hand caught his foot ,
in the flags and fell to his knees on the stage many thought ,
it a part o f the programme and a boy l eaning over the

, ,
gall ery rail giggl ed When Booth turned his face o f

,
.
statuesque beauty l it by eyes flashing with in sane despera

”
tion and cried S ic s emp er tyran n is they were only
, , ,
confirmed in this impression .
A sudden piercing scream from Mrs Lincoln quivering

,
.
,
,
soul harrowing ! Le aning far o u t o f the bo x from ashe n

-
,
cheeks and lips leape d the piteous cry o f appeal her hand ,
pointing to the retreating figure :

“ ”
The President i s shot ! He h as kill ed the President !
E very heart stood stil l for o n e awful moment The .
—
brain refused to record the message and the n the sto rm
bur st !
A wild roar o f helpless fur y and despair ! Men hurl e d
themsel ves o ver the footl ights in v ain pursu i t o f the as
sassin Alr eady the clatter o f h is horse s feet could be
.
’
heard in the distance A sur geon threw h i msel f against

.
the door o f the bo x but it had been barred wi thin by the

,
cunning hand Another leaped on the stage and the

.
,
people lifted him up in their arms and over the fatal

rail ing .
Women began to faint and strong men trample d d o wn

,
the weak in mad rushes from S ide to side .
The stage in a moment was a seething mass o f cra ze d

T h e A s s as s i n a t io n 77
men am o ng them the actors and actresses in costumes

,
and painted faces their mortal terror shining thr o ugh

,
the rouge They passed water up to the bo x and some

’
.
,
tried to cl imb up and enter it .
’
The two hundred so l diers o f the President s guard
sudden l y burst in and amid screams and groans o f the
, ,
weak and injured stormed the house with fixed bayonets

, ,
cursing yell ing and S houting at the top o f their voices :

, ,
“ ”
C l ear o u t ! C l ear o u t ! You sons o f Hell !
O ne Of them sudden l y bore down with fi xed bayonet
toward Phil .
Margaret s h rank in terror cl ose to his side and trem

blin gly held his arm .
El s i e S prang forward her face aflam e her eyes flashing , ,
fire her littl e figur e tense erect and quivering wi th rage :

, , ,
“ ”
How dare you idiot brute ! , ,
The sol dier brought to his senses saw Phil in full

, ,
’
captain s uniform before him and suddenl y drew himself ,
up saluting Phi l ordered him to guard Margaret and

,
.
Elsie for a moment drew his sword leaped between the , ,
cra zed soldiers and their vi ctims and stopped their insane
rush .
Within the box the great head lay in the surgeon s arms
,
’
,
the bl ood Slowly dripping down and the tiny death ,
b ubbl es forming o n the kindl y l ips They carried him .
tenderly out and another group bore after hi m the u n

,
conscious wife The peopl e tore the seats from their

.
fastenings and heaped them in piles to make way fo r the

precious burdens .
As Phi l pressed forward with Margaret and E l sie ,

through the open door cam e the roar o f the m o b w itho ut ,
s houting its cries :

“ ”
The President is sh o t !
”
Seward is murdered !
”
Where is Grant ?
”
Where i s Stanton ?
”
To arms ! To arms !
The peal o f signal guns could n o w be he ard the roll ,
’
o f drums and the hurried tramp o f soldiers feet They .
marched non e too soon The mob had attacked the

.
stockade hold i ng te n th o usan d unarm ed C o nfederate

pr is o ners .
At the c o rner of the block i n wh i ch th e th e atre sto o d ,
the y se ized a man wh o l o oked l ike a Southe rn e r an d

hung hi m t o the lamp post Two hero i c po licem e n fought
- .
th eir way to hi s s i de an d rescued him .
If the temper of the people during the war had b e en

—
c o n vulsi ve now it was insane with one mad i mpuls e
,
—
an d o n e thought vengeance ! Horror anger t e rro r , , ,
unce rtai nty each pass i on fanned th e one an imal i nstinct

,
i nt o fury .
Through this awful night with the lights still gl e am i ng

,
as i f to mock th e celebrat i on of vi ctory th e crowds swaye d

,
i n i mpotent rage through the streets wh ile th e tel e graph

,
b o re o n the w ings of lightn ing the awe i nsp iri ng n e ws -

.
M e n caught it from the wir es and stood i n silent group s

“
weep i ng and their wrath agai nst the fallen South began
,
t o ri se as the moaning of the sea under a coming storm .
At dawn black clouds hung threatening o n th e eastern

,
hori zon As the sun rose tingeing them for a m o ment

.
,
CH AP TER VII
TH E F RE N ! Y OF A N ATI ON
HIL hurried through the excited crowds with Mar

garet and E l sie l eft them at the hospital door
, ,
and ran to the War Department to report for

d uty Already the tramp of reg iments ech oe d down every
.
great avenue .
E ven as he ran his heart beat with a strange new

,
’
stroke when he re called the look o f appeal in Margaret s
dark eyes as S h e nestled close to his S ide and clung to his
arm for protecti on He remembered with a smile the
.
alm o st re sistless impulse o f the moment to S l i p h i s arm

ar o und her an d assure her of safety If he had on l y .
dared !
Els ie begged Mrs Cameron and Margaret to go h o me
.
wi th her unti l the c i ty was quiet .
“ ” “
No said the m o ther
, I am not afrai d Death
. .
has no terrors for me any longer We wi ll n ot leave .
Ben a moment n o w day or night My soul is S ick with

,
.
dread for what thi s awful tragedy will mean for the So uth !
’
I can t th ink o f my o wn safety Can any on e undo this
.
”
par d on now ? sh e asked anxiously .
“
I am sure they can not The name o n that paper
.
”
s ho uld be mightier dead than l iv in g .
“
Ah but will i t be ? Do y o u kn ow Mr Johns o n ?
, .
80
T h e F re n zy of a N a ti o n Sr
Can he control Stanton ? He seemed to be more powerful

than the P resident himsel f What will that man do .
”
now with those who fal l into his hands !
“
He can do nothing with your son rest assure d , .
”
I wish I knew it said the mother wistful l y
, , .
A few moments after the President died o n Saturday

morning the rain began to pour in torrents The flags
,
.
that flew from a thousand gil t tipped peaks in cel ebration

-
o f victory drooped to hal f mast and hung weeping around

-
the ir staffs The l itter of burnt fireworks l imp and

.
,
crumb l ing strewed the streets and the tri coloured

, ,
-
lanterns and ball oons hanging pathetical l y from their

,
wi res began to fall to pieces

,
.
Ne ver in all the history of man had such a conjunction

’
of e vents befal len a nation From the heights of heaven s
.
rej o icing to be su d den l y hurled to the depths of hell in

pite ous he l pless grie f ! Noon to midnight without a
,
m o ment betwee n A pall o f voiceless horror spread its

.
shadows o ver the land Nothing short o f an earthquake

.
o r the sound o f the archangel s trumpet cou l d have produc ed

’
the sense of hel pless consternation the black and speech ,
less d e spair The people read their papers in tears The

. .
morning meal was untouched By no other Single feat .
co u ld Death have carried such peculiar horror to e very

home Around this giant figure the heart strings o f the
.
,
-
peopl e had been unconsciousl y knit E ven his po l itical .
enemies had come to l ove him .
Above all in just this moment he was the i ncarnation of

,
the Triumphan t Un ion on the altar o f whos e life e ve ry

h o us e had laid the offering o f i ts first b o rn The tragedy

-
.
— —
was stupe fyi ng it was unth i nkabl e it was the m o cke ry
o f Fate !
Me n walke d the stre ets o f the c i ties daze d wi th the
,
se nse o f bl i nd gri ef E very n o te of music and rejoicing

.
became a dirge All bus i ness ceas ed Every wheel in

. .
e ve ry m i ll stopped The roar o f the great city w as hushed

.
,
and Gree d for a moment forgot his cunning .
The army o nly mo ved wi th swi fte r S pr ing t ightening ,
i ts m ighty grip on the throat of the bl e eding prostrate

So uth.
As the day wore on i ts gl o omy hours and men began to

,
fi nd spe ech they spo ke to each o ther at first i n low tones

,
o f Fat e o f Li fe o f Death o f Imm o rtal i ty o f God—and

, , , ,
the n as gr ief found wo rds the measureless rage o f baffl e d

s trength grew S lowly to mad ness .
On every bree ze from the No rth cam e th e d eep mutte red -
curses .
E aste r Sunday dawned afte r the storm clear and ,
beauti ful in a fl ood o f glorious sunshine The churches .
we re thro nge d as n eve r i n their history All had been .
de c o rate d for the d o uble celebrat ion o f E aster and the

tri umph o f the Un ion The preachers had pre pared
.
se rmons p itched in the hi ghest anthe m key of vi cto ry

vi cto ry o ve r D e ath an d the grave of Cal v ary an d vi cto ry ,
for the Nation op e n i ng a future o f boundle ss gl o ry .
The churches were labyrinths o f fl o wers and aro und ,
every pulp it and from e very go thi c arch hung the red wh ite , ,
and blu e flags of the Republ i c .
An d n o w as if t o mock thi s gorge o us page ant D e ath had

, ,
84 Th e C la n sm a n
The leaders o f thi s rebell i on deserve no pity from any

human being Now let them go Some other land must
. .
be the i r home The i r property is justly forfeited to the

.
”
Nation they hav e attempted to destroy !
’
In big bl ack faced type st oo d Dr Charles S Rob i nson s
- . .
b itter words
“
This i s the earl ie st reply wh ich chivalry make s to o ur
fo rbearance Talk to me n o more o f the same race of
.
,
the same blood He is no brother o f mine and o f n o race

.
o f m in e who crowns the barbari sm o f Treas o n wi th the

murder o f an unarmed husband in the sight of hi s w i fe .
On the vil lains who led thi s Rebellion l et justi c e fall

s wi ft and relentless Death t o every traitor of the So uth !
.
Pursue the m o n e by one ! Let every door be close d up o n

them and ju d gment follow swi ft and implacable as
”
d e ath !
Dr The odore Cuyler exclaimed
.
“
Th i s i s no t i me t o tal k o f leniency and concil i at i on !
I say befo re God make no terms with rebellion short of
,
’
exti nctio n Bo o th wiel d ing the assassin s weap o n i s
.
but the emb o d i ment o f the bowi e kn i fe barbari sm o f a -
”
slaveh olding ol igarchy .
Dr J P Thompson sai d
. . .
“
Blot e very Southern state from the map Stri p every .
rebel o f property and c it i zensh i p and send them into exile ,
”
beggared and i nfam o us outcasts .
Bishop Li ttlejohn i n hi s impassioned appeal d eclared

, ,
“
The de ed i s worthy of the Southern cause which was
conceived i n s i n bro ught forth i n iniqu ity and c on sum
, ,
mat e d in crime This murdero us hand is th e same hand

.
Th e F r e n zy of a N a t io n 85
which l ashed the s l ave s b ared back stru c k down Ne w ’

,
Engl and s Senator fo r daring to speak l ifted the torch o f

’
,
rebe ll ion sl aughtered in co l d b l ood its thousands an d

, ,
starved our hel pl ess prisoners Its end is not martyrdom .

,
but dishono ur .
Bishop Simpson said

“
Le t e very man who w as a member o f Congress and
ai ded this rebell ion he brought to speedy punishment .
Let every o ffi cer educated at publ ic e xpense who turned h is ,
” ’
sword against his country be doomed to a traitor s death ! ,
With the last note of this wi l d music l ingerin g in the

old Commoner s so ul
’
he sat as if dreaming laughe d
, ,
cynically turned to the brown woman and s aid

,
My speeches have not b een l ost after al l ! Prepare

”
di nn er for six My cabinet w ill m ee t here to night
.
-
.
While the press was re echoing these sermons gath -

,
ering strength as they were caught and repeated in every

town village and hamlet in the North the funeral pro
, , ,
cession started westward It passed in grandeur through .
the great cities on its journey o f one thousand S ix

hundred miles to the tomb By day by night by dawn .
, , ,
by sun l ight by twil ight and l it b y so l emn tor c hes mill ions
, , ,
of silent men and women l ooked o n his dead face Around .
the person of this tall lon ely man rugged yet full of sombre
, , ,
dignity and spir itual beauty the thoughts hopes dreams , , , ,
and i deals of the peopl e had gathered in four years of

agony and death unti l they had come to feel the ir own
,
hearts beat in his breast and their own l ife throb in his
’
l ife The assassin s bul let had crashed into their own
.
brai ns an d to rn their sou l s and bo d ies asun de r

, .
The masses were swept from their moori ngs and reaso n ,
destroyed All historic pe rspective was lost Ou r first

. .
as sassination there was no p recedent for comparison It

!
, .
had been over two hundred years in the world s hi sto ry ’
since the last murder o f a great ruler whe n William o f ,
O range fell .
O n the day se t fo r the public funeral twenty m ill io n ,
people bowed at the same hour .
When the processi on reached New York the street s ,
were li ned wi th a million pe ople Not a sound could be .
’
he ard save the tramp o f sold i ers feet and the mu ffle d
cry of the dirge Though on e very foot o f earth
.
stood a human being the Silence of the desert

,
’
and of Death ! The Nation s l i ving he roes rod e i n
that process i on and passed without a S ign from the
,
peopl e .
Four years ago he drove down Broadway as Pres ident

elect unnoti ced and with soldiers in disguise attending hi m
,
l est the mob S hould stone him .
To d ay at the ment i on o f his name i n the churches th e

-
, ,
’
preachers voices in prayer wavered and broke into silence ,
while strong men among the crowd burst i nto s o bs .
Flags flew at half mast from the i r steeples and thei r bell s
-
,
tolled in grief
’
E very house that flew but yesterday i ts banner o f

vi ctory was shrouded in mourning The flags an d .
pe nnants o f a thousand S hips in the harbour d roo pe d at

half mast and fro m e very staff in the city streamed acros s
-
,
the sky the black mists of crape l ike strange meteors i n th e

trouble d heavens .
No man who wal ked the earth ever passed to hi s tomb

thr ough such a storm of human tears The pageants o f .
Alexander C aesar and Well ington were tinsel to this

, , .
No r did the spirit of Napoleon the Corsican Lieutenant o f ,
Artillery who once presided over a congress o f kings

whom he had conquered look down o n its like e ve n in ,
France .
And now that its pomp was done and its memory but
bitterness and ashes but one man knew exactl y what he
,
wanted and what he meant to do O thers were stunned .
by the b l ow But the cold eyes o f the Great Com

.
moner leader of leaders sparkl ed and his grim lips

, , ,
smiled From him not a word o f praise or fawn ing

.
sorrow for the dead Whatever he might b e he was

.
,
not a l iar when he hated he hated , .
’
The drooping flags the city s black shr ouds pro , ,
cessions torches silent seas o f faces and bared heads the

, , ,
dirges and the bells the dim lit churches wailing organs
,
-
, ,
fierce invectives from the al tar and the perfume of fl o wers ,
—
piled in heaps by silent hearts to all these was h e he i r .
—
An d more the fierce unwritten unspoken and u n , ,
speakab l e horrors of the war itself its passions its cruelties , , ,
its hideous crimes and su fferi ngs the wai l ing o f its women , ,
—
the graves o f its men all these now were his .
The new President bowed to the storm In on e .
breath he promised to fu l fil the plans of Lincoln In the .
ne xt he too b reathed threats o f vengeance

, ,
.
The edict went forth for the arrest o f General Lee .
Would Gr ant the Commanding General o f the Ar my

, ,
d are protest ? There were those who said that if Lee

T h e F r e n zy of a N a t io n
were arrested and Grant s pl ighted word at Appo mattox

’
smirched the silent so l dier woul d not on l y protest but

, ,
draw his sword if need be to defend his honour and

, ,
—
the honour o f the Nation Yet wou l d he dare ? It .
remained to be seen .
The jail s were now packed with So uthern men taken ,
unarmed from their homes The o ld Capito l Prison was

.
full and e very cell o f e very grated bui l ding in the city
, ,
and they were fill ing the rooms o f the Capito l itsel f .
Margaret hurrying from the market in the early

,
morning with her flowers was startl ed to find her mother

,
bowed in anguish o ver a paragraph in the morning paper .
She rose and handed i t to the daughter who read : ,
Dr . Ric h ard Cam eron , of S outh Caro lin a, arrived in

W ash in g to n an d w as p l a c ed in j ail l ast n ig h t , c h ar g ed with
c o mp l ic ity in th e m ur der o f P re si de n t L in c o l n I t w as
.
di sc over e d th a t J e ff D avis sp e n t th e n igh t a t h is h o m e in

.
P iedm on t , u n der th e p r e t en c e o f n e edin g m edic al a tt en t i on .
B ey on d all do ubt , B o o th , th e assassin , m erely ac t ed un der

o r der s fr o m th e Ar c h Traitor M ay th e gall ows h ave a rich
.
an d e arly h arve st !
”
Margaret tremb l ingl y wound her arms around her

’
—
mother s neck No words broke the pi tifu l silence only
.
b l inding tears and broken sobs .

—
Bo o k II Th e Re vo lu tio n
CHAPTE R I
TH E FIRS T L AD Y OF TH E L AND
HE l ittle h ouse on the Capito l h ill now b ec ame

the centre o f fe v ered act i vity This house .
,
selected by its grim m aster to become the e xe c u

tive mansion of the Nation was perhaps the most modest
,
structur e ever chosen for such high uses .
It stood a small two story brick buil d ing in an u n p re

, ,
-
,
ten tio u s street Seven wi ndows Opened on the front wi th

.
black solid panelled shutters

-
The front parlour was
.
scanti ly furnished A huge mirror covered on e wall an d

.
,
o n the other hung a life s i ze o il portrait o f Stoneman

-
,
and b etween the windows were a portrait o f Washington

Irving and a p i cture of a nun Am ong hi s many .
charities he had always given l iberally to an orphanage

conducted by a Roman Cathol i c sisterhood .
The back parlour whose single window l ooked o ut on a

,
small garden he had fitte d up as a l ibrary with l eather

, ,
uphol stered furniture a l arge desk and ta ble and scat

, ,
ter e d on the mantel and about its wall s were the photo
graphs o f his personal friends and a few costly prints .
This room he used as his executive o ffice and no perso n ,
was allowed to enter it without first stating his business or

0
9
could not endure personal contact with a negro He wo uld .
go secretly mil es out o f the way to avoid it .
Stoneman watched him slowly and daintily approach

thi s negress and touch her jewell ed hand gingerly with the
tips o f his cl assic fingers as if sh e were a toad Co n .
vulse d he scramb l ed back to his desk and hugged himself

,
while he listened to the flow of Lydia s condescending ’
patronage in the next room .
“ ”
This world s too good a thing to lose ! he chuckled
’
.
I thi nk I ll l ive al ways

’
.
Wh en Sumner left the hour for dinner had arri ved and
, ,
by S peci al in vitation two men dined with him .
On his right sat an army o fficer who had been dism i ssed
from the servi ce a vi ctim o f the mania for gambling His
,
.
ruddy face ir on gray hair and jovial mi en i ndicated that

,
-
,
he enjoye d life in S p ite of tro ubles .
There were n o clubs in Washington at thi s time except

the regular gamb l ing houses of which there were more
-
,
than o n e hundred i n full blast .
Stoneman was hi msel f a gambler and S pent a part o f ,
’
almost e very n ight at Hall Pemberton s Faro Palace
o n Pennsyl v ania Av enue a place noted for its famous,
restaurant It was here that he met Colonel Howle and

.
learned to like him He was a man of tal ent cool and

. ,
audaci ous and a liar o f such singul ar fluency that he qu ite

,
captiv ated the old Commoner s imagination ’

.
“ ”
Upon my soul Howl e he declared soon after they
, ,
met you made the mistake o f your life going i nto the
,
’
army You re a born politician You re what I cal l a
.
’
.
natural l i ar just as a horse is a pacer a dog a setter Yo u

, ,
.
T h e F ir s t L a dy of th e L an d 93
l ie without e ffort with an ease and grace that excel s all art
, .
Had you gone into po l itics you cou l d e asil y have been
,
Secret ary o f State to say nothing of the vice presidency

,
-
.
I woul d say President but for the fact that men o f the
”
highest genius never attain it .
From that moment Col onel Howle had become his

charmed henchman Stoneman owned this man body
.
and soul not merely because he had befriended him when

,
he was in trou bl e and friendl ess but because the Col one l
,
’
recognised the power o f the leader s daring S pirit and revo
lu tio n ary genius .
O n his left sat a negro o f perhaps forty years a man o f ,
charming features for a mulatto who had evidently in ,
h erite d the full physical characteristics of the Ar yan race ,
while hi s dark yell owish eyes beneath his heavy brows

gl owed with the brightness of the African jungle It .
was impossib l e to look at his supe rb face w ith its large , ,
finel y chisel led lips and mas sive nose his big neck and ,
b road shoul ders and watch h i s eyes gleam beneath the

,
projecting forehead without seeing pictures of the pri

,
“
m e val forest The head of a C aesar and the eyes o f
”
the jungl e was the phrase coined by an artist who
painted his portrait .
His hair was bl ack and gl ossy and stood in dishe ve ll ed

’
profusion o n his head between a kink an d a curl He was .
an orator o f great power and stirred a Negro audience as

,
b y magic .
Lydia Bro wn had call ed Stoneman s attention to this ’
man Sil as Lyn c h and induced the statesman to send him

, ,
to coll ege He h ad graduated with credit and had entered

.
the Methodist ministry In his preaching to the freedmen

.
he had al ready become a marked man No house could .
hold h i s aud i ences .
As he stepped briskly i nto the dining r oo m and pa sse d -
the brown woman a close observer might have seen him

,
suddenly press her hand and caught her Sly an swering

smile but the old man waiting at the head of the table
,
saw nothing .
The woman t oo k her seat Oppo site Stoneman and pre

sided o ver thi s curious group with the easy assurance o f
c o nscious power Whatev er her real position S h e knew
.
,
ho w to play the mile she had chose n to assum e .
No more cur ious or si nister figure e ver cast a shadow

across the hi story of a great nati o n than d i d thi s mulatto
woman in the most corrupt hour o f Ameri can life The .
grim old man who looked into her sleek tawny face an d
followed her catl ike eyes was steadily gri pp ing the Nation
by the throat Did he aim to make this woman the
.
arbiter of its social l ife an d her e thi cs the limit of its

,
moral laws ?
E v en the whit e sate ll ite who sat Opposite Lynch flushed
for a moment as the thought flashed thr ough his brain .
The old cynic who al one knew his real purpose was
, ,
in his most genial mood to night and the grim lines of his
-
,
powerful face rel axed i nto somethi ng like a smile as they

ate and chatted and told go o d stori es .
Lynch watched him with keen i nterest He knew h i s .
history and character an d had built on his genius a brill i ant

,
scheme o f life .
This man who meant to become the dictator of the

himself he was the most powerful leader who ever

walked the hall s o f Congress .
H i s contempt for pub l ic Opinion was boundless Bold .

,
original scornfu l o f advi ce of all the men who ever lived

, ,
in o ur history he was the one man born to rule i n the

chaos wh i ch followed the assassinat i on of the ch ief
magistrate .
Audacity was stampe d i n e very line o f his magn i ficent

hea d His choicest curses were for the cowards o f his
.
o wn party before whose blanched faces he shouted out
the h i dden things until they sank back i n he l pless silence

an d d i smay His S peech was curt his humour sardon i c
.
, ,
his wi t b iting cruel and coarse

, .
The i ncarnate soul of re volution he desp i sed con vent i on ,
a n d r i d i cule d respectab ili ty .
”
There was but o n e weak S pot i n h i s armour— an d the
7
wo rl d never suspected i t : the consum i ng passion with which
he loved h i s two children This was the side of his nature
.
he had hidden from the eyes o f man A refined egot i sm .

,
—
th i s passi on perhaps for he meant to l i ve his own life
,
—
over i n them yet i t was the one utterly human and lov
able thing about h im And if his pub l ic policy was o n e
.
o f stupendous avarice this dream o f mi ll ions of confiscated

,
wealth he meant to se ize it was not for himself but for his
,
chil dren .
As he looked at Howle an d Lynch seated in his l ibrary

after d i nner wi th h i s great plans seething in his brai n
, ,
his eyes were flashing i ntense and fiery yet without c olour
, ,
—si mply two centres of cold light .
”
Gentl e men he said at length
, I am going to ask .
Th e F i rs t L a dy of th e L an d 97
you to undertake for the Government the Nation and , ,
yourselves a dangerous and important mission I say .
yourselves because in S pite of all o u r beautifu l l ies self

, , ,
is the centre of all human action Mr Linco l n has fo rtu . .
n ate l gone to his reward — fort unately for him and for
y
his country His death was necessary to save his life
. .
He was a useful man living more useful dead O ur party

, .
— ”
has lost its first President but gained a god why mourn ?
,
“
We will recover from our grief said Howle , .
The old man went on ignoring the interruption

,
“
Things have somehow come my way I am almost .
persuaded l ate in life that the gods l ove me The insane .
fury o f the North against the South for a crime which they
were the last peop l e on earth to dream o f comm i tting is ,
,
—
of course a power to be used but with caution The first .
execution of a Southern leader o n such an idiotic charge

woul d produce a re vo l ution o f sentiment The people .
”
are an aggregation of hysterical foo l s .
“
I thought you favoured the e xecution o f th e leaders
”
o f the Rebel l ion ? said Lynch with surprise .
I did but it is to o late Had they been tried by drum

, .
head court martial and shot dead red handed as they stood
- -
o n the field in their uniforms all wou l d have been wel l , .
Now sentiment i s to o strong Grant showed his teeth to

.
’
Stanton and he backed down from Lee s arrest Sher .
man refused to shake hands with Stanton on the grand

stand the day his army passed in rev iew and it s a wonder ,
’
’
he didn t knock him down Sherman was denounced .
as a renegade and traitor for gi ving Joseph E Johnston .
the terms L incoln ordered h i m to gi ve L i ncoln dead .

,
h i s terms are treason ! Yet had he l ived we should have ,
been call ed upon to app l aud his mercy and patri otism .
How can a man l ive in this world and keep his face
”
straight ?
“
I bel ie ve God permitted Mr Lincol n s death to give
.
’
the great Commoner the Leader o f L eaders the right o f

, ,
”
way cried Lynch with enthusi asm
, .
The o ld man smiled With all h i s fierce S pirit

.
he was as susceptibl e to flattery as a woman far —
more so than the sleek brown woman who carried the

keys of h i s house .
Th e man at the other end o f the A venue who pretends

“
,
to be President in real ity an al ien o f the conquered prov

,
i nce of Tennessee i s pressing Lincoln s pl an o f restoring

,
’ ‘ ’
the Union He has organised state governments in the

.
South and the i r Senators and Representatives will appear

,
at the Cap itol i n December for adm i ss i on to Congress .
He thinks they will enter

The old man broke i nto a l o w laugh and rubb e d h is
hands .
“
My full plan s are n o t for d is cuss ion at this juncture .
Su ffice it to say I mean to secure the future o f our party

,
a n d the safety of this Nation The o n e thing on which

.
the success o f my p l an absolutel y depends is the

confiscation o f the mil l ions o f acres of l and owned
by the white people o f the South and its division among
the negroes and those who fo ught and sufle re d in this
war
The o l d Commoner paused pursed his l ips and fum
, ,
bled his hands a moment the nostril s of his eagl e

,
the brown woman bade h i m g o od night and pressed

-
his hand a letter .
As his yellow fingers closed o n the miss i ve hi s

,
flashed for a moment with catlike humour .
The w o man s face w ore the mask o f a S ph i nx

’
.
CHAPTER II
S W EETH EART S
’
HEN the first S hock o f horror at her husband s
peril passed it left a strange new light i n Mrs
,
.
’
Cameron s eyes .
The heritage o f centuries o f hero i c blood from the mar

tyr s o f old Scotland began to flash its i nspiration from the
past Her heart beat with the unconscious l i fe of men
.
and women who had stood in the stocks an d walke d i n,
chains to the stake wi th songs o n the ir lips .
The threat aga inst the l i fe of D octor Came ron had not
only stirred her martyr b l ood : it had roused the latent
heroism o f a beauti ful girlhood To her he had e ver
.
been the lo ver and the undimmed hero of her g irl ish
dreams She S pe nt who l e hours locked in her room
.
alone Margaret knew that sh e w as o n her knees She

. .
always came forth with shin i ng face and with soft words
on her l ips .
She struggle d for two months in v ain efforts to obtain a

singl e i ntervi ew with him or to obtain a copy o f the
,
charges Doctor Camero n had been placed in the old

.
Capito l Pr i son already crowded to the utmost He was

, .
i n delicate health and so ill when sh e had left home he

,
c o uld not accompany her to Richmond .
No t a wr itten o r S poken word was all o wed to pass

1 01
those prison doors She could commun i cate w i th h im

.
o nly through the o ffi cers in charge E very message fro m .
“
h im was the same . I l o ve you always Do n o t w o rry . .
Go home the moment you can leave Ben I fe ar the .
”
wo rst at P iedmont .
When he had sent this message he would sit do wn and ,
write the truth in a l ittl e diary he kept :

“
Another day of anguish How long O Lord ? Just
.
,
one touch o f her hand o n e l ast pressure o f her lips and I

, ,
— ”
am conte nt I have no desire to live I am tired
. .
The o fficers repeated the v erbal messages but they ,
made no impress ion o n Mr s Cameron By a mental . .
telepathy which had always l inked he r li fe w i th h is her

soul had passed those pr i son bars If he had wr i tten .
’
the p i tiful record with a dagger s po i nt o n her he art sh e ,
could not hav e felt it more keenly .
At times o ve rwhelmed sh e l ay prostrate and sobbed

,
in half articulate cries An d then from the si l ence and

- .
myste ry of the S pirit world in which sh e felt the beat of the

heart o f Eternal Lo v e would come agai n the strange peace
that passeth understanding She would ri se and go
.
forth to her task wi th a smile .
In Jul y sh e saw Mrs Surratt taken from thi s old Cap ito l
.
Prison to be hung with Payne Herold and Atzerodt for , ,
complicity in the assass in ation The military commis .
sion before whom this farce o f just i ce was enacted sus ,
p ic io u s o f the test i mony o f the perjur ed wretches wh o had
sworn her life away had filed a memorandum wi th their

,
verdict asking the President for mercy .
Pr e side nt Jo hnson never saw this memorandum It .

justment It was an hour of lapse to tribal insanity

. .
Things had gone wr ong The demand for a scapegoat .

,
blin d sav age and unreasoning had not spent itsel f The
, , .
Go ve rnment could do anyt h i ng as yet and the pe ople ,
wo ul d applaud .
Mrs Cameron ha d tri ed i n v ai n to gai n a heari ng be

.
fore the Presi d ent Each time she was d ire cted to appl y
.
to Mr Stanton She refused to attempt to see him and

. .
,
again turn e d to Elsie for help She had learned that the .
sam e witnesse s who had testifie d agai nst Mr s Surratt .
were be i ng used to con vi ct D o ctor Cam e ro n an d her ,
he art was s i ck wi th fear .
“ ”
Ask yo ur father S h e plead ed t o wr it e Pre s i dent
, ,
Johnson a letter in my behal f Whate ver his p olit i cs .

,
’
he can t be y our father and n o t b e g oo d at heart .
Elsie paled for a moment It was the o n e request s h e .
had dre a de d She thought o f her father and Stant o n

.
with dre ad How far he was supp o rt i ng the Secretary

.
o f War sh e c o uld only v aguely guess He rare ly S p oke o f .
pol iti cs t o he r much as he lo ved her

,
.
“ ’
I ll try Mrs Cameron she faltere d
, . My father ,
.
is i n t o wn to d ay and takes d inner wi th us b e fore he l e ave s

-
”
fo r Pennsyl v ania to n ight I ll go at o nce -
.
’
.
Wi th fear and yet b oldly sh e went straight home to

, ,
pres e nt her request She knew he was a man who .
never cheri shed small rese ntments howe ver cru e l and ,
M p lac able m ight be his publ i c p o l i cies And yet she .
dre ade d to put it to the test .
“ ’
Fathe r I ve a very i mp o rtant requ e st to make o f you
, ,
she said gravely , .

S w e e t h e a rt s 1 0
5
Very we ll my chi l d you need not be so sol emn What

, , .
”
i s it ?
“’
I ve some friends in great distress— Mrs Cameron o f .
,
”
South Caro l ina and her daughter Margaret
, .
“ ”
Friends of yours ? he asked wi th an incredulous
“ ”
smile. Where on earth did you find them ?
“
In the hospital o f course Mrs Cameron is not al
, . .
l owed to see her husband who h as been he re in jail for ,
o ver two months He can not write to her nor can he

.
,
rece i ve a letter from her He is on trial for his l ife is i ll

.
,
and help l ess and is not all owed to know the charges
,
against him whil e h ired wi tnesses an d detecti ves have

,
b roken Open hi s house searched his papers and are ran

, ,
sackin g heaven and earth to con v ict h im of a crime o f

which he ne ver dr eamed It s a shame You don t ap .
’
.
’
”
pro ve o f such things I know ? ,
“
What s the u se of my expressing an Op in ion when you
’
”
have alre ady settl ed i t ? he answered good h u m o ure dly ,
-
.
“ ”
Yo u don t appro ve of such in justice ?
’
Certain l y n ot my child Stanton s frantic e fforts to

, .
’
hang a l ot of prom inent Southern m en fo r comp l icity i n

Booth s crime is sheer i nsanity Nobody who h as any
’
.
sense belie ves them gu ilty As a pol itician I use popu l ar

.
clam our for my pur poses but I am not an idiot When ,

.
”
I go gunning I ne ver u se a pop gun or hunt smal l game
,
- .
“
Then you wil l wr ite the President a letter asking that
”
they be allowed to see D o ctor Cameron ?
The old man frowned .
“
Think father if you were i n jail and fri endless and I
, , ,
were tryi ng to see you

Tut tut my dear it s

, , ,
’
—
not that I am unwill i ng I was
only thinki ng of the unconscious humour o f my making a
requ e st o f the man who at present accidental l y occupies
the White H o use Of all the men on earth this al ien
.
,
from the province o f Tennessee ! But I ll do it for you ’

.
When did you eve r kn o w me to d eny my help to a weak

”
man or w o man in distress ?
“
Ne ver father I was sure you wou l d do it S h e
,
.
,
answered warmly, .
He wrote the letter at once and handed it to her .
She bent and kissed him .
’
I can t tel l you how glad I am to know that you hav e
”
no part in such injustice .
Yo u S hou ld not hav e be li e v ed me such a fool bu t I ll

“ ’
,
forgive you for the kiss Run now with this l etter to your
.
rebel friends y ou littl e tra itor ! Wait a minute

,
He shuffled to his feet p l aced his hand tenderl y on her

,
head and sto o ped and kissed the shining hair

,
.
“
I wonder i f you know how I lo ve y o u ? How I ve ’
dreamed o f yo ur future ? I may not se e you every day

as I wish ; I m absorbed in great a ffairs But more and
’
.
more I thi nk of you and P hil I l l have a big sur prise .

’
”
for you both some day .
“
Your lo v e i s al l I ask she answered simp l y , ,
.
Withi n an hour Mrs Cameron found hersel f before

, .
the new President Th e letter had Opened the door as

.
b y magi c She poured out her story wi th impetuous

.
eloquence whil e Mr Johnson listened i n uneasy sil ence

. .
His ruddy face his hesitati ng manner and restless eyes

,
were in striking contrast to the conscious powe r o f the

and must be h ee ded by those in power I am sorry for .
you and I trust it may be possib l e for me to grant your

,
request .
“
But I wish it now S he urged He sends me word
, .
I must go home I can t leave without seeing him I

.
’
.
”
wi ll d i e first .
She drew closer and continu e d i n throbbing tones

Mr President you are a native Caro l in ian — you are
.
,
o f Sc o tch Co v enanter blo o d Yo u are o f my o wn peop l e

.
o f th e great past who se tears and su ffer ings are o ur com

,
m o n glory and birthright Come yo u must hear me .

,
I wi ll take no d en i al G iv e me now the order to see my

.
”
husband !
The President hesitated struggl ing w i th deep emotion , ,
call ed his secretary and gave the order .
AS sh e hurried away wi th Elsie who insisted on a e com ,
panyi ng her to the jail door the girl said ,
“
Mrs Cameron I fear you are wi thout money You
.
, .
”
must let me help you until you can return it .
“
Yo u ar e the d earest l i ttle heart I v e met in all the world
’
,
”
I thi nk sometimes said the older woman looking at her
, ,
“
tenderly . I wonder how I can e ve r pay yo u for half
’ ”
you ve done already .
“
The doing o f i t has b e en its o wn reward was the ,
“ ”
s o ft repl y .May I help you ?
If I ne e d i t yes But I trust i t will not be necess ary
, . .
I still have a littl e st ore o f gold Doctor Cameron w as wi se

enough to ho ard during the war I brought half o f it .
wi th me whe n I left home and we buried the rest I hope ,

.
to find i t o n my return An d if we can save the twenty.

Sw ee t h e art s 1 0
9
bal es of cotton we have hidden we shall be rel ieved of

”
want .
“ ’
I m ashamed of my country when I think o f such
i gno bl e methods as have been used against Doctor Cam
eron My father is indignant too
. .
The last sentence E l sie spoke with eager g irlish pride .
“
I am very gratefu l to your father for his l etter I am .
sorry he has left the city before I coul d meet and thank
him personal ly Yo u must tell him for me
. .
At the jail th e o rder of the President was not hon o ured

fo r three hours and Mrs Cameron paced the street in
, .
angry impatience at first and then i n du l l despair .
Do you think that man Stanto n w o uld d are defy the

”
President ? sh e asked an xiousl y , .
“ ” “
No said E l sie but he is delaying as long as possible
, ,
”
as an act of petty tyranny .
At last the messenger arrived from the War D e part

m e nt permitting an order of the Chief Magistrate o f th e
Nati on the Comman d er in Chief o f i ts Army and Navy
,
- -
,
t o be executed .
The grated door swung on its heavy hinges and the ,
wife and mother lay sobbing in the arms of the l ov er o f

her youth .
’
For two hours they poured i nto each other s hearts the
story of their sorrows and struggles during the S ix fateful
m o nths that had passed When sh e woul d return from
.
e ve ry theme back t o his danger he would laugh her fears ,
t o scorn .
“ ’
Nonsense my dear I m as i nn o cent as a bab e Mr
, ,
. .
Dav is was suffering from erysipel as and I kept h i m i n ,

I IO Th e C la n s m an
my house that night to relieve his pain It wil l al l bl ow .
over I m happy now that I have seen you Ben w il l

.
’
.
be up i n a few days You must return at once You . .
have no idea o f the wild chaos at home I left Jake i n .
charge I have implicit faith i n h im but there s n o tell

.
,
’
ing what may happen I will n ot spend another m oment

i n peace until yo u go .
The proud old man S poke of his o wn danger with easy

assurance He was absolutely certain since the day of
.
,
Mrs S u rr att s e xecution that he would be railroade d to

.
’
,
the gall o ws by the same m e thods He had long looke d .
on the end wi th indifference and had cease d t o d esi re to ,
l i ve except to see his loved ones agai n .
In v ai n sh e warned him o f danger .
“
My peri l is nothing my l ove he answere d qu i etly
, , , .
At home the horrors o f a servile reign o f terror have be

,
come a reality These pri son walls do not i ntere st me

. .
My h e art i s with o u r stri cken peop l e You must go home . .
O ur n ei ghbour Mr Le no i r i s slowly dying His wife will

, .
,
.
always b e a child L ittle Mari on i s older and more se lf

.
reliant I feel as i f they are o u r o wn children There

. .
are so many who need us They have always looked .
to me for guidance and help You can do more .
for them than any o n e else My cal ling is to heal .
o thers You have always helped me Do now as I

. .
ask y ou .
At last S h e consented to leave for P iedmont on the fol

l o wi ng day and he smil ed , .
“ ’
Kiss Ben and Margaret for me and tell them that I ll
”
be with them soon he said cheeril y He m e ant i n the
, ,
.
CHAPTE R III
T H E J OY OF L I VING
ITHIN two we eks after the departure o f Mrs .
Camero n and Margaret the wounded sold ier ,
had left the hospital with Elsie s hand resting ’
o n his arm and her keen eyes watching his faltering steps .
She h ad pro mised Margaret to take her place unti l he

was strong again She was afrai d t o ask herself the
.
mean i ng of the s o ngs that were wel ling up from the depth
o f her own soul She told herself again and again that
.
sh e was fulfilling her ideal o f unselfish human servi ce .
’
Ben s reco very was rapid and he soon began to g ive,
evidence o f h i s bound l ess joy i n the mere fact o f l i fe .
He utt e rly refused to belie v e his father i n danger .
“ ”
What my dad a conspirator an assass i n ! he crie d
, , ,
“ ’
with a laugh Why he woul dn t kill a flea w i thout
.
,
apolog ising to i t And as for pl ots and dark secre t s

.
,
’
he never had a secret i n h i s life and coul d n t kee p o n e
if he had it My mother keeps all the family se crets
. .
’
Crime cou l dn t stick to him any m o re than d i rty water
’ ”
to a duck s back !
“
But we must secure his release on parole that he may ,
”
defend himsel f .
“ ’
O f course But we won t cross any bri dge s till we
.
’
come to them I ne ver saw things so bad they coul d n t
.
I I2
Th e J oy of L i v in g 1 13
’
be worse Just t hink what I ve bee n through The
. .
” ’
war s over Don t worry
’
. .
He looked at her tenderly .
Get that banjo and play Ge t O ut o f th e Wilde rn ess ! ‘ ’
HiS S p irit w as contagi ous and his good humour res i stless -
.
Elsie S pent the days o f his conval escence i n an u n co n

scio us glow of p l easure in his companionship Hi s hand .
some boyish face his bearing h is whole personal ity in

, , ,
vite d frankness and intimacy It w as a di vi ne gift this .

,
magnetism the subtle meeting of quick i ntel l igence tact

, , ,
and sympathy His voice was tender and penetrating

.
,
with soft caresses i n its tones Hi s Vi s i on of l i fe was large .
and generous with a S plendid carelessness about littl e

,
things that didn t count Each day Elsie saw new and
’
.
striking traits of his character wh i ch drew her .
“
What will we do if Stanton arrests you one of these
”
fine days ? sh e asked him o n e day .
“ ’ ”
Afrai d they ll nab me for som eth in g ! he excla imed .
’
Well that i s a joke ! Don t you worry The Yankees
, .
k now who to fool w i th

’
I licked em too many t i me s for
.
them to bother me any more .
“
I w as under the i mpression that you got l i cked Elsie ,
observ ed .
’
Don t you bel i eve i t We wore ourse lves o ut whi pp i ng
.
”
the other fe l lows .
E l sie smiled took up the banjo and asked him to sin g

, ,
w hil e she played .
She had no idea that he could sing yet to her surprise ,
he sang his camp s o ngs bo l dl y tenderly and wi th deep

-
, , ,
expressi ve feel ing .

I I 4 Th e C la n s m a n
the girl listened the memory o f the horr ible ho urs o f

As ,
suspense sh e had S pent wi th h is mothe r when hi s u n c on

scious life hung o n a t hr ead came tro op ing back into he r
heart and a tear dimmed her eyes .
And he began to look at her wi th a ne w wonder an d j o y

s l owly gro wi ng i n his s o ul
.
I I 6 Th e C lan s m a n
’
pany But you d better ge t hold of a copy o f the se
.
—
charges against me if you don t want m e t o escape ’
.
“ ’
It s a funny world if a man can be condemn ed to
”
death wi thout any i nformation on the subject .
“
My son we are now i n the hands o f the rev olutio n i sts
, ,
army sutlers contractors and adventurers The Nation

, , .
wil l touch the lowest tide mud o f its degradation withi n -
”
the next few years N0 man can pre dict the end . .
“ ” “
Oh go long ! said Ben
’ ’
, You v e go t jail cobwebs i n .
your eyes .
“ ’
I m depending on yo u .
“ ’ ’
I ll pull yo u through i f you d on t l i e down on me and
die to get out of trouble Yo u know you can die if yo u .
try hard e nough .
I pro m i se you my boy he sai d with a laugh , , .
’
Then I ll l et you re ad thi s letter from home B e n ,
said suddenly thrust i ng i t before him

, .
’
The docto r s hand tre mbled a little as he put o n h i s
glasses and read :
My Dear B oy : I c annot tell y ou h ow much goo d y our bri gh t

letters h ave done us I t s like op ening th e window an d letting
.
’
in th e su n ligh t wh i le fresh b reezes blow th rough one s sou l ’

.
M argaret an d I h ave h ad stirring ti mes I send y ou in c losed .
an orde r for th e las t do llar of m oney we h ave l e ft You mu st .
h oard i t M ak e i t last unti l y our fath er is safe at h o me I

. .
dare not leave i t h ere No th ing is safe E very p iec e o f si lver

. .
an d every th ing th at c ou l d b e carrie d h as b ee n stol en sin c e we
returned .
Un c l e Ale c k b etray ed th e p lac e J ak e h ad h i dden o ur twenty

p re c ious b a l e s o f c o t ton T h e w ar is l on g sin c e over b ut th e
.
,
“ ”
Treasur y Agent de c lared th em c onfi sc ated an d th en o ffered ,
to relieve us of his order if we g ave h im five b ales each worth ,
th ree h undred do llars in gold I agreed an d with in a week .

,
H idde n T r e as u r e II7
ano th er th ief came an d dec lared th e oth er fifteen bale s c on fis

c ate d. Th ey steal it an d th e Government never get s a c en t
, .
We dared n ot try to sell it in op en m ark e t as every bale ,
exp osed for sale is c onfis cated at on ce ” .
No c rop was p l anted th is su m m er Th e negroes are all .
drawing rations at th e F reedman s B ureau

’
.
We h ave turned our h ouse into a h otel an d our table h as ,
b e c ome famous M argaret is a treasure S h e h as learn ed to

. .
do every th ing We tried t o raise a c rop on th e farm wh en we

.
c am e h o m e b ut th e n egr o e s s t op p ed work
,
T h e Agen t o f th e .
B ureau c am e to us an d s aid h e c ou l d send th e m b ac k for a fee

o f $ 50 .We p aid it an d th ey worked a week We found i t
,
.
easi er to run a h otel We h op e to start th e farm next y ear

. .
Our n ew minist er at th e P re sby t erian Ch ur c h is y oun g

h andsome an d el o quent— R ev Hu gh M c Alp in
,
. .
,
Mr L enoir died last week— but his en d Was so b eautiful

.
,
o ur tears were h al f j oy He talk ed in c essantly o f y our fath e r

.
an d h ow th e c oun try missed h im He seem e d mu c h b e tter th e

.
day b efore th e en d c am e an d we t ook h im for a li ttl e drive to

,
L overs L eap I t was th ere sixteen y e ars ag o h e m ade love t o

’
.
, ,
J eann ie Wh en we p rop p ed him up on th e rusti c seat an d h e

.
,
looked out over th e c liff an d th e river b elow I h ave never se en ,
a fac e so tran sfi ur e d wi th p eac e an d oy

g j .
“
Wh at a b eau ti ful world it is in y cl ears ! h e exc laimed
”
, ,
takin g J eannie an d M arion both by th e h and .
Th ey b egan to cry an d h e said with a smile :

Co me now—do y ou love me P
,
An d th ey c overed his h ands with ki sses .
“
Well th en y ou must p romise m e two th ings fai th fully h ere
, ,
wi th Mrs Cameron to Witness !

.
”
“
We p romise th ey bo th said in a breath
”
, .
“
Th at wh en I fall asleep n ot on e th read of blac k Sh all ever
,
c l ou d th e sunligh t o f o ur li ttl e h o m e th a t y o u will n e ve r we ar ,
i t an d th at y ou will Sh ow y our love for m e by m akin g my

,
flowers grow ri c h e r th at y ou will k eep my mem ory gr een by

,
alway s b ein g as b eauti fu l as y ou are to day an d m ak e t h is o ld -

,
world a sweeter p lac e to live in I wish y ou J eann i e my .

, ,
m at e to k eep on m akin g th e y oun g p eop l e gl ad D on t le t th eir

, .
’
j o y s b e l ess even for a m ont h b e c ause I h ave l ai d down t o r e s t .
L et th em sing an d dan c e
“ ”
Oh P ap a ! c ried M arion .
,
Certain ly my little serious b eauty— I ll not be far away

,
’
.
Th e C la n s m a n
I ll b e n ear an d b reath e my songs into th eir h eart s an d in to

’
,
— ”
y o ur s y o u b o t h p r o m is e ?
“ ”
Ye s y e s ! t h ey b o th c ried
,
.
As we drove b ac k th rough th e woo ds h e s m i l ed t en derly an d ,
said to me
“
My neigh bour D o c tor Cam eron p ay s taxes on th ese woods
, , ,
b ut I o wn th em ! Th eir sighing b ou gh s stirred by th e b re ezes , ,
h ave p l ay e d for m e orat ori o s grander t h an a ll th e s c ore s o f

h u m an g en ius I ll h ear th e Ch oir I nvi sible p lay th em wh en
.
’
I sleep ”.
He died th at ni gh t sudden ly With h is last b rea th h e sigh e d .
”
Draw th e c urtains an d let me see again th e moon l i t woods !
Th ey are try ing to c arry ou t his wish es I found th ey h ad .
nothin g to eat an d th at h e h ad really died from in suffi c ien t

,
nou rish m ent a p olite exp ression m eaning starvation I ve

-
.
’
divi de d h al f o ur little s tore with th em an d sen d th e rest t o y ou .
I th in k M arion more an d more th e in carnate soul of h er fath er .
I feel as if th ey are b oth my ch ildr en .
My littl e gran dc hic k Hugh is th e sweetest y oungster al ive

, ,
.
He w as a wee th in g wh en y ou left M r s L enoir kep t him . .
wh en th ey arrested y our fath er He is so m u ch like y our .
bro th er Hugh I feel as if h e h as come to life again You sh ould .
h e ar h im say gra c e so sol emn ly an d ten derly we c an t h elp

’
, ,
c ry ing . He m ade it up h imsel f Th is is wh at h e say s at .
e ve ry m eal :
“
Go d p lease g ive my gran dp a so m eth ing goo d to eat in
,
j ai l
, k ee p him we ll d on t l e t t
,
h e p ains h u
’
r t him a n y m ore an d ,
bring him h o m e t o m e q uic k for J esus sak e Amen ” ’

. .
,
I never kn ew b efore h o w th e p eop le loved th e doc tor n or h ow ,
dep endent th ey were on h im for h elp an d g uidan c e M en .

,
b o th white and c oloured c o m e h ere every day to ask ab out him

,
.
S om e of th e m c o m e fro m far u p in th e m ountains .
G o d alon e knows h ow lonely o ur h ome an d th e worl d h as

seem ed Wi th ou t him Th ey say th at th ose wh o love an d l ive
.
th e c l o se swee t h om e life for y ears g ow alik e in sou l an d b o dy

- r
,
in t aste s way s an d h ab its I fin d i t so P eop le h ave told m e

, , . .
th at y our fath er an d I are m ore alik e th an b roth er an d sister

o f th e s am e bl oo d In sp irit I m sure it s true
. I kn ow y ou
’ ’
.
l ove him an d th at y ou will l eave noth ing un done for his h ealth
an d s afe ty Tell h im th at my only c ur e for loneliness in h is
.
ab sen c e is m y fi gh t to k eep th e wolf fro m th e do or an d s ave ,
ou r h o m e against h is c o ming L ovin g ly y our M O TH ER

.
, .
CH APT E R V
AC R OS S TH E C H AS M
HE N
’
Ben had fully rec overed and his fathe r s
case l ooked hopeful Elsie turned to her study
,
o f music and the Southern b o y suddenly waked

,
to the fact that the great my st e ry o f l ife was upon h im .
He was in lo ve at l ast— genuinely d eeply without on e , ,
reservati on He had from hab i t fl i rted i n a harmless way

.
wi th every girl he knew He left ho me with little Marion

.
‘
’
Lenoir s g irlish ki ss warm on his lips He had mad e .
lo ve to many a pretty g irl in old Virginia as the red t id e

’
o f war had ebbed and flowed around Stuart s mag i c
camps .
But now the great hour o f the soul had struck No .
sooner had he dropped the first tender wo rds that might

hav e their double mean i ng feeling his way cautio usl y
,
toward her than sh e had placed a gulf of d ignity between

,
them and attempted to out e ve ry tie that bound her life

,
to his .
It had been so sudden i t took his breath away Cou l d .
“ ”
he wi n her ? The w ord fail had never been in his vo
c abular It had never run in the S peech o f his people
y . .
Yes he wou l d win if it was the on l y thi ng he did 111

,
thi s world An d forthwith he set ab out it Life took on

. .
n e w m e an i ng an d new glory What matter e d war o r

.
1 20
A c ro ss th e C h asm 1 2 1
wounds pain or poverty jail s and revolutions—it was the

, ,
dawn of l ife !
He sent her a flower e very day and pinned on e just like
i t on his coat And every night found him seated by her
.
s i de She greeted him cordial ly but the gul f yawned

.
,
between them His courtesy and sel f contro l struck her

.
-
with surprise and admiration In the face o f her col dness .
he carried about him an air of smil ing deference and

gall antry .
She finally tol d him of her determ i nation to go

to New York to pursue her studies unti l Phil had
finished the term o f his enl istment in his regiment ,
which had been ordered on permanent duty in the

West .
He laughed with his eyes at this announcement blinki ng ,
the lashes rapidly without mo vi ng his l ips It was a .
pecul iar habit of his when deeply moved by a sudden

thought It had flashed over him like lightning that she
.
was tryi ng to get away from him She would n ot do that .
unless she cared .
“ ”
When are you going ? he asked quietl y , .
Day after to m o rrow -

.
Then you will give me one afternoon for a sail on the

river to say good bye and thank you for what you have
-
”
done for me and mine ?
She hesitated laughed and refused
, .
To morrow at four o cl ock I ll call for you he said

-
’
,
“ ’
firmly . If there s no wind we can drift wi th the tide , .
“ ”
I wil l not hav e ti me to go .
”
Promptl y at four he repeated as he left , .
Ben S pent ho u rs that night weighi ng the questi on of

how far he should dare to S peak h is love It had been .
such an easy thing before Now i t seem e d a question o f

.
life and death Twice the magi c w o rds had b e en on his

.
lips and each tim e som e thi ng in he r mann e r chilled hi m

,
into silence .
Was sh e cold and i ncapable of lo ve ? N o this

manner o f the North was on the surface He knew that .
deep down wi thin he r nature lay banked and sm o ulderi ng

fires of passion for the one man whose bre ath c o uld sti r
it i nto flame He felt this all the ke ener no w that the
.
S pell of her compan i onship and the swe et i nti macy o f her
daily ministry to him had be e n broken The memory .
o f little mo v ements o f her petite figure the glance o f he r ,
—
warm amb e r eyes and the touch of her hand all had their
,
tongues o f rev elat i on to hi s eager spi ri t .
’
He found her ready at four o clock .
“
Yo u see I dec i ded to go afte r al l sh e said , .
”
Yes I knew you would he answere d
, , .
She was dressed i n a simple su i t o f navy blue cloth cut

1
-
V shaped at the thr o at sho wing the graceful l i nes of h er

-
,
exqu i site neck as it melted i nto the p l ump shoulders .
She had scorn ed hoop skirts -

.
He admired he r fo r thi s and ye t i t made h i m uneasy

,
.
A woman who could defy an e di ct o f fashi on was a new

thing under the sun and it scared him
, .
They were seat e d in the little sail b o at n o w drifting -

,
o ut w i th the t i de It was a pe rfect day i n O ctober o ne

.
,
o f tho se matchless days of Indi an summer i n the Vi rg i nia

cl i mat e when an i nfin i te peace and vast brood i ng sil e nce
1 24 The C lan s m an
to ask you a pl ain questi on You ve been tryi ng to p i ck .

’
a quarre l o f l ate What have I done ? .

”
Nothing It has sM p ly come to me that our lives

.
are far apart The gul f between us is real and very deep
. .
Your father was but yesterday a slaveholder

Ben grinned :
“
Ye s your slave trading grandfather sold them to us
,
-
”
the day before .
E l si e blushed and bristled for a fight .
“
Yo u won t min d if I gi v e you a few less o ns i n h i story
’
,
”
will you ? Ben aske d softly , .
’
No t i n the least I d i dn t know that S o utherners
.
studied history Sh e answered wi th a toss o f her head

, , .
“
We made a S pe cialty o f the history o f sl avery at least ,
.
I had a dear old teacher at home who fairl y blazed with

light on this subject He is one o f the best read men in
.
-
Ameri ca He happens to be in jail just now But I

. .
— ”
haven t fo rg o tten I kn ow it by heart
’ “
“ ”
I am wai ting fo r l ight she interrupted cynically , , .
The S o uth i s no more to blame for Negro slave ry

than the North O ur Sl aves were st olen fro m Afri ca
.
by Yankee skippe rs When a slaver arr ived at B o ston

.
,
yo ur pious Puritan clergyman o ffered publ i c prayer o f

thanks that A gracious and o verrul ing Pro vi dence had
‘
been pleased to bring to this land Of freedom another

cargo of b e nighted heathen t o enj oy the bless ings of a
gospel dispensation
She l ooked at him with angry incred ulity an d cried
”
GO on .
Twe nty three t imes the Le gi slature o f Virgin i a passe d

-
A c r o ss th e C h asm 1 2
5
acts against the importation o f slaves which the K ing ,
vetoed o n petition of the Mass achusetts sl ave traders -

.
Je ffers o n m ade these acts o f the King on e o f the grievan ces

o f the Declarat i on o f Independence but a Massachusetts ,
member succeeded in striking i t out The Southern men .
in the con vention which framed the Constitution put into

it a clause abolishin g the sl ave trade but the M assac h u
-
,
setts men succeeded in add ing a clause extending the

3)
trade twenty years
He sm il ed and paused .
”
“
GO o n she said with M p atie n c e
, , .
In Co l onial days a negro woman w as pub l icly burned

to death in Boston The first Abolition paper was pu b
.
lish e d in Te n nessee by Embree Benjamin Lun dy his.

,
successor could n ot find a single Abolition ist in Boston

, .
In 1 828 o ver half the pe o ple of Tennessee favoured Abol i

tion At this time there were on e hun dr ed and forty
.
Ab olition Societies in America—on e hundre d and three in '
the South and not on e in Massachusetts It was not

,
.
—
until 1 836 that Massachus etts led in Abol ition not until
all her own sl aves had been sold to us at a profit and the
S lave trade had been destroyed
-
She looked at Ben with anger for a m oment and met his
tantalisin g look of g o od hum our -
.
“ ”
Can you stand any more ?
”
Certainl y I enjoy i t
,
.
“
I m just breaking down the barr iers— so to S pe ak
’
,
he said with the laughter still l urking in his eyes as he

, ,
looked steadil y ahead .
“
By all means go o n she said soberly
, , I thought
, .
1 2 6 Th e Cl a n s m a n
at first you were tryi ng to tease me I se e that y ou are in .
”
earnest .
“
Never more s o This i s about the onl y l ittle path of
.
’
—
histo ry I m at ho me in I love to S how o ff in it I heard .
a cheerful i diot say the other day that your father meant
to carry the c ivil i sati on of Massachusetts t o the R i o
Gran d e until we had a Democracy in Ameri ca I smiled . .
Whi le Massachusetts was enforcing laws about the dress

o f the r i ch an d th e poor found i ng a chur ch with a whip
,
p ing p o st jail and gi bbet and l imiting the right t o v ote

-
, , ,
t o a church membership fixed by p ew rent s Carol i na was -

,
the home of fre edom where first th e equal rights Of men

were pr o claimed New England p e op l e wo rth less than
.
one thousand dollars were prohibited by law fro m weari ng

the garb o f a gentleman gold or S il ver l ac e buttons on, ,
the kn e es o r to walk in great boots or their women t o

, ,
wear S ilk or scarfs while the Quake rs Maryland Gatho

, ,
li e s Bapti sts and Scotch Iri sh Presb yt eri ans were ev ery
, ,
-
’
where in the South the heral d s of man s equality before
”
the law .
“
But barri ng o ur ancestors I have some things against ,
”
the men Of this generat i on .
“ ”
Have I too sinned and come short ? he asked with ,
mock gravity .
“
Our ideals o f l i fe are far apart S h e firmly declared ,
.
”
What ail s my ideal ?
Your ego tism for on e thing The air wi th which y o u
, .
calmly select what pleases your fancy Northern men .
—
are bad enough the insol e n ce o f a Southerner is bey ond
”
words !
1 28 Th e Cl a n s m a n
He l o oked away and again the rive r echoed w ith hi s con

,
tagio us l aughter She had to join in S p ite of herself

. .
He laughed wi th boyi sh gaiety It danced in his eyes .

,
and gave S pring to every m ovement of hi s slender wiry

bo d y She felt its contagion i nfold her
. .
His laughter melted i nt o a song In a v oice vibrant .
“
with joy he sang If you get there before I do tell em
, ,
’
’ ”
’
I m com i n too !
As E l s i e list e ne d her ange r grew as sh e recall e d th e
,
amazing fo l ly that had induced her to tell the secre t

feel in gs Of her inmost soul to this man almost a
stranger Whence came this miracle o f i nfluence about
.
him this gift o f int imacy ? She felt a shock as if she

,
had been i mmodest She was in an agony of doubt .
as to what he was thinki ng of her and dreade d t o meet ,
his gaze .
An d yet when he t urned toward her h i s whole being a

, ,
smiling compound Of dark Southern blood an d bone and

fir e at the sound o f his v o i ce al l doubt and questioning
,
melted .
“
Do you know he sai d earnestly that you are the
, .
,
”
funn iest most charming gi rl I e ver met ?
,
“
Thanks I ve hear d your e xper i enc e h as been large
.
’
”
for o n e o f your age .
’
Ben s eyes danc e d .
“
Perhaps yes Yo u appeal to things in me that I
, .
d i dn t know were there—to al l the senses of body and s o ul

’
at once Your strength of mind with its conceit s an d

.
, ,
your quick little temper seem so odd and out o f place ,
”
cl othed in the gentleness of your beauty .
A c ro ss th e C h as m 1 2
9
I was ne ver more se rious in my life There are othe r .
”
th ings more perso nal ab o ut you that I d o n o t l ike .
“ ”
What ?
Yo ur cav alie r hab its .
Cavalie r fiddle stic k s Ther e are n o Cav al iers in my

.
country We are all Covenanter and Huguenot folks

. .
The idea that S o uthern boys are lazy lo afin g dre amers is a
”
myth I was raised on the catechism
. .
—
Yo u l o ve to fi sh and hunt and frolic yo u fl irt wi th
every girl you meet and you drink sometimes I often ,
fe el that yo u are cruel and that I do n o t kn o w you .
’
Ben s face grew seri ous and the red scar i n the e dge o f ,
h i s hair sudde nly becam e l i vi d wi th the rush of bl o od .
“ ’
Perhaps I don t mean that yo u shall know all yet he ,
“
sai d slowly
, My ideal o f a man i s on e that leads
.
,
’
charms d ominates and yet eludes I confess that I m
, , .
close ki n to an angel and a de vil and that I await a ,
”
woman s hand to lead me into the ways o f peace and l ife
’
.
The S piritual earnestness o f the gir l was qu i ck to catch

the subtle appeal of h is last words His broad high .
,
forehead straight masterly nose wi th its mobil e nostril s

, , , ,
seemed to her ve ry manly at just that moment and very

appeali ng A soft answer w as o n her lips
. .
He saw it and leaned toward her in impulsive tender

,
ness A t imid lo o k on her face caused him to s ink back in

.
sfle n c e .
They had now dr i fted near the city The sun w as .
sl owly S inking in a smother of fiery S plen dour that m ir

r ore d its changing hues in the sti l l water The hush o f .
the harvest fullness of autumn l ife was o ver all natur e .

I 30 Th e Cl a n s m an
They passed a camp o f sol d iers and then a b ig ho sp ital

on the bank s abo v e A gun flashe d fr o m the hill and the
.
,
flag dropped fro m its staff .
’
The gir l s eyes lingered o n the flowe r i n his coat a
m o me nt an d then o n the red scar i n the edge o f his dark
hair and som e how the difference betwe en the m see m e d
,
t o m elt i nto the fall i ng twil ight Only his nearn e ss was .
re al Agai n a strange joy held her

. .
He thr ew he r a look of ten de rn e s s and sh e began to ,
tre mble A sea gull p oised a m o ment ab ove the m an d

.
-
broke i nt o a laugh .
B e nding nearer he gently too k her hand and said

, ,
”
I love you !
A so b caught he r breath and sh e buried her face o n he r
arm .
“
I am for you and you are for me Why beat your
,
.
w ings against the thing that i s and must be ? What else

matt ers ? With all my sins and faults my lan d is yo urs
a land of sunshine eternal har v ests and e verlasting s o ng
, , ,
old fash i on e d an d pro v incial perhaps

- but k i nd and h os ,
p itable Around
. i ts humblest cottage s o ng birds li v e and -
mate and nest and never leave The wi nged o nes o f yo ur .
o wn cold fie lds hav e heard their cal l and the sk y to night ,

-
will echo w ith the ir chatter as they hurry Southward .
”
Elsie my o wn I too have called— come ; I lo v e yo u !
, ,
She lifted her face to him ful l o f tender sp iritual charm ,
he r eyes burning their pass ionate answe r .
He bent and kissed her .
“ ”
Say it ! Say it ! he whi spe red .
”
I l ove you ! S he sighed .
CHAPTER VI
TH E GA UGE OF B ATTL E
HE day o f the first m ee t ing of the Nation al Con

gress after the war was o n e of i ntense excitement .
The gal l eries of the House were packed E l si e .
was there wi th Ben i n a fe ver of secre t anxi ety lest the

stirring drama S houl d cl ou d her o wn l ife She watched .
her father lM p to his seat with e very eye fixed on him .
The President had pursued with persi stence the plan of

Lincoln for the immediate restoration o f the Un ion .
Woul d Congress foll ow the lea d of the Preside nt or chal

lenge him t o m ort al combat ?
C ivil g overnments had be e n resto red in all the S o uthern
states with men o f the highest abi l ity cho sen as governors
,
and lawmakers Their legislatures had unan i m o usly

.
voted for the Thir teenth Amen dment to the Constitutio n

abolishing sl avery and elected Senators and Represe nta
,
tive s to Congress . Mr Seward the Se cretary of State

.
,
had declared the new amen dment a part of the organic

law o f the Nation by the vote of these states .
General Grant went to the South to rep ort its con ditio n
and bol dly declared
“
I am satisfied that the mass of thi n king pe o ple of the
South accept the situation in good faith Sl avery and .
s eces sio n they re gard as settl ed forever b y the highest

1
1
3
kn own tribunal and consider this decision a fortunate one

,
”
for the whol e c o untry .
Would the Southerners b e allowe d to ente r ?

Amid breathless sil ence the c l erk rose to call the r oll o f
m e mbers e l e ct Every ear was bent to hear the name o f
-
.
the first Southern man Not on e was called ! The maste r

.
had S p oken His clerk k new how to play his part

. .
The next busi ness of the House was to recei ve the

m e ssag e of the Chi ef Magistrate o f the Natio n .
The message cam e but not fro m the Wh ite House It

, .
came from the seat of the Great Commoner .
As the first thr ill of excitement over the challenge to the

Pre side nt slowly subsi ded Stoneman rose planted h i s big
, ,
club fo o t in the middl e o f the ai sle and del i ve re d t o Con

,
gres s the word o f its new master .
’
It was B e n s first Vi ew of the man of all the world just
n o w o f most i nterest From his posit i on he c o uld see his
.
full face and figure .
He b egan S peaki ng in a careless desultory way His , .
ton e was lou d ye t not declamatory at first i n a grumbl in g , ,
gran dfatherly half hum ourous querulous accent that

, ,
r ive ted every e ar instantly A sort o f droll e ry of a con

.
tagio us ki nd haunted it Here and there a member tit

.
tere d in expe ctation of a flash o f wit .
H i s figur e w as taller than the average slightly bent with ,
a d ignity which suggested reserve power and contempt

fo r h is audience O ne knew inst inctively that back o f the
.
b ol d e st word thi s man might say there was a bo lde r u m

S poken wor d he had chosen not to S peak .
His l imbs were long and the ir mo vement s slow yet

, ,
1
he d id i t For he suddenly took the breath fro m his foe s

.
by sho uting i n their faces the hi dden motive of wh i ch they

were h Op in g to accuse him !
“
Adm it these Southern R e presentative s he cried and , ,
wi th the Democrats e l ected fro m the North wi thin on e ,
term they will have a majori ty in Congr ess and the El e c

toral College The supremacy o f our party s life is at
.
’
stake The man who dares palter wi th such a me asure

.
”
i s a rebel a traitor to his party and hi s pe o ple
, .
A cheer burst fro m his henchm en and h is foes sat i n ,
d azed stupor at h is audacity He mo ved the appo i ntment .
”
of a Committe e o n Reconstruction to whom the entire
“ ”
go vernment o f the conquered provinces of the S o uth
should be c o mmitted and to whom all credentials of their
,
preten de d representatives Should b e refe rred .
He sat do wn as the Speaker put his m o t io n declared it ,
carried an d qu ickly announced the names of this Imper i al

,
Committe e with the Hon Au st in Stoneman as i ts chair .
man .
He then pe rm i tted the mes s age o f the Pre s ide nt o f the

United States to be read by hi s cl erk .
“
Well upon my soul said Ben tak ing a de ep breath
, , ,
“ ’ ” ’
an d l oo king at Elsi e h e s the whole thi ng i sn t he ?
, ,
The girl sm il e d with pride .
“
Ye s ; he is a ge nius He was born to c o mmand and ye t
.
n ever c o ul d re sist the cry o f a child or the plea of a woman .
He hates but he hates i deas and syste ms He makes

, .
thre ats yet when he meets the man who stan ds fo r all h e
,
”
hates he falls in love wi th his enemy .
“ ”
Then the re s h Op e for me ?
’
Th e G au g e of B a t t le 1
35
Yes but I must be the judge Of the time to speak

,
.
Well if he looks at me as he did once to day you may

,
-
,
have to do the S peaking al so .
“
You wi ll like him when you know him He i s one .
”
of the greatest men in America .
“ ’
At least he s the father o f the gre atest girl in the wo rl d ,
which i s far more im mrtan t .
“ ”
I wonder if yo u know how important ? sh e asked ,
“
seriousl y . He i s the apple o f my eye His bitter words .
,
hi s cynicism and sarcasm are al l on the surface masks

,
—
’
that hide a great sensitive S pirit You can t know with .
what bro o ding tende rness I have always loved and wor
”
shipped him I will never marry against his wi shes
. .
“ ”
I h Op e he and I w ill always be g o od frie nds s ai d ,
B e n do ubtfully
,
“
Yo u must she re pl ied eagerly pressi ng his han d
, , .
CHAPTER VII
A W OMAN L AUGH S
ACH day the conflict waxed warmer between th e

Pre s i d e nt and the Co mmoner .
The first b ill sent to the White House to Afri

“
c an ise the conquered pro v inces the President v etoed
i n a m e ssage of such logic dignity and power the old
, , ,
leader found to his amazement it was i mpossible t o rally

the two thirds maj o rity to pass it over his head
-
.
At fir st all had gone as planned Lynch and Howle

, .
“ ”
brought to him a report o n Southern Atrociti es se ,
cured thr o ugh the councils o f the secret oath boun d -
Un i on Le ague whi ch had destroyed the i mpression Of

,
’
General Grant s words and prepare d hi s follo wers fo r
blind submission to hi s Comm ittee .
Yet the rally of a gro up Of men i n defence o f the Con

stitu tio n had given the Pres i dent un e xpected stre ngth .
Stoneman saw that he must hold hi s hand o n the throat

o f the South and fight another campaign Howle and
.
Lynch furn i shed the publication c o mm ittee of the Un io n

League the matter and they printe d four mill ion five
,
“ ”
hun dre d thousand p amphl ets on Southern Atro cit ies .
The Northern states were hostile to Negro su ffrage the ,
first step o f h i s revoluti onary programme an d not a d oze n

,
m e n i n C o ngre s s had yet dared to favour it Oh i o Mi chi

.
,
I
3 6
1 38 Th e C lan s m a n
The pre sid ing o ffice r re cognised th e yo ung Dem o crat

wi th a n o d o f answering humour and responded :
“ ”
The gentleman fro m New York .
I mo ve you sir s aid Cox that i n view o f the ad

, , , ,
van ce d age and eminent ser v ices o f the d ist inguished
gentleman from Pennsyl v ania the Sergeant at Arms be

,
- -
instructe d to furn i sh h im wi th enough poker ch i ps to last -
”
till m orni ng !
The scatter e d members who were awake r o ared wi th
laughter the Speaker pounded fur i ously with his gav el
, ,
the sl e epy l ittl e pages jum ped up rubb ing the ir eyes
, ,
and ran here and there answeri ng imagi n ary calls ,
and the whole House waked to its usual noise and

c o n fusi o n .
The Old man raised h is massive head and l o oke d to the

d o or leadi ng toward the Se nate just as Sumner rushed
thr o ugh He had sl ept for a moment but his keen in
.
,
telle c t ha d taken up th e fight at precisely the po int at wh i ch
he left it .
Sumner approached h is desk rap i dly lean ed over an d , ,
’
r e p o rt e d his defeat and Sherman s tr iumph .
“
F or God s sake throttl e this measur e in th e H o use o r
’
”
we are ru in ed ! he exclaimed .
“ ’ ” “ ’
Don t b e alarme d repl ied th e cyn i c I ll be h e re .
wi th stronger weapons than art iculated wi nd .
“
You hav e not a moment to lose The bill is on its .
’
w ay t o the Sp e aker s desk and Sherman s men are g o ing
’
,
”
t o force i ts passage to night -
.
The Se nato r retur ned to the other end of the Cap itol
wrappe d i n th e mantl e of his o utraged d i gn ity and in ,
A W om an L a ugh s 1 39
thirty minutes the bill was defeated and the House ,
adj o ur n e d .
As the Old Commoner hobb l ed through the door his ,
crooked cane thumping the marble floor Sumner seiz ed ,
and pressed his hand :

“
Ho w did you do it ?
’
Sto neman s huge jaws snappe d t ogether and his lowe r
l i p protruded
I sent for Cox and summoned the leader o f the
Dem o crats I told them i f they would join with me and
.
’
defeat this bill I d giv e them a bette r on e the next session
, .
—
And I will Negro su ffrage ! The gudge ons swall owed it
”
wh ole l
Sumn e r l ifted h i s e yebrows and wrapp e d his cl o ak a
l i ttle closer .
The great C o mm o n e r laughed as he departed ,
“ ’
H e i s ye t t o o go o d for this world but he ll fo rge t i t ,
’
before we re do n e thi s fight .
On the steps a beggar asked hi m for a n ight s l odgi ng

’
,
an d he tosse d him a g old eagl e .
The North whi ch had r e jected Ne gro suffrage for itself

,
with scorn answered Stoneman s fierce app e al t o their

,
’
passi ons agai nst the So uth and sent h im a delegat io n o f

,
rad i cal s e ager t o d o hi s will .
So fierc e had waxed the c o mbat betwee n the Preside nt

’
and Congr ess that the ve ry exi stence of Stant o n s pr i s
o ners langu i shing in jail was forgo tte n an d the Se cre tary ,
o f War h imself b e came a fo otball to be ki cked back an d

fo rth i n this c o n flict o f gi ants The fact that An d rew
.
Johnson was from Tennessee and had been an old l i ne

,
-
Democrat b efore his e l ection as a Unionist with Lincoln ,
was now a fatal weakne ss in his position Under St o ne .
man s assaults he became at once an executive witho ut a

’
party an d eve ry word o f amnesty and pardon he pr o

,
claimed for th e South in accordance w ith Lincoln s p l an ’
was denounced as the act of a renegade courti ng the fav our

o f traitors and rebels .
Stanton remained in his cab inet against hi s wi shes to

insul t and defy him an d Ston e man qu i ck t o se e th e way
, ,
by which the Presi dent o f the Nation could be degraded

and made r i diculous i ntr o duced a b il l depriv ing him of
,
the p ower to remo v e h i s o wn cabinet o ffi cers The act .
was not only meant to degrade the Pres i dent ; it was a trap
set for his ruin The penalties were so fixed that its vio
.
lation would g ive S pecific groun d fo r h i s tri al impeach ,
ment and remo v al from o ffice

,
.
Again St o n e man passed his fir st act t o re duce the c o n

”
quere d pr ovi nces o f the South t o Negr o rul e .
Pre s ident Johns o n v etoed it with a message o f such

logic i n defe nce of the c o nsti tutional r ights o f the states
that it failed by on e v ote to find the two thirds majority -
n e eded to become a law wi thout his appro v al .
The Old Commoner s eyes froze into two dagger p oi nts

’
-
o f i cy light when th i s v ote was announced .
With fury he curse d the President but abo ve all h e

,
cursed the men o f his own party who had faltered .
As he fumb l ed his b ig hands nerv ously he growl ed ,
“
If I only had five men of genuine courage i n Congres s ,
I d hang th e man at the other end Of the Avenue fro m th e

’
The old man thrust hi s de fo rm ed foo t o ut before hi m ,
struck i t meditat ively w i th his cane and l o oking Voorhees , ,
straight in the eye b ol dly said ,
“ ’
There s n o thi ng the matter wi th your majori ty young ,
’ ’
man I v e no doubt it s al l r ight Unfortunately you
. .
,
are a Dem o crat and happen to be the od d man in the

,
way o f the two thi rds maj o rity on which the supremacy
-
of my party de p e n d s You will have t o go C o me back

. .
”
s o m e o ther t i m e An d h e d id . .
In the Se nate the re was a hitch Whe n the vo te wa s .
take n on the expuls io n o f Stockt o n to the amaze me nt Of ,
the l e ad er i t was a t ie .
H e ho bbl ed i nto the Senate Chamber wi th the stee l ,
point of hi s cane ring i ng on the marble flags as though

he were thrusting i t through the Vital s o f the weakling
wh o ha d sn e aked and hedged an d tri mm ed at the crucial
moment .
He met Howle at the door .
“ ’ ”
What s the matte r i n there ? he aske d .
’ ”
Th ey re tryi ng t o compr o mise .
—
Compr o m i se the Devil o f Ameri can pol it i cs he ,
muttere d “
But how did the v ote fail—it was all fixed
.
”
b e fore the roll call ? -
“
Morrill o f Mai ne has trouble with hi s conscienc e !
, ,
’
He i s paired not to vo t e on this question wi th Stockton s
c olleagu e who i s s i ck in Tre nt o n H is honour i s in
, .
‘ ’
vol ved and he re fuses to break his word

, .
“ ”
I see said Sto n e man pull ing h is bri stl ing brows
, ,
down until his eyes were two beads o f white l ight gleam
“
i ng thr o ugh them Tell Wade to s ummon every m e m
.
A W o m an L a ugh s 1 43
ber o f the party in his room immediate l y and hold the

”
Senate i n session .
When the group of Se nators crowded i nto the Vi ce

president s room the Old man faced them leaning on h i s
’
,
cane and de l ivered an address of fiv e m i nute s they n eve r

forgot .
His S peech had a nameless fascination The man .
himself with his elem e ntal passi ons was a wonder He .
left o n public record no S peech worth reading and yet ,
these powerful men shrank under his glance AS the .
nostrils of hi s big thr ee angled nose dilated the scream

-
,
Of an eagl e rang in his voice his huge ugly hand ,
held the crook o f his cane with the clutch o f a tiger ,
his tongue flew wi th the hiss o f an adder an d hi s b i g ,
defo rmed f oo t s eemed to gr ip the floor as the claw

of a b e ast .
“
The l i fe o f a p ol iti cal party g e ntl e me n he gro wle d
, ,
i n conclusion is maintai ned by a scheme of subte rfuge s

,
in which the m oral law cut s n o figure As yo ur leader I .

,
—
know but o n e law succe ss The world i s ful l o f fools
.
who must have toys with which to play A belie f in p ol i .
t i cs i s the fav ourite del usi on of shall ow Ameri can m ind s .
But yo u an d I hav e no delusions Yo ur life depe n d s o n .
this vo te If any man thinks the abstraction called

.
’
‘
ho n o ur is i nvol ved let hi m cho o se between h i s honour
,
and his life ! I call no name s This i ssue must be settle d

.
no w before the Senate adjo urns There can be n o t o .
morrow It is l ife or de ath Le t the r oll be calle d agai n

. .
”
i mm e diatel y .
The grave Senators res umed their se ats and Wad e the , ,
acting Vice pre sident again put the questi o n Of St o ck

-
,
’
ton s e xpulsi on .
The memb e r fro m New England sat pal e and trembl ing ,
in his s o ul the angu i sh of the mortal combat b e twee n his

Puritan conscience the iron heritage of centuries an d the
, ,
order o f hi s captain .
Whe n the clerk of the Senate called his name still the ,
battle raged He sat i n S ilence the whiteness of death

.
,
ab o ut his lip s while the clerk at a S ignal from the Chair

,
paused .
An d then a scene the like o f which was ne v er

kno wn i n Ameri can history ! August Senators crowded
around h i s desk begging S houting irn p lor in g and
, , , ,
de manding that a fellow Senator break hi s solemn word

o f hon o ur !
For a moment pandemon ium re ign e d .
“ ”
Vote ! Vote ! Call his name again ! they sh o uted .
High ab o ve all rang the vo ice o f Charles Sumner le adi ng

the w ild chorus cry ing : ,
“ ”
Vote ! Vote ! Vote !
—
The gall er ies h i sse d and che e re d the che ers at last
drown ing e very hiss .
Stoneman pushed hi s way among the mob wh ich sur

rounded the badgered Puritan as he attempted t o re treat
int o the cloak room -
.
“ ”
W ill you vote ? he hi ssed h is eyes flashing p oi son,
.
”
My co n s cience will not permit it he fal tered ,
.
”
To hell with your conscience ! the old leader thun
de red . Go back t o your seat ask the clerk t o call yo ur,
name and vote o r by the living God I ll read you out of

, ,
’
two ye ars afte r the war had cl o se d shatte ring the Un io n ,
aga in into fragments bl o tt ing the names o f ten great S o uth

,
e rn states from its r oll and d ivi d ing the ir terr itory i nto five
,
Military D istri cts un der the c o ntrol of belte d satraps .
When this measur e was ve t oe d by the Pre sident i t cam e ,
acco mpan ie d by a message whose words will be foreve r

’
e tche d in fir e on the d arkest page o f the Nat ion s l i fe .
Am i d his ses cur ses jeers an d cat calls the Cl erk o f the
, , ,
-
,
House r e ad i ts burn ing w o r ds :

The p ower thus given to the comman din g ofite er over th e
p p
eo le o eac h distr ict is that o an absolu te mon arc h
f f H is .
mere will is to tak e the p lac e of law H e may make a crim .
in al c ode ofhis own ; h e c an mak e it as bloody as an y recorded

in history , or he can r eserve the p r ivilege o
f actin
g on the
imp u lse f his

p r ivate
o
p assion s in eac h c ase th at arises .
“
H ere is a bill of attain der ag ain st n in e million s ofp eop le
at on ce . I t is bas ed p u on an ac c usation so va u e as
g to be
in tellig wle, foun d to

'
scarcely an d be tru e u
p on n o cr edible
eviden ce . N ot on e o f the n in e million s w as heard in his

own defen c e . Th e p re r esen tatives even o
f th e doom ed
p ar
ties w ere exc luded from all artic i ation in the tr ial Th e
p p .
c on viction is to be followed b th e most i n omin ious u ish

y g p n
m en t ever in flic ted on large masses ofm en I t disfran c his es .
them by hun dreds o

f thousan ds an d degr ades them all
even th ose w ho are admitted to —

be guiltless from the ran k
o
f freemen to th e c on dition f
o slaves .
“
S uc h p ower h as n ot been wielded by an ymon arc h in E n g
lan d for mor e than fi h u n d
vered
y ears , an d in a ll that time
no p eo
p le w ho s eak the E n lis h ton u e h ave born e
p g g suc h
”
s ervitude .
A W o m an L au g h s 1 47
When the last j e eri ng cat call which gre ete d thi s message
-
Of th e Ch i ef Magistrate had died away o n the floor and
in the galleries old Sto neman rose with a sm ile playin g

, ,
about his grim mouth and introduced his bil l to im mac h

,
the Pres id ent o f the Un ite d States an d re mo ve him from

Offi ce
.
CHAPTER VIII
A D RE AM
L S IEpe nt weeks Of happ iness in an aban do nme nt

S
o f joy to the S pell o f her lover His charm was .
res istless H is gift o f del icate intimacy the el o

.
,
uen c e with wh i ch he expr ess e d his lo v e and yet the

q ,
manly dign ity w i th whi ch he d i d it threw a S pell no ,
w o man c o ul d re si st .
’ ’
E ach day s worki ng hours were given to his father s
ca se an d t o the study of law If there was work to do he .
,
d i d it an d then struck the word care from his life g ivi ng

, ,
himself b o dy and soul to his lo v e Great events we re .
m oving The sh o ck of the battle between Congress and

.
the Pre sident began t o shake the Republ i c t o i ts fo un da

tio ns He hear d n o th i ng felt n o thing sav e the music of
.
, ,
’
Els i e s v o i ce .
And she knew it She ha d only played wi th l overs

.
’
b e fo re She had neve r seen one Of Ben s kind and he
.
,
t o ok her by stor m Hi s cree d was simple The ch ief

. .
end of l ife i s t o gl orify the girl you l o ve O ther things .
co uld wait An d he let them wait He ign o re d their

. .
existence .
’
But one cl oud cast its shadow over the girl s he art d urin g
these red letter days of life— the fear of what he r father
-
would d o t o her l over s pe o pl e Ben had asked her wh ether

’
.
1 48
1
intere st Ben in polit i cs To her surprise she foun d that

.
’
h e knew nothing o f her father s real p o sitio n or p o we r as
leader o f his party The stunn i ng tragedy of th e w ar had
.
for the time crushed o ut of h i s c o nscio usn e ss all p ol i ti cal

i deas as it had for m o st yo ung Southern e rs He t oo k he r
,
.
han d w hil e a dreamy l o ok o ve rspread h i s swarthy face :

“
Don t cross a bri dge till you come to it I l e arned
’
.
that in the war Pol iti cs are a mes s Le t me t ell yo u

. .
someth i ng that counts

’
He felt her hand s soft pre ssure an d reve re ntly k i ssed
“ ” “
it . Listen he whispered
, I was dre am i ng last n ight .
after I left you of the home we ll bu ild Just back Of o ur ’

.
place o n the hill o ve rlooking the rive r my fathe r and

, ,
m o ther plante d trees in exact d uplicat e of the on e s the y

placed around our hous e when they were marr ie d They .
set these trees in h o nour o f the first b orn of the i r l ove that -
,
h e S houl d make hi s nest ther e when gro wn But i t was .
not for him H e has p itched h i s tent on highe r gr o und

.
,
and the o thers wi th h i m This place will be m i ne There

. .
—
are forty v arie ti es o f tre e s all gro wn elm mapl e o ak , , , ,
holly p i n e ce d ar magnolia an d e very fruit and fl owe ring

, , , ,
stem that grows i n our fri endly s oil A little house built .
,
near the vacant S pace reserved fo r the homestead is ,
nicely kept by a farmer and birds hav e l e arned t o bu ild

,
in every shrub and tree All th e year their music rings .
i t s chorus—on e long o vertur e awaiting the c o mi n g o f my

bride
E l sie sighed .
Listen dear he went on eage rly

, , Las t n ight I , .
d ream e d the South had risen from her ru i ns I saw yo u .

A D r e am 1
5 1
there I saw our home standing am i d a bower of roses

.
your hands had pl anted The full moon wrapped it in

.
soft light whi l e you and I wal ked hand in hand in sil ence
,
be n e ath our trees But fairer and brighter than the moon
.
was the face of her I l ove d and swe eter than all the so ngs
,
”
o f b irds th e mus i c o f her voi ce !
A t e ar dimmed the girl s warm e yes and a d eep e r flu s h

’
,
mantle d her cheeks as she l i fte d he r face and wh i sp ered :

,
“ ”
Ki ss m e.
CHAPT E R IX
TH E K ING AMU S E S H I MS ELF
ITH sav age energy the Great Commoner pressed

to trial the first impeachment of a President
of the United States for high crimes and
mi sdemeanours .
His bill to confiscate the property o f the Southern

people was already pend ing on the calendar of the House .
This bill w as the most remarkable e ver written in the

Engl i sh language o r introduced into a legislative body of
the Aryan race It pro vi ded for the confiscation of nin ety
.
per cent o f the lan d of ten great states o f the Ameri can
.
Union To each negr o i n the So uth was allotted forty

.
acres fro m the estate o f his former maste r and the ,
remain ing mill i ons o f acres were t o b e divided

“
among the l o yal who had su ffere d by reaso n o f the
”
Rebell i on .
The executi on o f this the m o st stup e n do us crime

,
ever conceived by an E ngl i sh law make r in volvi ng the

-
,
exile and ruin of m ill io ns of inn o cent men women and , ,
chil dren could n ot be intrusted to Andrew Johnson

, .
No such m e asure c o uld be enforced so long as any man

was Pres i dent and Comman d er ih chief of the Ar my and
- -
Navy who clai med hi s title un de r the C o nstitutio n Hence .
the ab solute n e cessity of his rem ov al .
1
5 2
1
S o Op e n had beco m e the shame that Ston eman was com

elle d t o i ncr e ase his committe e s in the morn i ng when a
p ,
c o rrupt majori ty had bee n bought the night b e fore .
He arose o n e day and l oo ki ng at the di sti nguished

, ,
Sp e aker who was hi mself the secret associ at e o f Oakes

,
Am e s said : ,
Mr Sp e aker : While the H o us e sl e pt th e enemy has

.
,
so wn tar e s am o ng our wheat The c o rpo rations of this.
country having nei the r bodies to be ki cked nor s o uls to

,
be lost have p er hap s by the po wer of argument al o n e

, , ,
beguiled from the maj o rity of my C o mm i ttee the m e mb e r

fro m C o nnecti cut The e nemy have now a majority of
.
”
o n e I mo v e t o i ncreas e the C o mm itte e t o twel v e
. .
Speaker Colfax s o on to b e hurled fro m the Vice pres i

,
-
dent s chai r for hi s part w i th thos e thie ves increased hi s

’
,
C o mm itte e .
E veryb od y kn e w that the po wer o f argument alone

me ant t e n thousand dollars cash for the gentleman from
Connect i cut who d i d not appear o n the flo o r fo r a wee k
, ,
fe ari ng the scorp i on tongue o f the old Comm o ner .
A C o ngre ss whi ch found it c o ul d make and unmake

laws in d efianc e of the Execut ive went mad Taxat ion .
soared t o undreame d heights while the currency was de ,
r e c iate d and subject to the wi ld e st fluctuations

p .
The s tatute bo o ks were loaded with laws that shackled

-
chai ns o f mon o p oly On gen e rations yet unb orn Pub l ic .
lan ds wi de a s the reach of empire s were v ote d as gifts to

priv ate c o rporatio ns an d s ubsidies of untol d mill io ns
,
’
fixed as a charge up o n the people an d their children s
children .
Th e K in g A m u s e s H i m s e lf 1
55
The demoral isation i ncident to a great war the waste ,
o f unheard of sums o f money the giving o f contracts in

-
,
volving mill ions by which fortunes were made in a n ight ,
the riot o f S pecul ation and debauche ry by those who tried

to ge t rich sudden l y wi thout labour had create d a new ,
Capital Of the Nation The v u l ture army o f the bas e

.
,
venal unpatriotic and corrupt whi ch had swept d o wn a

, , , ,
black cloud in war time to take adv antage Of the mis

,
-
fortunes o f the Nation had settled in Washington and

,
gave new tone to its life .
Pri or to the Civil War the Capital was rul ed and the ,
standards of its social and political l ife fixed by an aris ,
to c r ac y founded on brains culture and b l ood , Power , .
was wi th few exceptions intrusted to an honourable

body of high S pir ited public o fficials
-
Now a Negro .
e l ectorate controlled the city govern ment and gangs ,
of dr unken negroes its sovereign citi zens parade d the

, ,
streets at night fir i ng the ir muskets unchall e nged and

unmo l ested
.
A new mob o f on i on laden breath mixed with per

-
,
spiring African odour became the symbol of American

,
D e m o cracy
.
A new order o f society sprouted in this corruption .
The Old high bred ways tastes and enthusiasms were

-
, ,
d riven i nto the hiding p l aces of a few fami lies and cher
-
ish e d a s relics of the past .
Washi ngton choked with scrofulous wealth bowed the

, ,
k nee to the Almighty Dollar The new altar was co vered

.
wi th a black m o uld o f human bloo d— but no qu e stio ns

were aske d .
1
A mulatto woman kept the h o use of the forem o st man

o f the Nation and recei v ed his guests wi th condescen s ion .
In thi s atm o sphere o f festering vice and gangre ne pas

sions the struggl e between the Great Commoner and the
,
President on which hung the fate of th e South approache d

i ts cl i max .
The whole Nati on was swept i nto the wh irlpool and ,
busin e ss was paralys e d Two years afte r the close of a

.
victorio us war the credi t o f the Republ i c dr o pped unti l

,
its s i x p e r ce nt bon d s sold i n the Ope n market fo r s eve nty

.
thre e ce nts o n th e dollar .
The revolut io nary junta i n control of the Cap i tal was

wi thi n a s i ngl e step of the subvers io n o f the Go vernme nt
and the establ i shment o f a Dictator i n the White House .
A con vent i on was called i n Philadelphia to restore

fraternal feel i ng heal the wounds of war preserv e the
, ,
C o nstitution and restore the Union o f the fathers It was

,
.
a grand assemblage r e pr e senting the heart and brain

’
o f the Nati on Members of Lincoln s first Cab i n e t
.
,
prote sting Se nat o rs an d Congressmen edit o rs of great ,
Republ i can and Dem o crati c newspapers heroes of both ,
arm ies l o ng e strange d met for a comm o n purpose When

, ,
.
a group of famous Negro wo rshi ppers fro m Boston sud

de n ly entered the hall arm i n arm with ex sl aveholders
,
-
from South Carolina the great meet i ng rose and walls and
,
ro o f rang with thunder peals o f applause .
Their committe e headed by a famous editor journeye d

, ,
to Washington to appeal to the Master at the Capitol .
They soug ht him not in the White House but i n the l ittle ,
Black H o use in an Obscure street on the hill .

1
5 8 Th e C l a n s m an
palati al su i te of rooms furnished in pri ncely stat e Th e .
flo o rs we re c overe d with the r i chest and softest carpets

so soft and y i elding that the tramp of a thousand fe et
c o u l d not make the faintest e cho The walls and ce ilings .
were fres c oe d by the brush of a great maste r and hung ,
’
wi th w orks of art worth a king s ransom Heavy cur .
ta ins in col o urs o f exquis ite taste masked each wi n do w

, , ,
e xcluding all s o und from w ithi n or without .
The r oo ms blazed with light from gorgeous chandeliers

o f tr e mbling crystals shimmering and flash ing fro m the
,
ce il ings l i ke b o uqu e ts o f d i amonds .
Negro s e rv ants faultle s sly dressed attende d the slight

, ,
e st want o f e ve ry guest wi th the qu iet grace and courte sy

o f the lo s t S plendours o f the old S o uth .
The pr o prie tor with courtly manners e xt end e d his

, ,
hand
“
Welco me gentl e m e n ; you are my guests The tabl e s
,
.
and the w in e s are at yo ur servi ce without price Eat .

,
— ”
drin k and be merry play or n ot as you pl e ase
, ,
.
A smil e lighted hi s d ark eyes but fade d out n e ar hi s ,
mouth cold and r igid

,
.
At the farther end of the last room hung the huge pai nt
in g o f a le 0 pard so vivi d and rea l i ts black and tawny
,
colours S O furtive and wild its restless eyes it see m e d

, ,
al ive and mo vi ng behind invi sible bars .
Just under it gorgeously set in its jewel studded fram e

,
-
,
st oo d the magic green table o n wh i ch men staked thei r

g old and lost their souls .
The rooms were crowded wi th Congressmen go vern ,
me nt O ffici als O fficers of the Ar my and Navy clerks

, , ,
Th e K in g A m u s e s H im s e lf 1
59
c o ntractors paymasters lobbyi sts and pr o fess io nal gam

, , ,
ble rs .
The centre of an admiring group was a C o ngre ssman

who had during the last session o f the Hous e broken the
“ ”
bank in a single n ight winn ing more than a hundred ,
thousand dollars He had lost i t all and m ore i n two

.
weeks and the courteous pr o prieto r n o w held or de rs fo r

,
the l i on s S hare of the total pay and m ileag e Of n e arly eve ry

’
member of the House o f Representative s .
Over that table thousands o f d ollars o f the p eo pl e s

’
m o n e y had been staked and lost d uri ng th e war by quarte r ,
masters paymasters and age nts in charge o f publ i c funds

, , .
Many a man had approached that gree n table wi th a

stainless name and left it a perjured thi ef Some had .
b e en carri ed o ut by those handsomely d re ssed waiter s and ,
the man w ith the c ol d m o uth could po i nt out if he wo uld , ,
more than one stai n on the soft carpet which marked the
e nd of a tragedy d eep e r than the pen Of r o mance r has
eve r s ounded .
Stoneman at the m o ment was playi ng H e w as rarely .
a heavy player but he had just stake d a twenty dollar

,
-
g old p i ece and won fourteen hundred d ollars

-
Howle al ways at his elb ow rea dy for a sl ee p e r o r

, ,
a stake said : ,
“
Put a stack o n the ace .
He d i d s o lost and repeate d i t twi ce

, , .
“ ” “ ’
Do i t agai n urged Howle , I ll stake my reputa
t io n that the ace wi ns thi s time .
With a d o ubti ng glance at Howle ol d St o neman sho ved ,
a stack of blue chi ps worth fifty d ollars o ver the ace, , ,

’
playing it to wi n o n Howle s judgment an d reputat io n .
It lost .
Wi tho ut the gho st of a smile the ol d state sman said ,
“ ”
Howle y ou o we me fiv e cents
, .
AS he turned abruptly on his club foot from the table -

,
h e enco untered the ed itor and his friends a Western ,
manufacturer and a Wall Street banker They were soon .
seated at a tabl e i n a priv ate r oo m o ver a dinn e r o f choice ,
oysters d i amon d back te rrap i n can v as back duck and

,
-
,
-
,
champagn e .
They prese nted the ir pl e a fo r a truce i n hi s fight unt il

p o pular pass i on had sub s ided .
He heard them in sil e nce Hi s answe r was char .
ac te r istic
“
The w ill of the p eo pl e ge ntl e men i s supre m e h e
, , ,
said with a sn ee r
, We are the p eo pl e
. The man at .
‘
the o ther end o f the Av enue has dared to defy the wi ll ’
o f C o ngress He must go If th e Suprem e Court lift s

. .
a finger in thi s fight we w il l re duce that tri bunal to o n e

,
”
man or increase i t to twenty at our pleasure .
“
But th e Constitut i on broke i n the chairman .
There are h igher laws than paper compact s We .
are c o nquero rs treading c o nquere d s oil Our will al one .
is the source of law The drunken b oo r wh o claims to

.
”
be Presi dent i s i n real i ty an alien o f a c o nquered pro vi nce .
“ ” “
We protest excla imed the man o f m o ne y against
, ,
the use o f such epithets i n referr i ng t o the Ch ief Magis

”
trate o f the Repub l ic !
“ ”
And why pray ? sneered the C o mm o ner
, .
In the name of common decency l aw and order The , ,

.
CHAPTER X
TOS S ED B Y TH E ST ORM
S the st orm o f passion rai sed by the clash betwee n

her father an d the President rose steadil y to the
sweep o f a cyclone Elsie felt her own l ife but a
,
leaf dr iven before i ts fury .
Her only co mfort sh e found i n Phil whose letters to her ,
were full of lo ve for Margaret He asked E l sie a thou .
san d fo ol i sh q ue st io ns ab o ut what sh e thought oi hi s

chances .
To her own c onfes sio ns he was all sympathy .
“ ’
O f father s wild schem e Of vengeance aga inst the
“
S o uth he wrote I am heart S i ck I hate it on princi ple
, ,
-
.
,
t o say noth ing of a g irl I know I am wi th General Grant

.
for p e ace and reconcil i ati on What does your l o ver think
.
of it all ? I can fe el your angu i sh The b ill to rob the .
Southern pe o pl e of their land which I he ar is pend in g, ,
would send your swe etheart an d m i ne our enemies into , ,
beggared exi le What will happen in the South ? R i ot

.
and bloodshed of c o urs e— perhaps a guerilla war o f such

,
fierce and terrible cruelty human ity s i ckens at the th ought .
’
I fear the Rebel li on unhin ge d o ur father s reason o n
s o me things He was too Old to g o to the front Th e
. .
’
cannon s breath would hav e cl eared the air and sweet
ened his temper But its heal ing was denie d I bel ieve
. .
1 62
To ss e d by th e S t o rm 1 63
the tawn y l eopardess who keeps his house i nfluences him

in this cruel madness I could wring her neck with e x
.
q u isite pleasure Why he a ll ows

. her to stay and cloud
his l ife with her sh e devil temper and fog hi s name with
-
”
v ul gar gossip is beyond me .
Seated i n the park on the Capitol hill the d ay after her

father had introduced his Confiscation Bill in the House ,
pending the impeachment of the President S he again at ,
tempted to draw Ben o ut as to his feel ings on po litics .
She waited in S ickening fear and b ristling pri de for the

first bur st o f his anger which woul d mean the ir separat ion
“ ” “ ’
How do I feel ? he asked Don t feel at all The . .
surrender o f General Lee was an event so stunning my ,
mind has not yet staggered past it Nothing much can .
’
happen after that so it don t matter , .
“ ”
Negro su ffrage don t matter ? ’
No We can manage the Negro he sai d calmly

.
, , .
”
With thousands of your own peopl e d i sfranch ised ?
The negroes wil l vote with us as they worked for us ,
’
dur in g the war If they g ive them the ball ot they ll wi sh
.
,
” ’
t hey hadn t .
Ben looked at her ten derly bent near and whispered , ,
’
Don t waste your sweet breath tal king about such
things My po l itics is bounded o n the North by a pair
.
o f amber eyes on the South by a dimpled l i tt l e chin

, on ,
the East and West by a rosy cheek Words do not frame .
its S peech Its language is a mere sign a pressure of the

.
,
— ”
lips yet it thrill s body and sou l beyond all word s .
E l sie l eaned closer and looking at the Cap i tol sai d

, ,
wistfully :
’
I do n t believe you know anything that goe s on in that
”
b ig marb le build i ng .
”
Yes I d o
,
.
What happened there yeste rday ?

Yo u honoured it by putting your beautiful fe e t on i ts
step s I s aw the whole huge p ile of cold m arble suddenly
.
gl o w with warm sunl ight an d flash with beauty as you

”
e ntered it .
The g irl nestle d still closer t o his side feel i ng her utter
,
h e lplessness i n the rap i ds of the N i agara thr ough wh i ch

they were be ing wh i rled by blind and merciless forces
F or the moment she forgot all fears i n hi s nearness and the

swee t pressure o f his han d .
In lieu o f their reading St o neman would send to the ,
Clerk s desk an Obscene t irad e from a party newspape r

’
and the C l erk o f the H o use would read it am i d th e

mocking groans laughter and applause of the fl oo r an d
, ,
galler ies .
A fav ourit e clipping described the Pres i dent as an i ns o

lent drunken br ute in compari son with whom Caligula s
, .
’
”
horse was respectable .
In the Senate whose members were to sit as sworn

,
judges to decide the question o f i mpeachm e nt Charl e s ,
Sumner used language so vulgar that he was called t o

o rder Sustained by the Chair and the Se nate be re
.
,
e ate d it with increase d v iolence concluding w i th cold

p ,
v enom
“
Andrew Johnson h as become the successo r of Jef
fe r son Dav is In holding him up to judgment I do n ot
.
dwell on h is beastly intoxi cation the day he took the oath as

Vi ce president nor do I dwel l o n his maudl in S peeches
-
,
by which he has degraded the country n or hearke n to the ,
reports o f pardons sold or of personal corruption , .
These things are bad But he has usurped the powers .
”
o f Congress .
Cono ver the perjured wretch in prison for his crimes

, ,
as a professional witness in the assassination trial n ow ,
circulated the rum o ur that he coul d give evidence that

President Johnson was the assassin o f Lincoln W ithout .
a moment s hesitation Stoneman s henchmen sent a peti

’
,
’
tion to the President for the pardon o f this vill ain that
he might turn against the man who had pardoned him
and swe ar his life away ! This scoundrel was borne i n
T h e S u p re m e Te s t 1 67
tri umph from prison to the Capitol and pl a c ed b efore the

Impe ach ment Committee to whom be pour ed o ut his
,
wondrous tal e .
The se wers and prisons were dragged for every scrap

o f testim ony t o be found and the day for the tri al ap
,
ro ac h e d
p .
As it drew nearer e xcitement grew i ntense Swarms o f

, .
adventurers expecting the overthrow Of the Govern ment

crowded into Washington Dreams o f honour s profits .
, ,
and divi sion of S poil s hel d riot Gamb l ers thronged the .
saloons and gaming houses betting the ir gold on the

-
,
’
Pre sident s head .
St o neman found the busin ess more ser i ous than e ven
his daring S pirit had dreamed Hi s heal th suddenl y gave
.
way under the stra in and he was put to bed b y his physi
,
c ian with the warning that the least exc i tement would be
instantl y fatal .
El sie entered the littl e B l ac k House on the hill for the

first time since her trip at the age of twelve some e ight years ,
b efore She install ed an army nurse took charge of the

.
,
place and ignored the e xistence of the brown woman re

, ,
’
fusing to S peak to her or permit her t o enter her father s
room .
H i s illness made it necessary to choose an assistant to

conduct the case before the Hi gh Court There was but .
o n e member o f the House who se character and ability

—
fitte d m for the place General Benj F Butler o f
hi . .
,
Massachuse tts who se name was en o ugh to start a riot in

,
any assem bl y in America .
His selection precipitated a storm at the Capitol A .

me mber reape d to hi s feet o n the flo or of the House an d

shoute d
“
If I were t o character i s e al l that is pusillanimous in
war i nhuman i n peace fo rbidden in morals and corrupt
, , ,
”
in politi cs I could name i t in o n e word— Butlerism !
,
For this S peech he was ordered to ap ol o gise and whe n ,
he refused with sco rn they voted that the Speaker publicly

censure him Th e Speake r did so but winked at the
.
,
o ffen der whil e utteri ng the censure .
John A B ingham o f Ohio who had been chosen for

.
, ,
hi s power s o f o ratory to make the pri nc i pal S pe e ch agai nst

the Presi dent rose i n the H o use and i ndignantly refuse d
,
t o serve on th e Boar d of Impeachm ent wi th such a man .
Ge n eral Butler replied with crushing i nsolence :

“
It i s true Mr Speaker that I may have made an error
, .
,
o f ju d gment i n tryi ng t o blow up Fort Fi sher wi th a powd e r
S hip at s ea I did the best I could with the talents God

.
gave m e An angel could have done n o m ore At least

. .
I bare d my own breast in my country s defence a thi ng — ’
the di stingu i she d gentleman who insults me has n ot ve n

ture d to do his o nly c l ai m to greatness b ei ng that
-
,
b e hind pri son walls o n perjure d testimony his fer vid

, ,
el o quence se nt an i nnocent Ameri can mother scre aming

to the gallows .
The fight was ended only by an o rder from the old

C o mmoner s bed to Bin gham t o shut hi s mouth and work
’
wi th Butler When the President had been crushed

. ,
then they could settle Kilke nny cat i ssues Bin gham - .
ob e yed .
When the august tribunal asse mbled in the Senate

1 7 0 Th e C la n s m a n
He coul d succee d temporaril y to the Presidency as the ,
presiding O ffi cer of the Senate and his own vote might ,
decide the fate o f the accused and determine his own

s uccession The law forbids the Vice president to sit on
.
-
such trial s It should apply with more v igour in his case

.
.
Besides he had without a hear ing already pro n o unced

,
the Presi dent guilty .
’
Sumner forgetting his motion t o pre vent Stockton s
,
voting against his o wn expu l sion flew to the defence o f ,
Wade Hendricks smilingl y wi thdrew his Objection and

.
,
“ ”
Bluff Ben Wade took the oath and sat down to judge
his own cause wi th u n r uflle d front .
—
When the case was comp l ete the who l e b il l of i nd i ctment
,
stood forth a tissue o f stupid mal ignity wi thout a S hr ed o f

e vidence to support its charges .
On the l ast day of the trial when the closi ng S peeches

,
were be i ng made there was a stir at the door The

,
.
throng o f men packi ng e very inch of floor S pace we re

, ,
pushed rudel y aside The crowd craned their n e cks

.
,
Senators turne d and looked behind them to see what

the disturbance meant and the Chief Justi ce rapped
,
for order .
Suddenly through the dense mass appeared the forms

o f two gigantic ne roes carry i ng an o ld man His grim
g .
face white and rigid and his big c l ub foot hanging

, ,
pathetically from those black arms cou l d not be mi stake n ,

.
A thr il l o f e xcitement swept the floor and gal l eries an d ,
a fai nt cheer rippl ed the surface quickl y suppressed by ,
th e gav el .
The negroes pl aced him in an arm chair facing the sem i -

T h e S u p re m e T e s t 1 7 1
circl e Of Senators and crou c hed down o n their haunches

,
b eside him Their kinky heads b l ack skin thick l ips

.
, , ,
white teeth and flat noses made for the moment a cur ious
,
sym b o l ic frame for the chal k white passion o f the old

-
’
Commoner s face .
NO scu l ptor ever dreamed a more sinister em bl em o f the

corruption of a race o f empir e buil ders than this group
-
.
Its bl ack fig ures wrapped in the night o f fo ur thousand

,
“
years of b arb arism squatted there the equal Of their
,
master grinning at his forms o f Justice the evo l ution of

, ,
forty centuries of Aryan genius To their b rute strength .
the whi te fanatic in the madness o f his hate had appeal ed ,
and for their hire he had bartered the b ir thright of a

mighty race of freemen .
The S peaker hur ried to his concl usion that the hal f
fainting master might del iver his message In the mean .
whil e his eyes co l d and thr ill in g sought the secrets o f the
, ,
souls o f the judges before him .
He had not come to p l ead or persuade He had elude d .
the vigil ance of his daughter and nurse escaped with the ,
aid of the brown woman and her b l ack all ies and at the ,
peri l o f his l ife had come to command Every energy Of .
h is indomitab l e wi ll he w as using now to keep from faint

ing He fel t that if he cou l d but l ook those men in the
.
face they woul d not dare to defy his word .
He shamb l ed pain ful l y to his feet ami d a S ilence that

was awfu l Again the sheer wonder o f the man s person
.
’
al ity held the imagination of the audience His audacity .

,
his fanaticism and the strange contradictions o f his char

,
—
act r stirred the mind of friend and fo e alike this man
e
1 7 2 Th e C la n s m an
who tottere d there before the m h olding Off Death with ,
hi s big ugly left hand whil e with his right he clutched at the
,
thr oat of his foe ! Hon e st and d i shonest crue l and tender , ,
great and mean a party leader who scorned pub l ic Opinion

, ,
a man of convicti on yet the most unscrupulous politician

, ,
a phil o s o phe r who preached the equality o f man yet a ,
tyrant who hate d the w o rld and desp i sed all men !
H i s very prese nc e before them an Open defiance of love
and l i fe and death would not his word ring omn ipotent
,
whe n the verd i ct was re ndered ? Every man in the great

court r o om belie ve d i t as he lo o ked on the r o ws of Senators
-
hanging o n his l i ps .
He spoke at first wi th unnatural vig our a faint flush of ,
fev er lighti ng his white face hi s vo i ce quiveri ng yet pene

,
tratin g .
“
Up o n that man am o ng yo u wh o shall dare to acquit
“
the Pre si dent he boldly threaten e d I hurl the e verlast
, ,
f —
i ng curse a Nati on an i nfamy that S hal l ri ve and b l ast
o
his chil dren s children until they S hr i nk from their ow n

’
”
nam e as from the touch of p o lluti on !
He gasped for breath h i s restless hands fumbled at his
,
thro at he staggere d an d would have fallen had not his

,
black guards caught h im He re viv ed pushed them back

.
,
o n the i r haunches and sat down , An d then w i th his big .

,
club fo ot thrust straigh t in front of him hi s gnarled hands ,
gri pping the arms o f hi s chair the massive head shaking ,
back and forth like a w ou nded lion he continued his ,
speech whi ch gre w i n fierce i ntensity with each laboure d

,
bre ath .
The e ffe ct was e lectri cal Every S e nator lean ed for

.
T h e S u p re m e T e st 1 73
war d to catch the l owest whispe r and so awfu l was the ,
suspense in the galleries the listeners grew faint .
When his l ast mad chall enge w as hurled into the t ee th

o f the judges the da zed crowd paused for breath and the
,
gal leries burst into a storm o f applause .
In vain the Chief Justice rose his lion l ike face l ivid ,
-
wi th anger p o unded for order and commanded the gal

, ,
le rie s to be cleared .
They l aughed at him Roar after roar was the answer

. .
The C hief Justice in loud angry tones ordered the Sergeant

at Arms to clear the galleries
-
Men l eaned over the rai l and shouted in hi s face

“ ”
He can t do it !
’
’ ”
He hasn t got men enough !
Le t him try it if he dares !
The doorkeepers attempted to enforce the order by
announcing it in the name o f the peace and dignity and
sovereign po wer of the Senate over its sacred chamber .
The crowd had now become a howling m ob which jeered

them .
Se nator Gr imes of Iowa rose and demanded the reason

, ,
why the Senate was thus insul ted and the order had not
been e nforced .
A v olley of hisses greeted his question .
The Chief Justice evidentl y quite nervous declared

, ,
the order wou l d be enforced .
Se nator Trumbul l o f Illinois m o ved that the o ffenders

, ,
be arrested .
In r e pl y the crowd yel l ed

“ ’ ”
We d like to see y ou do it !
At length the mob began to sl owl y l eave the galleri e s

under the impression that the High Court had adjourned .
Suddenly a man cried o ut :

’
Hold on ! They ain t going to adjourn Let s see it .
’
o ut !
Hundreds took their seats again In the corrid o rs a .
crowd began to S ing in wil d chorus

O ld Grimes is dead that poor old man
, The women
joined with gl ee Between the verses the leader would
.
curse the Iowa Senator as a traitor and copperhead .
The singing cou l d be distinctl y heard by the Court as

its roar floated through the Open doors .
When the Senate Chamber had been cleared and the

most disgraceful scene that ever occurred within its
portals had cl osed the High Court of Impeachment
,
went i nto secret sess io n t o cons i der the evidence and its
verdict .
Within an ho ur from i ts adjournment it was known

to the Managers that se ven Repub l ican Senators were
doubtful and that they formed a gr oup under the l eader
,
ship o f two great constitutional l awyers who stil l believed

—
in the sancti ty o f a judge s oath Lym an Trumbull of
’
,
I ll inois and William Pitt Fessenden o f Mai ne Around

, ,
.
them had gathered Senators Grimes o f Iowa Van Winkle , , ,
o f Rhode Is l and Fowler o f Tennessee Henderson o f

, , , ,
Missouri and Ross o f K ansas The Managers were in

, ,
.
a panic If these men dared to hold together with the

.
twelve Democrats the President wou l d be acquitted by

,
o n e vote — they could count thirty four certain for con

-
vic tio n .
1
I shall have the c o urage and honesty to vo te according

to the di c tates of my judgment and for the highest good
”
o f my country .
He got t his answer

“
Your motives are Ind i an c o ntracts and gre e nbacks .
K ansas repudiates you as she does all perjurers and

”
skunks
The Managers organ i sed an i nquisition for the purpose
of torturin g and badger i ng Ross i nto submission His .
on e vo te was all they lacked .
The y laid si ege to little Vinnie Ream the sculp ,
tre ss t o whom Congress had awarded a c o ntract for the

,
statu e of Li nc oln Her studio was in the crypt o f the

.
Capit ol The y threatened her with the wrath o f Con

.
gre ss the l o ss o f her c o ntract and ru i n o f he r career u n

,
l ess she foun d a way t o induce Senator R o ss whom S he ,
kn e w t o vo t e agai nst the Preside nt

, .
Such an atte mpt to gain by frau d the ve rdict of a c o m

m o n c o urt o f law would hav e sent i ts pro m oters to pri son
for fel o ny Ye t the Manage rs o f th is case befo re the
.
,
highest tri bunal o f the wo rl d not only did it wi thout a

,
blush o f shame but cursed as a tra ito r e ve ry man who

,
dared t o que stion their mot ives .
As the d ay approached for the C o urt to v o te Senator ,
RO S S remai ne d to fri end and fo e a sealed mystery Re .
p o rters swarm e d about him the target of a thousand e yes

,
.
H i s r oo ms were bes i ege d by hi s rad i cal c o nstituents wh o

ha d been i mpo rted from Kansas in dro ves to bro wbeat
him int o a promi se t o c o nv i ct H is movements day and
.
night his bre akfast his dinner his suppe r the clothes he
, , , ,
T h e S u p re m e Te st 1
77
wore the colour of hi s cravat his friends and c om p an

, ,
ions were chr onicl ed in hourly bulletin s and flashed ove r

,
the wires f rom the delirious Capital .
Chief Justice Chase called the High C o urt of Imp e ach

me nt to order to render its verdict Old Stoneman had
, .
again b een carried to his chair in the arms o f two n e

groes and sat with his col d eyes searching the face s of
,
the judges .
The e xcitement had reached the highest pitch of in

te nsity A sense o f choking so l emnity brooded o ver the
.
sce ne The feel ing grew that the hour had struck which
.
would test the capacity of man to e stabl ish an enduring

Repub l ic .
The clerk read the Eleventh Article drawn by the ,
Great Commoner as the supreme test .
As its l ast words died away the Chief Justice rose

amid a silence that was agony placed his hands on the ,
sides o f the desk as if to steady himself and said : ,
“ ”
Call the ro ll .
Each Se nator answered Guil ty or Not Guil ty ,
exactl y as they had be en co unted b y the Managers unti l ,
Fessenden s name was call ed

’
.
’
A moment o f still ness and the great l awyer s voice rang
high co l d cl ear and resonant as a Puritan church h ell on
, , ,
Sunday morning :
“ ”
Not Guilty !
A murmur half groan and sigh half cheer and cry
, , ,
rippl ed the great hall .
The other votes were discounted n o w save that of

Edmund G Ross of K ansas No human be i ng o n earth
.
, .
knew what this man would d o save the silent invi si bl e

man within his soul .
Over the sol emn trembling sil ence the v o i ce o f the

“
Chief Justice rang

“
Se nator Ross h ow say you ? Is the respon d ent
, ,
Andrew Johnson guilty or n ot guilty o f a high m isde

,
”
meanor as charged in this article ?
The great Judge bent forward ; h i s brow furrowe d as
R o ss aro se .
Hi s fellow Senators watched h im S p ellb o und A .
thousand men and women hangi ng from the galleries , ,
focused the ir eyes on him Ol d Stoneman dr ew his .
bri stling brows down watching h im lik e an adder ready t o

,
strike his lower lip protruding his jaws clinched as a

, ,
vi ce his hands fumb l ing the arms of his chair

, .
Every breath is hel d every ear strained as the answer

, ,
falls from the stur dy Sc otchman like the peal of a trumpet :

“ ”
Not Guil ty !
—
The crowd breathes a pause a murmur the shuffle , ,
o f a thousand feet
The President is acquitted and the R e publ i c lives !,
The House assembled and rece ived the report of the

verdict O ld Stoneman pulled himself hal f erect hold
.
,
ing to his desk ad dr essed the Speaker i ntroduced his

, ,
second b il l for the impeachment o f the Presi dent an d ,
fe ll fain t ing in the arm s of his black atte n d ant s .

In on e o f hi s luci d moments he said

“
How beautiful yo u are my child ! You shall be a ,
queen I v e dreamed o f boundl ess weal th for you and

.
’
—
my b o y My plans are Napoleonic and I S hall n o t
.
— — ”
fail ne ve r fear aye beyond the dreams of av arice !
,
“
I wi sh n o wealth sav e the heart tre asure o f thos e I
”
love father was the soft answer
, , .
“
O f course little day dre amer But the old cynic wh o
,
-
.
has outlived himself and knows the mocke ry o f time and

things wil l b e wisdom for your fo olishn e ss You shall .
keep your t o ys What pleases you shall please m e Ye t

. .
”
I will be wi se for us both .
She laid her hand upon his lips and he ki ssed the warm ,
l ittle fingers .
In these days o f soul nearness the iron heart softene d

-
as n ever before i n love toward his chil dren Phil ha d .
hurr i e d home from the West and secured his rel ease from
the remai ning weeks of his term o f serv ice .
As the father lay watching them move about the ro o m ,
the cold light in his deep set wonderful eyes would melt -
into a soft gl ow .
AS he grew stronge r the o l d fierce S pirit o f the u n c on

,
quered leader began to assert itsel f He woul d take Up .
the fight where he left it off and carry it to victory .
Elsie and Phil sent the d o ct o r to te ll him the truth an d

beg him to quit pol itics .
Your work is done ; you have but three months to l i ve

”
unless you go South and find new life was the verdic t ,
.
“
In either e vent I go to a warme r cl i mate eh doctor 7 , ,
‘
said the cy n i c
T riu m p h in D e fe a t 1 81
Perhaps w as the l aughin g rep l y

,
.
Good It suits me better I ve had the move in

. .
’
m ind I can do more e ffective work in the South for the

.
” ’
next two years Your decision is fate I ll go at once
. . .
The doctor w as taken ab ack .
“ ”
Come now he said persuasivel y
, Let a disinter
, .
’
e ste d Engl ishman give you some advice You ve never .
’
taken any before I give it as medicine and I won t put
.
,
it o n your b il l Sl ow down on po l itics Your recent

. .
”
defeat should teach you a lesson in conservatism .
The old Co mmoner s powerful mouth became rigid

’
,
an d the lower lip bulged

Con se rv atism— fossil putre faction !
”
But defeat ?
”
Defeat ? cried the old man Who said I was de .
feated ? The South l ies in ashes at my feet the very —
names of her proud states blotted from history The .
Supreme Court awaits my n o d True there s a man .

,
’
boarding in the White House and I vote to pay his bill s ;

,
but the page who answers my beck and call has more
’
power Every measur e on which I ve set my heart is
.
— —
l aw sav e o n e m y Confiscation Act and this but waits
,
”
the ful ness o f time .
The doctor who w as wal king back and forth with his
,
hands fol ded b ehind him paused and said ,
“
I marve l that a man o f yo u r personal integrity coul d
conceive such a measure ; you who refuse d to accept ,
the l egal rel ease o f your de b ts unti l the last farthing was
—
paid you whose cruelty o f the lip is hideous and yet
, ,
’
b e ne ath it s o gentle a personal ity I ve seen the page s in ,
the House stand at your back and mimic yo u whil e S peak

ing secure in the s mil e wi th which yo u turned to greet
,
the ir fun And yet you press this crime upon a brave
.
”
an d gener o us fo e ?
“
A wrong can have no rights sai d Stoneman calmly , , .
Slavery will n o t be dead until the l anded aristocracy on

whi ch it rested is destroyed I am not cruel or unjust . .
I am but fulfil l ing the l argest vi sion of universal de m o c

f —
racy that ever stirred the soul o man a democracy that
shall know ne ither rich nor poor bond nor free white nor , ,
bl ack If I use the wil d pul se—

. beat of the rage o f m il
i —
lions t is only a means to an end t his grander vi sion of
,
”
the sou l .
“
Then why not begin at home this vision and gi ve the ,
stricken South a moment to rise ?

“
No The North is M p ervio u s to chan ge rich proud
.
, , ,
and unscathed by war The South is in chao s and can

.
not resist It is but the justice and wi sdom of Heaven

.
that the Negro shall rul e the land o f his bondage It is .
’
the only solution of the race problem Lincoln s con .
tention that we cou l d not l ive hal f white and hal f black
is sound at the core When we procl aim equal ity social
.
, ,
political and economic for the Negro we mean always to

, ,
enforce i t in the South The Negro will never b e treated

.
as an equa l in the North We are s im y a set o f col d

.
m
blooded liars o n that su b ject and al ways have been To ,
.
”
the Yankee the v ery physical touch o f a Negro is po ll ution .
“
The n you don t bel ieve this twaddle about equality ?
’
asked the d o ctor .
“
Yes an d no Mankin d i n the large is a herd o f mer
.
Union Le ague As a secret between us I am the soul o f

.
,
this order I organised it in 1 863 to se cure my pl an o f

.
confiscation We pressed it o n Lincoln He repudiated

. .
it We nominated Fr emont at Clevel and aga inst Lincoln

.
in 64 and tried to S pl it the party o r force Lincol n to r e

’
,
tire Fr emont a conceited ass went back on this plank

.
, ,
in our platform and we dropped him and helped elect ,
”
Lincoln again .
“
I thought the Union League a patriotic and socia l
”
organisation ? said the doctor in surprise , .
“
It has these features but its so l e aim as a secret order ,
is to confiscate the property of the South I wi l l perfect .
this mighty organisation until every negro stands drilled

in serried line beneath its banners send a solid delegation ,
here to do my bidding and retur n at the end o f two years ,
with a majority so o v erwhelming that my word wil l be

law I will pass my Confiscation Bill If Ul ysse s S
. . .
Grant the coming idol fal ters my second bil l o f Imp e ach
, , ,
”
ment wi l l on l y need the change o f a name .
The doctor shook his head .
“
Give Up this madness Your l ife is hanging by a .
thread The S o uthern people even in their despair wi ll

.
never drink this black broth yo u are pressing to the ir

”
lips .
“ ’
They ve got to drink it .
”
Your decision is unal terable ?
Absolutely It s the breath I breathe As my physi
.
’
.
c ian you may select the place to which I shal l be banished .
It must be reached by rail and wire I care n o t its nam e .
o r si ze I ll make i t the c ap ital o f the Natio n The re ll

.
’
.
’
T ri u m p h in D e fe at 1 85
b e p oe t i c justice in setting up my establishm ent i n a fall e n

’ ”
Sl aveho l der s mansion .
The doctor looked intently at the old man

“
The study o f m e n has become a sort of passion wi th
’
me but you are the deepest mystery I ve yet encountered
,
”
i n this land o f sur prises .
”
And why ? asked the cynic .
Because the secret of personal ity resides in motives ,
’ ”
and I can t find yours either in your actions o r words .
Stoneman gl anced at h im sharply from beneath his

wr i nkled brows and snappe d ’
“ ”
Keep o n gu e ssing .
’
I will In the meantime I m go ing to send you to
.
the village o f Piedmont South Carolina Your so n and , .
”
daughter both seem enthusiastic o ver this S pot .
“
Good ; that settl es it An d now that mine o wn have .
’
been conspiring against me sai d Stonem an c o n fide n , ,
“
tially , a l ittl e guile on my part Not a word o f what has .
passe d between us to my c hil dren Tel l them I agree .
’
wi th your p l ans and gi ve up my work I l l give the same .
s tory to the press— I wish noth in g to mar their happiness

whi l e in the South My secret burdens need not cloud
their young liv es .
Dr Barnes took the old man by the hand

.
“
I pro mise My assistant has agreed to go with you
. .
’ ’
I ll say good bye It s an i nspiration to look into a face
-
.
l i ke yours lit by the S plendour o f an unconquerabl e wi ll !

,
But I want to say somethi ng to you before you set out o n

”
thi s journey .
“
Out wi th i t said the C o mmo n e r
, .
The bre e d t o wh ich the Southern whit e man b elongs

has conquered e ve ry foot o f so i l o n this earth the ir fe e t
have pressed for a thousand years A handful of them .
hold in subjection three hundred mill ions in India Place .
a dozen of them in the h ea rt of Afr i ca and they w ill rule ,
the continent un l ess yo u kill them

“ ”
Wait cried Stoneman until I put a ballot in the
,
hand o f e very negro and a bayonet at the breast of eve ry

”
white man from the James to the Rio Grande !
“ ’ ”
I ll te ll y o u a little story said the doctor with a smile
, .
I once had a hal f grown eagl e i n a cage in my yard

-
.
The door was left Open o n e day and a meddl esome rooster
,
h Op p e d in to pick a fight .The eagle had been sick a week

and seemed an easy mark I watched The ro o ster . .
jumped and wheel ed and S purred and picked pieces o ut

o f his topknot
’
The young eagle didn t know at first what
.
he meant He wal ked around dazed wi th a hurt e xp res

.
,
s i on When at last i t dawn ed on him what the chicken

.
was ab o ut he simpl y reached o ut o n e claw took the

, ,
ro o ste r by the neck p l anted the other cl aw in his breast

, ,
and snatched his head off .
The old man snapped his massive jaws together an d

gr unted contemptuousl y .
They had made North Carolina the first home of free d om

in the New World i ssued the first Declaration o f Inde
,
e n de n c e i n Mecklenburg and l ifted the first banner of

p ,
rebellion against the tyranny o f the Crown .
They grew t o the soil wherever they stopped always ,
h o me lo vers and home —

-
bui l ders loyal to their own peopl e , ,
instincti ve clan leaders and clan followers A sturdy .

,
honest c ovenant keeping God fearing fighting peopl e

,
-
,
-
, ,
abo ve all things they hated S ham and pretence They .
ne ve r boasted o f their famil ies though some o f them m ight ,
have quartered the royal arms o f Scotland on their S hiel d s .
To these sturdy qual ities had been added a strai n o f

Huguenot tenderness and vivacity .
The culture of cotton as the sole i ndustry had fixed

African sl avery as their economic system With the heri .
'
tage o f the Ol d World had been b l ended forces inherent

i n the earth and air of the new Southl and something of ,
the breath of its unbroken forests the freedom o f its untro d ,
m o untai ns the tempe r of its su n and the sweetnes s o f its

, ,
trOp ic perfumes .
Wh e n Mrs Cameron recei ved Elsie s letter aski ng he r

.
’
,
“
to secure for them six good rooms at the Palmetto h o tel ,
sh e laughed The big rambling hostelry had been burned

.
b y roving negroes pigs were wallow i ng in the sulphur

,
spri ngs and along its walks where lo vers o f olden days
, ,
had strolled the cows were browsi ng o n the shrubbery

,
.
But she laughed fo r a more i mportant reason The y .
had asked for a six room cottage i f acco mm od ati ons coul d
-
n o t b e had i n the hotel .
She c o ul d p ut the m i n th e Le n oi r place The c o tto n .

A F a lle n S la v e h o lde r ’
s M a n s io n 1 89
crop from their farm had been stolen from the —

gin the
cotton tax o f 8200 coul d not be paid and a mortgage was ,
about to be forecl osed o n both their farm and home She .
had been brooding over their troub l es in despair The .
’
Stonemans coming was a godsend .
Mrs Cameron was he l ping them se t the house in o rder

.
to receive the new tenants .
“ ”
I decl are said Mrs Lenoir grateful ly
,
. It seems ,
too good to b e true Just as I w as about to give u p the

.
—
—
first time in my l ife here came those rich Yankees and
with enough rent to pay the interest on the mortgages and
’
o u r board at the hote l I ll teach Margaret to paint and
.
,
she can give Marion lessons o n the piano The darkest .
’
hour s just before day And l ast week I cri ed when they
.
to l d me I must l ose the farm .
I was heart sick o ver it for y o u

-
.
You know the farm was my dowry with the dozen

,
Sl aves Papa gave us o n o u r wedding day The negroes -

.
did as they pl eased yet we managed to l ive an d were very

,
happy
Marion entered and p l aced a bouquet o f roses on the
tab l e touching them daintil y until they stood each flower
,
’
apart in carel ess spl endour Their perfume the gir l s wist
.
,
ful dreamy blue eyes and shy elusive beauty all seemed a ,
part of the warm sweet air of the June morning Mrs . .
Lenoir watched her lovingl y .
“ ’ ’
Mama I m going to put flowers in e very ro o m I m
,
’
sure they haven t such lovely ones i n Washington said ,
Marion eagerly as S he ski ppe d o ut

, , .
The two wome n m ove d t o the Ope n wi n dow thro ugh ,

which came the d ro ne o f bees and the d i stant mus i c o f th e

r i ve r falls .
’
Marion s greatest charm wh i sp e red her mother is i n , ,
he r way o f doing things easil y and gently wi thout a trac e

of e ffort Watch her b end over to get that rose Did you
. .
ever se e anyt hing l ike the grace and symmetry of h e r

— ”
fi gu r e sh e seems a living flower !
’
Jeannie you re making an ido l o f her
,
’
Why not ? With al l o u r troubles and poverty I m ,
rich in her ! She s fifteen years old her head teeming wi th

’
,
romance You know I was married at fifte e ni There ll

.
,
’
be a half dozen boys to see her to night in o ur new

- -
— ”
home all of them head over heels in love with her .
“
O h Jeannie y o u must not be so sill y ! We should
, ,
”
worship God onl y .
“ ’ ’
Isn t she God s message to me and to the wo rld ? ,
3)
But if anything S hou l d happen to her
“
The young mother l aughed I never think o f i t . .
Some thin gs are fixed Her happiness and beauty are to .
me the S ign of God s presence ’

.
“ ’
Well I m gl ad you re coming to l ive wi th us in the
,
’
heart of town This p l ace is a cosey nest just such a one

.
,
as a poet l over wou l d b uil d here in the edge of these

-
deep woods b ut it is too far out for y o u to be al one

,
.
Dr Cameron has been worrying about yo u e ver since he

.
”
came home .
“ ’ ’
I m not afraid of the negroes I don t know o ne o f .
them who woul dn t go out of his way to do me a favo u r ’

.
O ld Aleck is the only rascal I know among the m an d ,
’ ”
h e s t oo busy wi th p ol i tics no w e ve n to s teal a ch i cke n .
1
night sitting o ut o n the porch i n the twil ight She Sl i ppe d

, .
her arm around me and said

“ ‘
Mama we must welcome them and make them fe e l
, ,
at home He is very ill They wi l l be tired and home

. .
s i ck S uppose it were you and I and we were taking my

.
,
Papa to a strange p l ace .
When the Stonemans arrived the old man was too ill ,
and nervous from the fatigue of the long journ ey to noti ce

h i s surround ings or to be conscious of the restfu l beauty
of the cottage into which they carried h im H i s room .
looked o ut over the vall ey o f the river for miles an d the ,
glimpse he got o f its broad fertile acres only confirmed

”
his i deas of the s l aveholding o l igarchy i t was h is life
purpose to crush O ver the mantel hung a steel e n gr av
.
ing of Calhoun He fel l asl eep with his deep sunken

.
,
e yes resting on it and a cynical smile playing about h is

grim mouth .
Margaret and Mrs Cameron had met the St o neman s

.
and the i r physici an at the train and taken Elsie and h e r ,
fathe r i n the old weather beaten famil y carri age to the -
’
Le n oir cottage apo logising for Ben s absence
,
.
“
He has gone to N as hville o n some important legal
business and the do ctor is ai l ing but as the head of the
, ,
clan Cameron he t old me to welcome your father to the

hospitality of the county and beg h i m tol et us know if
,
”
he coul d be o f help .
The old man who sat i n a stupor o f e xhaustion made

, ,
n o response an d Elsie hastened to say

,
“
We appreci ate your kindness more than I can tell you,
A F a lle n S lav e h o lde r ’
s M ansio n 1
93
Mrs Cameron
. I trust father wi l l be bette r i n a day or
.
two when he will thank you The trip has b e en more

, .
”
than he coul d h e ar .
“
I am expecting Ben home this week the mother ,
“
whispered I need not tell you that he wil l be delighte d
.
”
at your coming .
E l sie smil ed and b l ushed .
And I l l expect Captain Stoneman to see me very s o on

’
,
“
said Margaret softly Yo u will not forget to te l l him
, .
”
for me ?
“ ’
He s a very retiring young man said Elsie and , ,
’
pretends to be busy about our baggage just now I m .
sure he will find the way .
Elsie fel l in love at sight with Marion and her mother .
Their easy genial manners the genuineness of their ,
wel come and the simple kindness with which they

,
sought to make he r feel at home put her heart int o a

warm glow .
Mrs Lenoir expl ained the conveniences of the plac e

.
and apol ogis ed for its defects the resu l ts o f the war ,
.
I am sorry about the window curtains we have — -
used them all for dresses Marion is a genius with a .
needle and we took the last pair o ut o f the parl our to

,
make a dress for a birthday party The year before we .

,
used the ones in my room for a costume at a starvation

r —
party in a benefit for o u rector yo u kn o w we re E p isc o ’
alian s — strayed up here for o ur health from Charl e ston

p
among these good Scotch Presbyter i ans .
“
We will soon pl ace curtai ns at the wi nd o ws ,
El sie cheerful ly
, .
1
The carp e ts we re sent to the sol die rs for blanke ts dur

ing the war It was al l we c o uld do for our po o r boys
.
,
except to cut my hair and sel l it Yo u see my hair hasn t .

’
grown out ye t I s e nt it to R i chmond the l ast year o f the

.
war I fel t I must d o som e thing when my neighbours

.
,
we re giv ing s o much You know Mrs Cameron l ost . .
”
four boys .
“
I prefer the fl oo rs bare Elsie replied We w ill , .
”
get a few rugs .
She looked at the g irlish hair hanging i n ringlets about

’
Mrs Len o ir s hands o me face s m iled pathetically and
.
, ,
aske d
“ ”
Did yo u re ally make such sacri fices fo r your cause ?
Yes indeed I w as gl ad when the war was end e d fo r
, .
some things We certainly needed a few p i ns needles

.
, ,
”
and buttons to say nothing of a cup of co ffee or tea
, .
”
I trust you will n ever lack for anything again said ,
Elsie kind l y
, .
Yo u will br i ng us g o od luck Mr s Leno i r respon d ed

“
. .
,
Your coming i s so fortunate The cotton tax Congress .
levied was so heavy this year we were going to lose ,
everyt h i ng Such a tax when we are al l about to starve !

.
Dr Cameron says i t was an act o f stupid v engeance o n

.
the South and that no other farmers in Am e rica have

,
their crops taxed by the National Government I am so .
gl ad your father has come He is not hunting for an .
”
o ffice He can hel p us maybe
.
, .
“ ”
I am sure he will answered E l sie thoughtful l y
, ,
.
Mari on ran up the steps lightly her hair dishe velled , ,
and face flushed .

1
hills and fl owed westward for six m iles before i t turned

south agai n Beyond this Six m ile sweep o f i ts broad
.
-
channel l o ome d the t h ree ranges o f the Blue R i dge m o un

tai ns the first on e dark ri ch d i st i nct clothed i n e ternal
, , , ,
gre e n the last o n e melt i ng i n dim lines i nto the clou d s

,
“
an d s o ft azure o f the sk y .
As the sun began to sink now b e h i nd these distant

peak s e ach cl o ud that hung about them bur st i nto a
,
bla zi ng r i ot of c olour The sil ver m irror o f the ri ve r .
caught their S hadows and the water gl o we d i n sympathy

, .
As E lsi e drank the b e auty o f th e scene the music o f th e ,
fall s r i ngi ng i ts soft accompaniment h er heart went o ut ,
i n a throb o f love and pity for the land an d i ts p eo ple .
Can y o u blame us for lov i ng such a spot sai d Mari on .
It s far more beaut i ful fro m the cl iff at Lo ver s Le ap

’ ’
.
’
I ll take you there some d ay My father used to tell me .
that thi s world was Heaven and that the spir its would all ,
c o m e back t o l iv e here when Si n and shame and strife

”
were gon e .
“ ”
Are your fath er s p oe m s publish ed ?
’
asked E lsie
. .
Only i n the papers We have them cl ippe d and .
’
pas ted i n a scrap book I ll S how you the o n e ab o ut Ben
-
.
Came ron so me day You met hi m in Washi ngton d i dn t

.
,
’
”
yo u ?
“
Yes sai d E ls ie quietly
, ,
.
Then I kn o w he made l o ve to you .
’ ’
Yo u re s o pretty He c o ul d n t help it . .
”
D oe s he make love to eve ry pretty girl ?
’
Always It s his rel igio n But he does i t
. . so beauti
A F a ll e n S la v e h o l de r
’
s M a n s io n 1
97
fully you can t help bel i eving i t until you compare notes
’
,
wi th the other girl s .
“ ”
D id he make lo ve to you ?
He bro ke my heart when he ran away I cri e d a .
who l e week But I got over it He se emed so big and

. .
gro wn when he came home this last time I was afrai d .
”
t o let h im ki ss me .
D i d he dare to try ?
No and it hurt my feelings You se e I m not qu i te
,
.
,
’
old enough to be serious with the big boys and he looked ,
s o brave and handsome with that ugl y scar on the edge

o f hi s forehead and everybody w as so proud of him I
,
.
was just dying to k iss him and I thought i t downright

,
”
mean in him not to offer it .
“
Would you have let him ?
”
I e xpe cted him to try .
”
He is very po pular i n P iedmont ?
Every girl in town is in love wi th hi m .
”
An d he in lo ve w ith al l ?
—
He pretends to be but between us h e s a gr eat fl irt ,
’
.
’
He s gone to Nashvi ll e now on some pretended business .
Goodness only knows where he got the money to go I .
’ ”
believe there s a girl there .
“ ”
Why ?
’
Because he was so mysterious about his tri p I l l .
keep an eye on him at the hotel Yo u know Margaret .

,
’
t oo don t you ?
,
“
Ye s ; we met her i n Wash in gt o n .
,
’
—
Well she s the slyest fli rt i n town it runs in the bl oo d
-
h as a half do zen beaux to se e her every day
- She plays .
1
the o rgan i n the Presbyteri an Sunday school an d the ,
young min i ste r i s dead in lo ve with her They say they .
’ ’
are engaged I d o n t bel ie ve it I thi nk i t s another o n e
. . .
’
But I must hurry I ve so much t o sh o w and tell yo u , .
C o me he re to the h o neysuckl e
Mario n d re w the vi nes apart from the top o f the fenc e
and reve ale d a mo c king b ird o n her nest -
.
“ ’ ’ ’
Sh e s s etti ng Don t let anythi ng hurt her I d
. .
pu s h h e r off an d S how yo u he r S peckled eggs but i t s s o ,

’
”
late .
“ ”
Oh I wo uldn t hurt her for th e wo rl d ! cri e d E l sie
’
,
wi th delight .
“
And r ight here sai d Mar i on bend i ng grace fully , ,
“
over a tall bunch o f grass is a pee we e s nest foh r d arl i ng ,
-
’
,
”
l i ttl e e ggs ; look o ut for that .
Els i e b e nt an d saw the pretty nest perche d on stems o f

gras s an d ov er i t the taller leaves drawn to a po i nt
, , , .
“ ’ ”
Isn t i t cute ! she murmured .
’
Yes ; I ve s i x of the se and thr ee mocki ng b ird nests -
.
’
I ll S h ow them to you But the m o st parti cular on e o f .
’
all i s the wren s nest i n the fork o f the c e dar close t o th e ,
house .
She led Elsie to the tree and about two feet fro m the ,
ground i n the forks of the trunk was a ti ny hole from

, ,
which pe e p e d the e yes of a wren .
“ ’
What eve r yo u do d on t let anythi ng hurt her Her ,
.
F rec n igger!
‘
mat e s i ng s F rec n igger! F rec n igg er! -
! - -
every m o rn ing i n th i s cedar .
“ ”
An d yo u thi nk we wil l S pe ci ally enjoy that ? asked
E l si e laughi ng
, .
m e —o nly i t s bad luck to mo v e cats He s awful w il d

’
.
’
’ ’
won t let anyb o dy pet h i m but me Mama says he s an .
—
imp of Satan but I lo ve him He runs up a tree whe n .
anybody e lse tri es to get him But he climbs right up o n .
my shoulder I ne ver lo ved any cat quite as well as this

.
”
S illy half wi l d one You don t mind bla c k cats do yo u ?
,
-
.
’
,
“ ”
No dear ; I like cats
, .
Then I know you ll be good to him ’

.
”
Is that all ? asked Elsie wi th amused interest , .
’
No I ve the funniest yellow dog that comes here at
,
’
n ight to pick up the scraps and things He isn t my dog .
just a l ittle personal frie nd o f m i ne but I like him very -
much and always give him something He s v ery cute

, .
’
.
’ ”
I think h e s a nigger dog .
“ ” ’
A nigger dog ? What s that ?
’
He belongs to some coloured pe ople who don t give ,
’
him enough to eat I lo v e him because he s so faithfu l
.
to h i s o wn folks He comes to see me at night and pre

.
ten d s to lo v e me but as soon as I feed him he trots back

,
home Wh e n he first came I laughed til l I crie d at his

.
,
—
antics o ver a carp e t we had a carpet then He never w
.
saw on e befo re an d barked at the col o urs and the figures

,
’
i n th e pattern Then he d l i e do wn and rub his back
.
”
on i t and gr o wl You won t let anyb ody hurt him ?
.
’
”
No Are there any others ?
.
’
—
Yes I most forgot If Sam R o ss c o mes Sam s an
, .
’
’
idio t who l ives at the poorhous e if he comes he ll ex ,
—
pe et a di nner m y my I m afraid he ll cry when he finds
, ,
’ ’
we re n o t here ! But you can send him to the hotel to me

’
,
’
D o n t let Aunt C i ndy S peak rough to him Aunt Cindy s
’
.
A F a lle n S lav e h o lde r
’
s M a n s io n 20 1
a wfully go od to me but sh e can t bear Sam She thi nks

,
’
.
he bri ngs bad luck .
”
How on earth did you meet him ?
His father was rich He was a go o d friend o f my .
’
Papa s We came near l os ing o ur farm once because a
.
,
bank failed Mr Ross sent Papa a sign e d check on his

. .
o wn bank and told h i m to write the am o unt he n e eded

,
o n it and pay him when he was abl e

, Papa cri ed o ve r .
’
i t and wouldn t use it and wrote a poem on the back of
, ,
—
the che ck one of the sweete st o f all I think In the , .
war Mr Ross lost his two younger sons both kil le d at

.
,
Ge ttysburg His wife died heart broken and he o nl y

.
-
,
l ive d a year afterward He so l d his farm for Confederate .
m o n e y and e verything was l ost Sam was sent to the

,
.
poorhouse He found out somehow that we l ov ed him

.
an d comes to see us He s as harmless as a kitten and .

’
,
Wo rks the garden beautiful ly .
“
I l l rememb e r E l sie promised
’
, .
”
And one thing more sh e said hesitat i ngly Mama , , .
as ked me to sp e ak to you o f this— that s why S h e sl ipped ’
’
away There s o n e littl e room we have locked It was
. .
’
Papa s study just as he left it with his papers scattered ,
—
o n the desk the b o oks and pi ctures that he lo ve d you
,
’ ”
wo n t m i nd ?
Elsi e slipped her arm about Marion l ooked into the ,
bl ue e ye s d i m wi th tears drew her cl ose and said

, , ,
“
It s hall b e sacred my chil d Yo u must come e very ,
d ay i f po ssi ble and help me , .
“ ’
I will I ve s o many b e aut i ful places to show you in
.
—
the woods place s he lo ved and taught us to se e and lo ve , .
’
The y wo n t l e t m e g o i n th e woo ds any m or e al o n e But .
yo u have a b ig bro the r That must be very s wee t . .
Mrs Leno i r hurr ie d to Els i e

. .
“
C o me Mario n we must b e go i ng now
, , .
I am ve ry s orry to see yo u leav e the home you l ove s o

”
de arly Mrs Le n oi r said the Northern girl tak i ng he r
, .
, ,
“
exte nd e d han d I hOp e yo u can s o on fin d a way t o have
.
i t back .
Thank you repl ie d the m o the r chee rily

, Th e , .
longer you stay the better for us Yo u don t know h o w

, .
’
happy I am ove r your c o ming It has lifted a l o ad fro m .
o ur heart s In the liberal re nt you pay us you are our

.
”
b e n e factors We are very grateful and happy
. .
Els i e watched them walk across the lawn to the stree t ,
the d aughter lean i ng o n the m other s arm Sh e foll o wed ’

.
Slowly and stopped behind o n e o f the arbor v it ae bushes -
b e side the gate Th e full moon had risen as the twilight

.
fell an d flooded the scen e wi th soft white l ight A wh i p .
p oo r wi ll struck h i s first plai ntiv e n o te his weir d so ng ,
se e m i ng to com e from all directi ons an d yet to b e un d er

he r fe e t She heard the rustle of d resses return i ng al o ng
.
th e walk an d Mar i on an d her mother stoo d at th e gate

,
.
They lo o ke d long and tenderly at the house Mr s L e n oir . .
uttere d a broken sob Mar i on sl i pped an arm ar o un d h e r

, ,
brushe d the S h o rt curl i ng hair back fro m her fore he ad ,
and softl y said

“ ’
Mama dear you know it s best I don t m i nd
, ,
’
. .
Everybody i n town loves us E very boy an d girl i n

.
P i edm o nt worshi p s you We wi ll b e ju st as happy at

.
the h ot el .
CHAPTE R II
THE EYES O F TH E J U NGL E
L S IE stood dream i ng fo r a moment in the shad o w

o f the arbor v it ae
-
breathing the sensuous per:
,
fume d air and listening to th e distant musi c o f

t h e falls her heart quiver i ng i n pity for the anguish o f
,
which sh e had been a witness Again the S pectral cry

.
o f the whippoorwi l l rang near b and S h e noted for the

y
-
,
first time the cur i ous cl uck with which the bird punctu
ate d each call A sense o f dim foreboding Oppressed her
. .
She wondered if the chatter of Marion about the g i rl

’
in Nashv i lle were on l y a child s guess o r more She .
laughed softly at the absurdity o f the idea Ne ver si nce .
she had first l ooked into Ben Cameron s face d i d she feel ’
surer o f the honesty and earnestness of his lo ve than to

day in this quiet home of his nativ e vill age It must be .
the queer cal l of the b ird which appealed to supersti ti ons

she did not know were hidden w i th i n her be i ng .
Still dreaming under i ts S pell sh e was startle d at the

,
tread o f two men appro aching the gate .
The taller more p o werful l o oki ng man put h i s hand

,
-
o n the latch and paused .
“
Allow no white man to o r d er yo u aroun d R e m e mber .
you are a freeman and as good as any pale face wh o wal ks -
”
this earth .
Th e E y es Of t h e J u n g le 20
5
She rec ogn ised the voice of Sil as Lynch .
B e n Came ro n dare me to c o me ab o ut de ho use said ,
the o ther voice .
“ ”
What did he say ?
’
He say wid his eyes b atten des like lig htn e n E f I
,
’
,
‘
’ ’
ketch you hangin roun dis pl ace agin Gus I ll jump
’ ’
, ,
’
’
on yo u en stomp de life outen ye .
“
Wel l you tel l him that your name is Augustus not
, ,
Gus and that the United States troops quartered in this

,
’
town will be with h im soon after the stomping begi ns .
You wear its uniform Give the white trash in this t o wn

.
to understand that they are not e ven citizens of the Nat i on .
As a so vereign voter you once the ir slave are not o nly

, , ,
— ”
their equal yo u are their master .
”
“
Dat I will ! was the firm answer .
The negr o to whom Lynch S poke disappeared in the

direction taken by Marion and her mother and the figu re ,
o f the handsome mulatto passed rapid l y up the walk ,
ascended the steps and knocked at the door .
Elsie fol l owed him .
“
My father is too much fatigued with his journey to b e
”
seen now ; yo u must c all to morrow S he said -
, .
The negro lifted his hat and bowed

“
Ah we are del ighted to wel come yo u Miss Stoneman
, , ,
to o ur land ! Your father asked me to cal l imm e diately on

”
his arriv al I have but obeyed his orders
. .
Elsie shrank from the famil iari ty of his manner and the
ton e s o f authori ty and patronage with which he spoke .
”
He cannot be seen at this hour she answered s h ortly , ,
.
Perhaps you wil l present my card then — say that I ,

am at his se rvic e an d l e t h i m app oi nt the t i me at wh ich

,
”
I shall re turn ?
Sh e d id n o t i n vite h im in but with easy assurance he
,
too k h i s se at o n the j oggle— ’
b o ar d bes id e the d o or and

awa ite d he r return .
Agai nst her urgent pr o test Ston e man o rd ered Lynch to

,
b e s h o wn at once to his bedroom .
Wh e n th e door was closed the old C o mm o n e r w ith o ut

, ,
turning t o gre et h i s vi s i t o r or m ov ing his p osit i on i n b ed ,
asked :
“ ”
Are you follo wing my i nstruction s ?
”
To th e letter S ir, .
Yo u are in it i ating the negro es i nt o th e Le agu e and

”
te aching them the new catechism ?
“
W ith remarkable success Its secre cy an d r itual
.
appeal t o them W ithin six months we shall have the whole

.
”
race un de r our control almost to a man .
“ ”
Almost to a man ?
We find s o m e so attache d to their form e r master s that
re ason i s i mpossible with them E ven threat s an d the .
”
pr o mi se o f forty acres o f land have no i nfluenc e .
The o ld man snorted wi th contempt .
“
If an yt hing could reconcile me to the Satan i c In stitu
t io n it i s the character of the wretches who subm i t to it
,
an d k i ss the hand that str i kes After all a slave d es e rves

.
,
t o b e a slave The man who i s m e an enough t o we ar

.
chai ns ought t o wear them You must teach teac h TEA C H

.
, , ,
the se black b oun ds to know they ar e m e n n o t brutes ! ,
The ol d man paused a moment an d his re stl ess hands ,
fumbled th e co ver .
caught with a sh iver the odor o f po made o n hi s black half

ki nke d ha ir He stopped o n the lower step looked back
.
,
w ith smiling i nsolence and gazed intently at he r beauty

, .
The g irl shrank from the gleam o f the jungle i n h i s eyes

and hurr ied with in .
She fo un d he r father sunk in a stupor Her cry brought

.
th e young surgeon hurryi ng i nto the room and at the end

,
o f an hour he sa i d to E l sie and Phi l

“
He has had a stroke of paralysis H e may lie i n.
m e ntal d arkness fo r months and the n reco ver H i s heart .
acti on i s pe rfe ct Pati ence care and love will sav e h im

.
, , .
”
The re i s no cause fo r immed i ate alarm .
CHAPTER III
AUGU S TU S C A E S AR
HIL e arly found the home o f the Camerons the

m o st charming S pot in town As he sat in the
.
old fas hi oned parlour beside Margaret his brain

-
,
seethed wi th plans for bu ildin g a hotel on a l arge scale o n

the other s i de of the Square and restor ing he r home intact .
The Camero n homestead was a large bri ck build ing

wi th an ample po rch l oo k i ng o ut directly o n the Co urt
,
House Square standing in the m iddle o f a lawn full o f

,
trees flowers shrubbery and a wilderness o f evergreen

, , ,
boxwood plante d fifty years before It was located o n the

.
farm from whi ch it had always derived i ts support The .
farm extended up into the vil lage itself wi th the great barn
,
as
i seen from the street .
l
P h i was charmed with the doctor s gen i al personality
’
.
He often found the father a decided l y easier person to get

along with than h is handsome daughter The Rev Hugh . .
M c Alp in w as a da ily call er and Marg aret had a tantal i s i ng

,
way o f showing her deference to his Opinions .
Phil hated this preacher from the moment he la id eyes

on h i m His pugnac ious piety he m ight have endure d but
.
fo r the fact that he was good looking an d eloquent When

-
.
he rose i n the pulp it i n al l h is sacred d ign i ty fixed h i s eyes

,
on Margaret and began in tende rly mo dulated vo i ce to tell

,
ab o ut the love of Go d Ph il cl inche d hi s fist He di dn t

, .
’
care to jo in the Presbyter i an church but h e qu ie tly made ,
up h i s m ind that if it came to the worst and sh e asked h im

, ,
he would jo i n anyt hing What made him furious was the

.
air of assurance with which the young d i vi ne carried him

self ab o ut Margaret as if he had but to say the word
,
an d i t would be fixed as by a decree i ssue d from b e fo re

the foun d ations o f the world .
H e was ple as e d an d surpr i sed to fin d that his be ing a

Yankee made no diflere n c e i n h is stand i ng or welco me .
Th e peo ple seemed unconsc io us o f the part h is fath er

’
played at W as hington Stoneman s Confiscation Bill had
.
not yet been d i scussed i n Congress and the prom i se o f ,
land t o the negro e s was universally regarded as a hoax o f

th e League to w i n their followers The old C o mm o ner .
was n o t an o rator Hence h i s nam e was scarcely kn own

.
i n the South The Southern pe ople could not conce i ve o f

.
a great lead e r e xcept o n e who expressed h i s power thr o ugh

th e megaphon e of oratory They h eld Charles Sumn er
.
chi efly r e sponsible for Reconstruct ion .
Th e fact that Phil was a Yankee who h ad no axe t o gr ind

in th e South c aus e d th e pe o ple t o appeal to him i n a pathe t ic
way that t o uched hi s he art He had not been 1n
.
t o wn two weeks before he was o n good terms with ev ery

yo ungste r had the entr! e to every home and Ben had
, ,
take n h i m pr o testi ng vehemently to see ev ery pre tty girl

, ,
th ere H e found that in sp ite of war and po verty trou

.
, ,
bl es pre sent and troub l es to come the young Southern

, ,
wo man was the d ivi nity that claimed and receive d the
chie f worsh i p o f man .
if she were consumed with a sly sense o f humour i n her

l ove-affairs .
What he felt t o b e hi s manl i est trai ts h i s re s e rve dig , ,
n it an d m o ral earn e stness sh e must th i nk c o ld an d slow

y, ,
b e s ide the das h fire and assurance of the se S o uthe rn e rs

, , .
H e could tell by the way sh e encouraged the pre ache r

b e for e hi s eye s that sh e was criticisi ng and dari ng h i m
to l e t g o for once Instea d o f doing i t he sank back
.
,
appall e d at th e prospe ct and let the preacher carry

h e r off again .
H e s o ught solace i n Dr Cameron who was utte rly .

,
obl ivi ous of his daughter s love affairs ’

-
.
P hil was constantl y amazed at the variety of his kn o wl

e dge the genuineness Of his culture his modesty an d the
, , ,
n o te of youth and cheer wi th wh i ch he stil l pursu ed the

stu d y o f med i ci ne .
His c o mpany was refreshing for i ts o w n sake Th e .
sl e n d er grace ful figure ruddy face wi th p ierci ng d ark

, , ,
br o wn eyes i n startling c o ntrast to h i s snow white hai r -
and h e ard had for Phil a perpe tual charm He ne ver t ired
,
.
l i ste n i ng to his talk and noting the pecul i ar grace and

,
di gn i ty wi th wh i ch h e carr ied hi mself unconsci ous o f th e ,
command i ng look o f his br il l iant eyes .
“
I hear that you have used Hypnotism i n yo ur practi c e ,
”
D o ctor Phil said to h i m on e day as he watch e d w ith
, ,
fascination the changing play o f his mobile featur es .
“
Oh yes ! used it for years
, So uthern doct o rs have
.
always been p i oneers in the science of medic i ne Dr . .
Crawfo r d Lo ng o f Geo rg i a you know was the fir st p rac

, , ,
”
tition e r in America to app l y anesthes i a t o surgery .
A u g u stu s C ae s a r 2 1
3
But where d i d you run up agai nst Hypn o t i sm ? I

”
tho ught thi s a new thing under the sun ?
Th e do ctor laughed .
“ ’
It s not a home industry e xactl y I became i ntere sted
, .
i n i t i n E d i nburgh whil e a medical student and pursu ed i t ,
”
wi th i ncreased i nterest in Paris .
“ ”
Did yo u study medicine abroad ? Phil asked i n
surpri s e.
“
Yes ; I was poor but I managed to raise and to borrow
,
en o ugh to take three years o n the other side I put al l I .
’
had and all my credit in i t I ve ne ver regretted the .
sacr ific e The more I saw of the great world the better
.
,
’
I l i ked my own worl d I ve g i ven these farmers and their
.
”
fam il i es the best God gave to me .
“ ”
Do you find much use for your p o wers o f hypnosi s ?
Phil aske d .
“
O n l y i n an experimental way Natural ly I am .
—
endowed wi th this gift especi ally over certain classes
who are easily the subjects o f extrem e fear I owned a .
rascally slave named Gus whom I used to watch stealing .
’
Su d denly confronting him I ve thr own h i m i nto u n c o n
,
sc io u sn e ss w i th a steady gaze of the eye until he wou l d ,
drop o n his face trembling like a leaf unabl e to speak

, ,
”
until I allowed him .
“ ”
How do yo u account for such powers ?
I d o n t account for them at all They bel o ng to the
’
.
world o f S piritual phenomena of whi ch we know so little

and yet wh i ch toUc h our materi al l ives at a thousan d points
e very d ay How do we account for sleep and dreams or
.
,
second sight or the day dreams whi ch we call vis i ons

,
-
Phil w as sil ent and the do c tor went o n dreamily

,
The day my boy R i chard was kil l ed at Gettysburg I ,
s aw him lying dead in a fie l d near a house I saw some .
so l diers bury him in the corner o f that fiel d and then an ,
o ld man go to the grave dig up h is body cart it away into

, ,
the woods and th row it into a ditch I saw it before I

, .
heard o f the battl e or kn ew that he was in it He w as .
reported kill ed and his body has never been found It is

,
.
the one unspeakab l e horror o f the war to me I ll never .

’
”
get over i t .
”
How very strange ! e x claimed Phil .
And yet the war w as nothing my boy to the horrors I , ,
’
feel clutching the throat o f the South to day I m gl ad -
.
o u and your fa ther are down here Your disinterested

y .
view o f things may help us at Washington when we need

”
it most The South seems to have no friend at Court
. .
“ ”
Your younger men I find are hopeful D octor sa i d
, , , ,
Phil .
“ ’
Ye s the young never see danger until it s time to die
,
.
I m not a pessimist but I was happier in jail Scores of

’
, .
my o l d friends have given up in despair and d ied Deli .
cate and cul tured women are living o n cowpeas corn ,
—
bread and mo l asses and of such qu al ity they would not
have fed it to a slave Chil dren go to bed hungry Droves
. .
o f brutal negroes roam at large steal ing murdering and, , ,
threaten ing b lacker crimes We are under the heel o f

.
petty mil itary tyrants few o f whom ever smel l ed gun

,
powder in a battle At the approach ing election not a

. ,
decent white man in this county can take the i nfam o us

test oath I am disfranchised because I gave a c Up o f
-
.
Phil watche d h i m w ith disgust He had the sh ort .

,
heavy set neck o f the lowe r order o f animals H i s S ki n

-
.
wa s c o al black h i s l i ps so th i ck they curl ed b o th ways up

,
and d own w ith crooke d blood m arks across th e m H is -

.
n o s e was flat and its e normous nostrils s ee med i n pe r

,
e tu al dilation The sin i ster bead ey e s w i th br o wn

p .
,
S plotch e s in the ir whites were s e t wid e apart and gl e am e d

,
ape like under hi s scant br o ws His e normous ch e ek

-
.
b o n e s and jaws s ee m e d t o protru de beyo n d the e ars

and alm o st h i de them .
That we sh o uld send such sold ie rs her e t o flaunt o ur

”
uniform i n the faces o f the se pe opl e ! he exclai m ed with ,
bitte rness .
H e met Ben hurrying home from a v isit to Els i e Th e .
two yo ung sol die rs whose prejudices had melted i n th e

wh ite heat of battl e had become fast friends
- .
Phil laughed and winke d :

“ ”
I ll m ee t yo u to night around th e fam ily altar !
’
-
When h e reach e d home Ben saw slouching i n fro nt of , ,
th e hous e walki ng back and forth and glanci ng f urtively

,
beh i nd him the negro trooper whom his friend ha d pas s ed

,
.
H e walked qu i ckly i n fro nt o f h i m an d bl i nk ing h i s , ,
e ye s rapidly said : ,
“
D idn t I tell you Gus n ot to let me catch yo u hang ing
’
, ,
”
aro und thi s house again ?
Th e negro drew himsel f up pulling his blu e un iform ,
i nto p o s ition as his body stretched o ut o f its hab itual

slouch and answered
,
“ ’ ‘
My name ain t Gus .
Ben gave a qu i ck littl e chuckle and lean e d back agai n s t

A ug u stu s C a e s ar 2 1
7
the palings his hand resting on one that was loose He

, .
glance d at the negro carelessly and said

“
Well Augustus Cae sar I give yo ur majesty thirty
, ,
s ec o n d s t o mo ve off the block .
Gus firs t imp ulse was to run but remembering

’
,
s elf he thre w back his shoulders and said

I r e cko n de streets is free
”
Ye s and s o is kin dling wo od !
,
-
Qui ck as a flash of lightn i ng th e pal in g suddenly left

the fence and bro ke thr e e times in such bewildering rap id
’
ity o n the negro s head he forgot e veryt hing he e ve r knew
—
or th o ught he kn e w save one thing the way t o run He .
d i dn t fly but he made remarkable use o f the fac il ities

’
,
wi th which he had been en do wed .
Ben watched him disappe ar t o ward the camp .
He picked up the pi e ce s o f pal i ng pull e d a strand o f ,
black wo ol fro m a splinter l o oked at it curiously and said

,
“
A sprig o f his majesty s hair— I ll do ubtl e ss re me mb e r
’ ’
”
him wi tho ut it !
CHAPTER IV
AT TH E P OINT OF T H E B A Y ON ET
IT HIN an hour from Ben s encounter he was ’

,
arrested without warrant by the military com

mandant handcu ffed and placed on th e train
, ,
for Columbia more than a hundred m iles distant The

, .
first purpose o f sending h 1m 1n charge o f a negr o guard

was abandoned for fear o f a riot A squad of white tr oo ps .
accompanied him .
Elsie was waiting at the gate watching for his coming , ,
her heart agl ow with happiness .
When Marion and l ittl e Hugh ran to tel l the exciting

news sh e thought it a joke and refused to believ e it
, .
Come dear don t tease me ; yo u know it s not true !

, ,
’ ’
”
I wish I may die if taint so ! Hugh so l emn l y declared
’
.
He run Gus away cause he scared Aunt Margaret so

’
.
They come and put handcu ffs o n him and took him to
Co l umbia I tel l you Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt
.
Margaret are mad

Elsie c al led Phi l and begged him to see what had hap
pened .
When P hil reported Ben s ar rest without a warrant and

’
,
the indignity to whi c h he had b een subjected o n the

amazing ch arge o f resisting mil itary authority Elsie hur ,
ried with M arion and Hugh to the hotel to express her

2 1 8
Pl e ase Marster fer de L awd s sake I a i n do ne

, ,
’
,
’
n uttin — ’ ’
d o an shave my h e ad Dat ha r been wr0 p pe d .
’
” ’ ’
lak d at fur t e n ye ar ! I di e sho c i I l o se my ha r .
Bri ng the barber and take h im back until h e com es , ,
wa s the o rder In an h o ur they led him agai n int o the

.
r oo m bl i n d fol d ed and place d him i n a chair

, , .
“
Hav e you let him se e a preacher b e fore putting hi m
” “
thro ugh ? th e Captai n asked I hav e an or d er fro m the
”
Ge n e ral i n Charl e ston to put hi m thr o ugh to day - .
“
Fo r G od s sake M ar ster doan put m e froo I ai n t
’
,
— ,
’ ’
’
do n e n uttin e n I do an know ’
The Old n e gr o S l i ppe d t o hi s knees trembl ing from he ad ,
t o foo t
The g uar d s caught h i m by the S houlders and thre w h i m
back i nto the chair The ban d age was remo ved an d ju st
.
,
i n fro nt o f h i m s to o d a brass cann o n pointed at h i s head ,
a so ld i er b e s i de i t holding the str i ng r e ady to pull J o hn .
thre w hi m self backwar d yell i ng : ,
Godderm igh ty
Whe n h e s crambl ed t o h i s fe et an d started t o run ,
an o th e r cann o n swung o n h i m from the rear He drop ped .
to his kn ees an d b e gan t o pray :

“ ’
—
Ya s Law d I se e r c o m i n I hai n t re a d y but L awd
, ,
’
.
’
, ,
”
I go t t e r c o me ! Save me !
“ ”
Shave hi m ! the Captai n ord ered .
Wh il e th e o l d man sat moan i ng the y lathere d h i s he ad ,
wi th two s crubb i ng brush e s an d shaved i t cl e an

- .
“
Now s tan d hi m up by th e w all and me asure h i m fo r
”
his co ffi n w as th e or de r
, .
The y s natch ed hi m from th e chair pushed h i m against ,

A t th e P o in t of th e B ay o n e t 22 1
the wall and measured h im While they were taking his

,
.
me as ur e the man next to him whi spered

,
“ —
No w s the ti me to save your hide tell all ab o ut Ben
’
”
Came ro n trying to hire you to kill As hburn .
“
Give him a few minutes said the Captai n and , ,
maybe we can he ar what Mr Cameron said about Ash .
”
burn .
“ ’
I doan kn o w n uttin Ge neral pl eaded the old
’
, ,
d arkey .
“ —
I a in t heard n uttin I ain t seed Mars e Ben
’ ’ ’
”
fer two monts .
“ ’
Yo u nee dn t lie to us The rebels have b een posting .
’ ” ’
yo u But it s no use We ll get it o ut o f you
. . .
F o Gawd M ar ste r I se er tel l ing d e tru f!

“’ ’ ’
, ,
Put him in the dark cell and k ee p him there the bal anc e
”
of his l ife unless he tells was the order ,
.
At the end o f four days Ph il was summon ed again to ,
witness the S how .
John was carr i ed to another part o f the fort an d shown

the swe at b o x -
.
“ ”
Now tell all you know or in yo u go ! sai d his tor
m e nt or .
The negro looked at the engin e o f torture i n abject ter

—
ror a closet i n the walls o f the fort just big en o ugh to
°
admit the body with an adjustable to p to press down too

,
low for the head to be held erect The door cl o se d tight .
against the breast o f the victim The only air a dm itte d .
was through an auger hole in the d o or -

.
The ol d man s lips mo ved in prayer ’

.
“ ”
Will you tell ? gro wl e d the Captain .
” ’ ’ ’ ’
I cai n t tell ye n uttin c ep t n a lie ! he moaned
’
.
222 Th e Cl a n s m a n
They thrust him in sl ammed the door and i n a l oud

, ,
voice the Captain said

“
Keep him there for thirty days unless he tells .
He was left in the agony o f the sweat box for thirty three - -
hours and taken o ut His l imbs were swo l len and when
.
,
he attempted to wal k he tottered and fell .
The guard jerked him to his feet an d the Captain said ,
“ ’ ’
I m afraid we ve taken him o u t too soon but if he ,
”
don t tell he can go back and finish the month o u t
’
.
The po o r old negro dropped in a faint and they carried ,
h i m back to his cel l .
Phil determined to spare no means fair or foul to , ,
’
secure Ben s release from the cl utches o f these de v il s He .
had as yet been unab l e to locate his pl ace o f confinement .
He continued his ruse o f friendl y curiosity kept in touch ,
wi th the Captain and the Captain in touch with his

,
pocket book -
.
Summoned to witness another interesting ceremony he ,
hurried to the fort .
The o fficer winked at him confidential l y and took ,
h im out to a row o f dungeons b ui l t o f l ogs and cei l ed inside

wi th heavy boards A singl e pane o f gl ass about eight
.
inches square admitted light ten feet from the ground .
There was a commotion inside curses groans and cries , ,
for mercy mingl ing in rapid succession .
“ ”
What is it ? asked Phil .
’ ”
Hell s goin o n in there ! l aughed the o fficer
’
.
”
Evidentl y .
A heavy c rash as though a ton weight had stru c k th e

,
-
floor and then all was still

, .
Th e C la n s m a n
— —
A common stump tailed cur-dog - —M arste r l
”
A pair o f th em .
” ’
A pair o f e m .
No th e whol e th i ng all together we—are—a

,
”
pa ir !
“
Ye s—Marster They repeated i t i n chorus
. .
With apo l o gie s t o the d ogs

Apo l og ies t o the d ogs
An d why doe s yo ur mas te r h o n o ur the kennel wi th h is
”
pres ence t o d ay ? -
“
He h i t a n igge r o n the he a d s o hard that h e strain ed
’ ” ’ ’
the n i gger s ankle and he s restin from hi s lab o urs
, .
“ ’
That s ri ght Towser If I ha d yo u and T i ge a few
, .
hours eve ry day I c o ul d make good squ i rrel dogs o ut of -
”
ou .
y
There was a pause Phil l oo ke d up and sm iled . .
“ ”
What d o e s i t soun d l ike ? asked the Captai n wi th a ,
shade of d oubt i n hi s voi ce .
“
S o un ds t o me l i ke a Sun d ay school teacher taki ng hi s -
”
class thr o ugh a new catechi sm .
The Captai n fumbled hurr i edly for his keys .
“ ’ ”
There s s o methi ng wrong i n there .
He Ope ne d the d oo r an d S prang i n .
B e n Cameron was sitti ng on top o f the two toughs ,
kn o cki ng thei r hea d s t o ge the r as they repeated each

chorus .
“ —
Walk i n ge ntl e me n The S h o w i s go i ng on now the
, .
”
an i mal s ar e d o i ng be auti fully said Ben ,
.
The Captain muttere d an o ath Phi l suddenly gras ped .
h im by the throat hurle d hi m agai nst the w all and , ,
snatched the ke y s from his hand .

A t th e P o in t of th e B ay onet 22
5
No w open your m o n th yo u white l i vered cur and

,
-
,
’
insi de o f twe nty four h our s I ll have you beh ind th e bars
- .
I have all the e vi dence I nee d I m an ex— o ffic er of th e

.
’
United States Army o f the fight ing corp s— n ot th e vulture

,
division This is my fri end Accompany us t o the stre e t

. .
”
and strike your charges from the record .
The coward d i d as he was ordered and Ben hurried ,
back to Piedm ont with a friend toward whom he began

to feel cl oser than a brother .
When Elsie heard the ful l story of the o utrage she b ore ,
hers elf toward Ben wi th unusual tenderness and yet he ,
knew that the e vent had driven their lives farther apart .
He felt instinctivel y the cold S il ent eye of her father and ,
his pri de stiffened under it The girl had never c o n sid

.
’
ered the possibil ity of a marriage without her father s
blessing Ben Cameron was to o proud to ask it He
. .
began to fear that the differences between her father and

his people reached to the deepest sources of l ife .
Phil found himsel f a hero at the Cameron House Mar .
gare t said little but her bearing S poke i n deeper language

,
than words He felt it would be mean to take advantage

.
of her gratitude .
But he was quick to respond to the motherly tenderness

of h im Cameron In the groups o f neighbours who
. .
gathered in the e venings to discuss with the doctor the

hopes fears and sorrows of the peopl e Phil was a charmed
, , ,
l istener to the most brilliant conversations he had e ver

heard It seemed the normal e xpress i on of their lives
. .
He h ad ne ver before seen pe o ple come together to talk

to o n e another after this fashion More and more the .
simpl ic i ty d ignity p atience c ourtesy and sympathy o f

, , , ,
these peop l e in their h e ar in g toward o n e another impresse d

him More and more he grew to like them
. .
Mari on went out o f her way to express her open admira

ti on for Phil and tease him about Margaret The Rev . .
Hugh Mc Alp in w as monopo l ising her o n the Wednesday

fol l owing his return from Columbia and Phi l sought
Mari on for sympathy .
“
What wil l you give me i f I tease you about Margaret
”
right before her ? sh e asked .
He blushed furiousl y .
“
Don t y o u dare su c h a thing on peri l o f your l i fe !
’
”
You know you like to be teased about her sh e cried , ,
her blue eyes danci n g with fun .
“
With such a pretty l ittl e friend to do the te asin g all by
3)
oursel ves perhaps ,
“
You ll never get her un l ess you have more spunk
’
.
’ ”
Then I l l find conso l ation with yo u .
”
No I mean to marry young
,
.
”
An d your ideal o f l ife ?
To fill the world with flowers laughter and musi c , ,
—
especi al l y my own home an d never do a thing I can make
”
my husband do for me ! How do you like it ?
”
I thi nk it very sweet P hil answered soberl y
,
.
At noon on the foll owing Friday the Piedmont E agle ,
appeared with an editorial signed by Dr Cameron de .

,
n o u n c in in the fine language of the ld schoo l the arrest

g o
“ ”
o f Ben as despotism and the usurpation of autho rity .
At thr ee o cl ock Captain Gi lb ert i n command of the

’
, ,
tro o ps stat io ned in the vi ll ag e marched a squad o f soldiers

,
’
troop e r walke d straight i nto Mrs Cameron s b e droom .
,
where the d o ctor was rest ing on a lounge .
Ha d an imp of perdition suddenly sprung thr ough the

floor the master of the house o f Cameron would not have
,
been more e nraged or surprised .
A sudden leap as the S pr ing of a panther and he stood

, ,
before his former slave his Slender frame erect his face
, ,
a livid spot i n its snow wh ite hair h is brill iant eyes

-
,
flashing wi th fury .
Gus suddenly lost control of his knees .
H is old master transfixed h i m wi th his eyes and in a ,
voi ce whose to nes gripped h im by the thr oat sai d

, ,
“ ”
Ho w dare you ?
’
Th e gun fell from the negro s hand and he dropped to ,
the flo o r on his face .
H is compan ion uttered a yell and S prang through the

d oor rallying the men as he went :
,
“ ’
Fall back ! Fall back ! He s kill ed Gus ! Shot him
’
dead wid hi s eye He s conjured him ! Git de whole
.
”
army qu i ck.
They fled to the C o mman d ant .
Gil bert ordered the negroes to their tents and led hi s

whol e company of white regulars to the hotel arrested ,
Dr Cameron and rescued his fainting trooper who had

.
, ,
been revived and pl aced under a tree on the l awn .
The l ittl e Captain had a wicked l ook on h is face He .
refused to allow the doctor a moment s del ay to leav e ’
instructions for his wife who had gone to visit a neighbour

, .
He was pl aced in the guard house and a detail of twenty

-
,
sol d iers stat ione d around it .

A t t h e P o in t of th e B ay onet 22
9
The arrest was made so q uickl y not a dozen people in ,
town had heard of it As fast as it was known people

.
,
poured into the house one by on e to express the ir sym

, ,
pathy But a greater surprise awaited them

. .
Within thirty minutes after he had been placed in

prison a Lieutenant entered accompanied by a soldier
, ,
and a negro blacksm ith who carried in h is hand two big

chains with S hackles o n each end .
The doctor gazed at the intruders a moment with in

credulity and then as the enormity o f the outrage dawned
, ,
o n him be flushed and drew him self erect his face livid
, ,
and rigid .
He cl utched his thr oat with his sl ender fingers slowly ,
recovered himsel f glanced at the shackl es in the black

,
’
hands and then at the young Lieutenant s face and said ,
sl owl y with heaving breast :

,
“
My God ! Hav e you been sent to p l ace these irons
”
o n me ?
“
Such are my orders sir repl ied the o fficer motioning
, , ,
to the negro smith to approach He stepped forward .

,
unl ocked the padl ock and prepared the fetters to be

placed on his arms and legs These fetters were o f .
enormous weight made o f iron rods thr ee quarters

,
-
o f an inch thick and connected together by chains

o f l ike weight .
”
This is monstrous ! g roaned the doctor with choking ,
agony gl ancing hel pless l y ab out the b are ce ll for some

,
weapon with which to defend himse l f .
Suddenl y l ooking the Lieutenant in the face he said

, ,
I demand sir to see your commanding o flic er He

, , .
cannot pretend that these shackles are needed to hold a

weak unarmed man in pri son ,guarded by two hundr ed
”
soldiers ?
“
It i s useless I have h is orders d irect
. .
But I must see him No such outrage has e ve r been.
rec orded i n the history o f the American peopl e I ap .
peal to the Magna Charta rights o f every man who speaks

—
the Engl i sh tongue no man shall be arrested or im
pr i soned or depr ived o f his own household or o f h is lib ,
e r ties unless by the legal judgment o f h i s peers or by the

,
”
law of the land !
“
The bayonet is yo u r only law My o rders adm i t o f .
no delay For your own sake I advise you to submit

.
, .
As a sol die r Dr Cameron yo u know I must execut e

, .
,
”
orders .
“ ”
Thes e are not the orders of a sold i er! sh o ute d the
pri soner e n raged b eyond all con trol
,
“
They are o rders .
—
for a jailer , a hangman a scu ll ion no sol dier who wears
,
the sword o f a civilised nation can take such ord ers Th e .
war i s o ver ; the South is conquered ; I hav e no country

save Am erica F or the honour o f the flag for which I
.
,
once pour ed o ut my blood on the heights o f Buena V is ta ,
”
I protest agai nst this shame !
The L i eutenant fell back a m o ment before the burst o f
his anger .
“ ”
K ill me ! K ill me ! he w e nt o n passionately thro w ,
“
ing his arms wi de Open and exposing his breast K il l .
I am i n your power I have no desire to l i ve under such

.
conditions K ill b ut you must n o t inflict o n m e and o n

.
,
1’
my peo pl e th i s i nsult worse than death ‘
Dr Cameron lay for a m o ment in a stupor At length

. .
he slowly rose The clank o f the heavy chai ns seemed

.
to choke him with horror He sank o n the fl oo r co ver .

,
ing his face wi th his hands and groaned

The shame ! The shame ! O God t h at I m ight hav e ,
”
d ied ! My poor p oo r wi fe ! ,
Captain Gilbert entered and sai d wi th a sne er

“
I wil l take you now to see your wife and fri ends i f
”
you would like to cal l before setting o u t for Col umbia .
The doctor paid no attention to him .
“
Wil l you fol l ow me whil e I lead you thr ough thi s town ,
to S how them the ir ch i ef has fal l en or will yo u force me ,
”
t o drag you ?
Receiving no answer be roughly drew the doctor t o
,
his feet held him by the arm an d led him thus i n half
, ,
unconsc i ous stupor through the principal street foll o wed ,
by a dro ve of negroes He ordered a squad o f troops to

.
m e et h i m at the d e p o t Not a wh ite man appeared o n

.
the stre ets When o ne saw the sight and heard the clank
.
of th o se chai ns there was a sud d en t ighten i ng o f the l i p a

, ,
clinched fist and an averte d face

,
.
When they appro ached the hotel Mrs Cam e ro n ran t o , .
me et hi m her face whi te as death

,
.
In silen c e she ki ssed h i s l i ps ki sse d each s hackl e on,
h i s wri sts took her handkerch ief an d wi p e d the bruised

,
blood from th e ol d wo und on his arm the iro n had op e n ed

afresh an d then wi th a l o ok ben e ath which the Captain
, ,
s hrank sh e sai d i n l o w t o nes

,
“
D o yo ur work quickly You hav e but a fe w m o me nts
.
to g e t out o f th is to wn wi th your pr i s o n e r I have sent .

Tak e dat f um e q ual
’ ’
o
y
Th e C la n s m a n
No Jake that i s not my way ; bring this ge ntleman

, ,
some water and then my horse and buggy Yo u can

, .
take me to the depot Thi s o fficer can foll o w wi th h i s

.
”
men . And he did .
CHAP TER V
FORTY A CRE S A ND A M UL E
HE N
Phi l returned with Margaret he drove at , ,
Mrs Cameron s request to find Ben b rought

.
’
, ,
him with all S peed to the hotel took him to his ,
room and l ocked the door before he to l d him the news

,
.
’
After an hour s blind rage he agreed to o b ey his father s
’
,
positi ve orders to keep away from the Captain unti l his

return and to attempt no vio l ence again st the authorities
, .
Phil undertook to manage the case in Columbia and ,
spent three days in co l lecting his evidence before leaving .
Swi fter feet had anticipated him Two days after the .
arr ival o f Dr Cameron at the fort in Colum b ia a dust

.
,
stained tired negro was ushered into the prese nce of

,
General Howle .
He lo o ked about timidl y and laughed loudl y .
“
Wel l my man what s the trouble ? Yo u se em to
, ,
’
have walked al l the way and laugh as if you were glad ,
”
of it
.
“ ’ ’
I spe c I is sah said J ake sidl ing up confidentiall y
, , ,
.
”
Wel l ? said Howl e good h u m o ure dly ,
-
.
’
Jake s voice dr opped to a whisper .
I hears you g o t my ole m arste r Dr Cameron in dis , .

,
place .
“ ”
Yes What do you know agai nst him ?
.
Nuttin ’
sah
I dis hurry long d o wn ter take h is
, .
’
’ ’
place so s yo u kin se n him back home He s e rblee ge d
, .
’
ter go Dey s er p ow ful lot er sick fo l ks up dar in de

.
’ ’
county can t git long w ido u t him en er p o w ful lot or well

’ ’
,
’
’
o nes gwin er be raisin de de bbel bout dis You can hol ’
.
’
me sah D e s tell my ole m arster when ter be yere en

, .
,
’”
he sho c o me .
Jake paused and b o wed low .
Ye ssah hit s de S lak I tel l you

’
F u dde r m o I S pec
’ ’ ’
.
, ,
’ ’
1 se de man what done de damages
’ ’
I spec I bus de .
’ ’ ’ ’
Cap t n s nose so taint gwi ne be no mo good to im
’
.
Howle questioned Jake as to the who l e affair asked ,
him a hundred questions about the condition o f the county ,
the position o f Dr Cameron and the poss ible e ffect of .

,
this ev ent o n the temper of the people .
The affair had al ready given him a bad h o ur The .
news of this S hackling o f on e o f the most prom i nent men

i n the state had S pread l i ke wil dfire and had caused the ,
first deep growl o f anger from the peopl e He saw that .
it was a senseless p i ece o f stupidity The electio n was .
rapidly approach i ng He was master of the state and .

,
the less friction the better His mind was made up in .
stan tl
y He released
. Dr Cameron with an apo l ogy and .
,
returned wi th him and Jake for a personal inspection o f

the affairs o f Ul ster county .
In a th irty minutes interv iew with Captain G ilb e rt

-
’
,
H o wle gave him m o re pain than his broken nose .
“
And why did y ou nail up the d o ors o f that Presby
”
t e ri an church ? he asked suavely , .
“
B e cause Mc Alp in the young cub who preaches there , ,
2 38 Th e Cla n s m an
pledged themsel ves to expel him from the i r m e mb e r

ship What more do you want ?
.
“ ’ ”
There s another side to it protested the Captai n ,
.
Since the M ague has taken in the negroes every Un ion ,
wh ite man has dropped it l ike a hot iron except the lone ,
scalawag or carpet bagger who e x pects an o ffice In the

-
.
church the social circ l e in business o r p l easure these

, , ,
’
men are l epers How can a human being stand it ? I ve
.
tried to grind this hell ish spirit in the dirt u nder my

’
hee l and un l ess you can do it they ll b eat you in the
,
’
long run ! You ve go t to hav e some Southern white
” ’
men or you re lost .
“ ’
I ll risk it with a hundred thousand negro majority ,
“
sai d Howle with a sneer The fun will just begin then . .
’ ’
In the meantime I ll have you ease up on this county s
,
’
go vernment I ve brought that man back who knocke d
.
you down Let him al one I ve pardoned h i m The

. .
’
.
”
less said about this affair the better , .
As the day o f the e l ection under the new r egim e of

Reconstruction drew near the negroes were excited by ,
rumours of the coming great events Every man was to .
receive forty acres of l and for his v ote and the e n th u sias ,
tic speakers an d teachers had made the dream a resistl ess

o n e by declaring that the Government wou l d throw in a
mule with the forty acres Some who had hesitated .
about the forty acres of land remembering that it must be ,
’
worked cou l dn t resist the idea o f own ing a mu l e
, .
The Freedman s Bureau reaped a harvest in $ 2 mar

’
r iage fees from negroe s who were urged thus to mak e

F o r ty A c re s an d a M u le 2
39
their chi l dren heirs o f landed estates stocked with

mul es .
E very stranger who appeared in the vill age was regarded

with awe as a possib l e surveyor sent from Washington to
run the lines o f these forty acre pl ots -
.
And in due time the surveyors appeared Uncl e Aleck .

,
who now de voted his entire tim e to organising the Le ague ,
and dri nking whiskey whic h the dues he co ll ected made

easy was walki ng back to P i edmont from a League meet
,
i ng in the country dreaming of this promised land

, .
He lifted his eyes from the dusty way and saw before
hi m two sur veyors with their arms ful l of line stake s
painted re d white and blue They were well dr esse d
, ,
.
-
—
Yankees h e could not be mistaken Not a doubt d i s .
tu rb e d his mind The kingdom o f heaven was at hand !

.
He bowed l ow and cried :

“ ’
Praise de Lawd ! De messengers is come ! I s e
’ ”
w aited long but I sees em now wid my own eyes !
,
“ ”
You can bet your life o n that old pard said the , ,
“
S pokesman o f the pair We go two and two just as the
.
,
apostl es did in the o l den times We have onl y a few left

. .
’
The boys are hurrying to get their homes Al l yo u ve got .
to do is to dr ive one o f these red white and blue stakes , ,
down at each corner o f the forty acres of l and you want ,
” ’
and every re b el in the infernal regions can t pull it up .
”
Hear dat n o w !
Just like I tel l yo u When this stake goes into the
.
’
ground it s l ike plant i ng a thousand cannon at each
corner .
“ ’
En will the L aw d s messengers come wid m e right
now to de ben d er de creek whar I done p i ck out my

”
forty acres ?
We wil l if yo u have the needful for the cerem o ny
, .
—
The fee for the surveyor is small o nly two do l lars for
each stake We have no time to linger with fool i sh
.
virgi ns who have no o il in their lamps The bride .
groom has come They who have no o il must remain

i n outer darkness The S peaker had evi dently been
.
a pre acher in the North and his sacred accent sealed his
,
authori ty wi th the o ld negro who had been an exhorte r ,
hi mself .
Ale ck felt in his pocke t the j ingle of twenty gold dollar s ,
the i nitiati on fees of the week s harvest of the M ague H e’

.
dre w them count ed out e i ght and to o k h i s four stakes

, , .
The sur ve yors ki ndly S howed him how to dr i ve them do wn

firmly t o the fir st str i pe of blue When they had steppe d .
o ff a square o f about forty acres of the Leno i r farm i nclud ,
ing th e ri chest piece o f bottom land o n the creek wh i ch ,
’ ’
Al e ck s chil dren under his wife s d irection were working
for Mrs Le no ir and the four stakes were plante d old
.
, ,
Aleck shouted :
”
Glory ter God !
”
Now said the forem o st surve yor you want a deed
, ,
-
a deed in fee s i mple wi th the big seal o f the Government
’
o n i t and you re fixed for l i fe
,
The deed you can take t o .
”
the court house and make th e clerk record it
-
.
The man drew from h i s po cket an o ffic ial— looking paper ,
wi th a red cir cul ar seal pasted o n its fac e .
’
Uncl e Aleck s eyes danced .
“ ”
IS d at de de e d ?
’ ’ ’
my farm I gwine l ow no mo rent payi n ter nobody Off n
.
-
’
’
my lan
Your land Uncle Aleck ? When did you get i t ?
,
asked Mari on placing h er cheek against the setter

, .
“ ”
De Gubm e n t gim it ter me to day he rep l ied fum -
, ,
“
bling in his pocket and pull ing o ut the document You .
” ’
kin read it al l dar yo sef .
He handed Marion the paper and Margaret hurr ied ,
do wn and read it over her shoulder .
B o th girls broke into screams of l aughter .
Aleck looked up sharpl y .
“ ’
Do you know what s written on thi s paper Uncl e ,
”
Aleck ? Margaret asked .
“ ’
Cose I do Dat s de deed ter my farm er forty acres
.
i n d e bend er de creek whar I done stuck o ff wid de re d , ,
”
white an blue sti cks de Gubm e n t gimme
,
’
.
“ ’ ”
I ll read it to you said Margaret ,
.
”
Wait a minute interrupted Mari o n I w ant Aunt
,
.
—
C i ndy to hear it she s here to se e Mama in the ki tchen ’
now .
She ran for Uncle Aleck s spouse Aunt Cindy wal ked ’
.
around the house and stood by the steps eyeing her erst ,
whi l e lord with contempt .
’
Got yer deed is yer ter stop me payin my missy her
, ,
rent fum de lan my c h illun w u ek s ? Yu se er smart boy

’ ’
,
— ’”
you is let s hear de deed !
Al eck edged away a l ittl e and said with a bow ,
“ ’
Dar s de paper wid de big mark er de Gubm en t .
Aunt Cindy sni ffed the air contemptuousl y .
“
Wh at is it honey ? S he asked of Margaret
”
, .
F o rt y A c re s an d a M u le 24
3
Margaret read in mock solemnity the mysti c wr iting o n

the dee d
To Wh om It M ay Con cern
“
As Moses lifted up th e brazen serp ent in th e wi lderness
for th e enligh ten m ent of th e p eop l e even so h ave I l ifted
,
twenty sh inin g p lunk s out of this b enigh ted nigger ! S el ah !

As Uncle Aleck walke d away with Aunt Cindy S houting
”
i n derision Dar n o w ! Dar n ow ! the bow i n h is legs
, , ,
see me d t o have s prung a sharper curve .

CHAPTER VI
A WH I S P E R IN TH E C R OWD
HE excitement which preceeded the first Rec o n

struction e lection i n the South paral ysed the
industries of the country When demagogues .
p oured down from the No rth and began their rav ing
before crowds o f ignorant negroes the plow stoppe d ,
i n the furro w the hoe was dropped an d the m ill e n ium

, ,
w as at hand .
Negro tenants worki ng under contracts i ssue d by th e

,
’
F reedman s Bureau stopped work and rode their land
, ,
’
lords mules and horses around the county fol lowing these ,
orators .
The l o ss to the cotton crop alone from the abandonment

of the growi ng plant was estimated at over
The o n e thing that saved the situation from despair
was the large grain and forage crops of the prev i ous season
which thri fty farm e rs had stored in their barns So im .
portant was the barn and its prec ious contents that Dr .
Cameron hi red Jake to sl eep i n his .
This immense b arn which was situated at the fo ot of th e

,
hil l some two hundred yards behind the house had become ,
a fav ourite haunt o f Mari on and Hugh She had mad e a .
pet of the beautifu l thoroughbred mare which had belonged

to Ben during the war Marion went e ve ry day to gi ve
.
2 44
Wait t ill you see her to night in her first ball dress
- -
,
whispered Mrs Lenoir . .
At noon Ben and Phil strolled to the polling place to -
watch the progress o f the first election under Negro rule .
The Square was j ammed with shouting jostl ing per , ,
spiring negroes men women and chil dren The day

, , ,
.
was warm and the African odour was supre m e eve n in

,
the Open a ir .
’
A crowd o f two hun d red were packed around a ped dl er s
.
—
box There were two of them o n e cryin g the wares and ,
the other wrapp ing and deli verin g the g o ods They were .
sel l ing a new patent poison for rats .
“ ’
I ve o nly a few more bottles left now gentlemen he , ,
“
shouted and the pol l s wi ll close at sundown A great
, .
day for o ur brother in b l ack Two years o f army .
rations from the Freedman s Bureau with old army ’

,
clothes thr own in and now the ball ot the priceless

,
-
glo ry o f Am er i can c i tize nship But better stil l the .
very land is to be taken from these proud aristocrats

and given to the poor down trodden black man Forty -
.
c —
a res and a mule thin k o f i t ! Pro vi ded m ind yo u ,
that you hav e a bottl e o f my wonder worker to kil l -
the rats and save your corn for the mule NO man .
can have the mule unless he has corn ; and no man

can have corn i f he has rats — and only a few bottle s
l eft
Gimme on e yelled a negr o
, .
Forty acres and a mule your o ld masters to work your

,
land and pay his rent in corn whil e you S it back in th e ,
”
shade an d see him sweat .
A W h isp e r in t h e Crow d 247
”
Gimme er bottle and two er dem pictures ! bawled
another candidate for a mul e .
The pedd l er handed him the bottle and the p i ctures

an d threw a handful o f his l abels among the crowd .
These label s h appened to be just the size o f the bal lots ,
having on them the pictur e o f a dead rat l ying o n his back ,
and above the emblem of death the cross b ones and skull
, , ,
-
.
—
Forty acres and a mule for every b l ac k man why was
”
I e ver born white ? I ne ver had no l uck nohow ! ,
Phil and Ben passed on nearer the poll ing pl ace around -
,
which stood a cordon of soldiers wi th a line of negro v oters

two hundred yards in length e xt end ing back into the crowd .
The negro Leagues came in armed b attallion s and v oted

i n dro ves carrying their muskets in their hands Less
, .
than a dozen white men were to be seen about the place .
Th e negroes under the drill of the League and th e

,
’
Fr eedman s Bureau protected b y the bayonet were
, ,
voting to enfranchise themsel ves disfranchise their former

,
masters ratify a new constitution and elect a legislatur e

, ,
to do their will O ld Al eck was a candidate for the

.
House chief po ll ho l der and seemed to be in charge

,
-
,
o f the movements o f the v oters outside the booth as well
as inside H e appeared to be omnipresent and his self

.
,
importance was a sight Phi l had never dreamed He .
coul d not keep his eyes off him .
“ ’
By George Cameron he s a wonder ! he l aughed
, , .
Aleck had suppressed as far as possible the story of the

painted stakes and the deed after sending o ut warnings
,
t o the brethren to beware o f two enticing strangers The .
surv ey o rs had reaped a ri ch harv est and pass e d on Alc .

made up hi s m i nd to go to Columbia make the laws hi m ,

!
self and never again trust a white man from the North or
,
South The agent o f the Freedman s Bureau at Pied

.
’
mont tried to choke him o ff the ticket The League .
backed h i m to a man He coul d neither read nor write

.
,
but b efore he took to whi skey he had made a specialty of

revival exhortation and his mouth was the most e ffective
,
thing about him In this campaign he was an orator o f

.
no mean powers He k new what he wanted and h e

.
,
knew what his people wanted and he put the th ing i n ,
words so pl ain that a wayfari ng man though a fool , ,
’
couldn t make any mistake about i t .
AS he bustled past forming a battalion o f h is brethren

,
in l ine to march to the polls Phil followed h i s e ve ry m ove

,
ment with amused i nterest .
Bes i des being so bow legged that h i s walk was a m oving

-
joke he was so striki ng a negro i n his personal app e ar

,
ance he seemed to the young Northerner al m o st a d is

,
t i nct type of man .
His head was small and seemed mashed o n the side s

until i t bul ged into a double lobe b ehind Even hi s e ar s .
,
which he had pierced and hung wi th red earbobs se emed ,
to have been crushed flat to the S i de o f h i s head Hi s .
kinked hair was wrapped i n little hard rolls close to the

sku ll and bound tightly wi th d irty thr ead His reced ing .
forehead was high and indicated a cunning i ntelligence .
His nose was broad and crushe d flat against his face .
His jaws were strong and angular mouth wi de and l i ps , ,
thick curling back from ro ws of so l id teeth set obl i quely

,
i n their blu e gums The on e p erfe ct thi ng ab o ut h im

.
The tr oo pers bro ught Jake b e fo re the ju dge .
“ ’ ”
Tryin te r v ote i s ye r ? ,
“ ’ ”
Lo we d I woul d .
’
You hear bout de great sassie tie s de Gubme n t s ’
”
fom e n tin i n dis country ?
’
“
Yas I hear e rbout em
’
, .
”
I s yer e r memb e r er de Un i on Leagu e ?
’
N a sah I d rud d er steal by myself I doan lak to o
-
. .
’
”
many i n d e p arty l
“
E n yer ai n t e r No f Ca lin y gemmen is yer —
’
yer ’ ’
,
’ ‘ ’
ain t er memb e r e r de Red Strings
“ —
Na sah I come when 1 se cal l ed dey doan hatter
-
,
’ ’
put e r str i ng on me— ner e r bl o ck ner er collar ner e r , ,
chain n e r e r muzzle
,
“ ’
Will ye r splain ter d i s cote railed Aleck .
”
What cote ? Dat ole army cote ? Jake laughe d i n !
loud peal s that rang o ver the square .
Aleck reco vered his dignity and demand e d angrily

“ ”
Does yer belong te r de Heroes ob Am eric k y ?
’
Na sah I ain t burnt nobody s house ner barn ye t
-
.
’
,
ner hamstrung no stock n e r waylaid nobody atter n ight ,
— honey I ain t fit ter jine He roe s ob Amer ic k l Is

’
, y .
”
you er hero ?
“
E f yer d o an b long ter no s iety
’ ’ ’
sai d Aleck wi th ,
“
judicial del iberation what is you ,
“
Des er ole fash u n all wool e n e r yard w i de m gger dat
- - - - - -
stan s by his o l e m ar ste r cause he s his bes fr ie n stays

’ ’ ’ ’ ’
,
”
at home en tends ter his own bus i ness
, .
“ ’
E n ye r pay n o te n sh u n ter de orders I s e nt yer te r j in e
”
de Le ag ue ?
A W h is p e r in t h e Cro w d 25 1
’ ’ ’
Na s ah I a i n t er taki n or ders f um er S keer
-
.
”
crow .
Al e ck ignor e d his insolence secure in his power , .
“ ’
Yo u doan b l ong ter no sassie ty what yer git in dat ,
”
l ine ter vote for ?
“ ’
Ai n t I er nigger ?
’ ’ ’ ’
But yer a in t de right kin er nigger Res dat man .
’
fer sturbin de peace
’
.
They put Jake in jail persuaded his wife to l eav e him , ,
an d e xpell ed him from the Baptist Church all wi thin ,
the week .
As the tro opers led Jake to prison a young negro ,
apparently about fifteen years o l d approached Aleck ,
’
hold ing i n his hand o n e o f the peddler s rat label s which ,
had gotten well distributed among the crowd A group .
of n e gr o boys followed him with these rat labels in their

hands studying them intentl y
, .
“
Look at dis ticket Uncle Aleck said the leader , , .
— ”
Mr Alexande r Lenoir sah i s I yo uncle nigger ?
.
,
’
,
The youth wal le d his eyes angril y .
“ ’ ”
Den doan you call me er n igger l
Who yer tal kin to sah ? You kin fling yer sass at ’
,
white fo l ks but honey yuse er p roje c k in wid death

, , ,
’
”
now !
“ ’
—
I ain t e r n igger I se er gemman I is was the sul ’
, ,
len answer .
“ ”
H o w ole i s yo u ? asked Aleck in milder tones .
—
Me mudder say sixteen but de Buro man say I se ’
”
twe nty-o ne yistiddy de day fo lection ,
’ ’ ’
.
“ ”
I s yo u vo te d t o day ? -
2
Ye ssah ;
’ ’
v o te i n all de boxes c e p t n d i s on e Lo ok at .
”
dat ti cket Is dat de straight ticket ?
.
’
Al e ck wh o c o ul d n t read the twelve i nch lette rs o f h i s
,
-
favourite bar room S i gn to o k the rat label and exam i ned i t

-
,
critically .
“ ”
What ai l i t ? he asked at lengt h .
The boy po i nted at the picture o f the rat .
“
What dat rat doin l yin dar o n his back wi d his heels
’
,
’
,
— ’
cocked up in de air pear ter me lak a rat otter be standin ’
”
o n his feet ?
Aleck re exam i ned it carefully and then smi l ed be ,
ni nl o n the youth
g y .
“
De ign an c e er dese folks What u d yer do widout er .
man lak me e n j ue d wi d de sp erit en de power ter splain

tings
“
Yo u sho got de sp er its
’
said the boy i mpud ently , ,
touching a canteen .
Aleck ignored the remark and looked at the rat lab el

smilingly .
“
Ai n t we er votin ter day o n de Con stertoosh un
’ ’
,
-
,
’ ’
what s ter take de ballot away f um de white folks en gib
— ”
al l dc power ter de c ullu d gemmen I axes yer dat ?
The bo y stuck h i s thumbs under hi s arm s an d walle d
his eyes .
“ ”
Ye ssah !
Den dat m e ans de ratificat i on ob de Con stertoo sh un !
Phil laughed fol l owed and watched them fold the ir
, ,
ti ckets get in line and vote the rat labels

, ,
.
Ben turned toward a white man wi th gray b e ard who ,
sto o d watching the crowd .

CH AP TER VII
BY TH E LI GH T OF A T ORC H
N the n i ght of the elect ion Mrs Leno ir gav e a ball

, .
at the hotel in honour o f Marion s entrance int o ’
society She was on l y in her S ixteenth year yet

.
,
older than her mother when mistress o f her o wn house

ho l d The on l y ambition the mother cherished was that
.
S h e might win the love of an honest man and build for
hersel f a beautiful home o n the site o f the cottage covered

with trailing roses In this home dream for Marion sh e
.
-
found a great sustai ning joy to which nothing i n the l i fe

o f man answers .
The bal l had its po l itical significance which the m il i

tary martinet who commanded the post understood .
It was the way the peopl e o f Piedmont e x pressed to him

and the world their contempt for the farce of an election
he had conducted and their indi fference as to the result
,
he woul d cel ebrate with many guns before midnight .
The young peopl e o f the town were o ut in force Mar ion .
was a universal favourite The grace charm and tender

.
, ,
beauty of the Southern girl o f S ixteen were combine d i n

her with a gentl e and unsel fish disposition Am id p ov .
ert
y that was pitiful,
unconscious o f its limitations her ,
thoughts were al ways o f others and she was the o ne

,
human being e verybody had agre e d to lo ve In the vil .
2 54
B y th e L ig h t of a T orc h 2 55
lage in which sh e lived weal th counted for naught She

, .
b el onged to the aristocracy of poetry beauty and , ,
intrinsic worth and her peopl e knew no other

, .
As S h e stood in the long dining room dressed in her -

,
first bal l costume o f white organdy and lace the l ittl e ,
plump S hou l ders peepin g through its meshes S he was the ,
picture o f happiness A hal f dozen boys hung on every

.
-
word as the utterance of an oracl e She waved gentl y .
an old ivo ry fan wi th white down on its edges in a

way the charm o f which is the secret birthr ight o f e very
Southern girl .
Now and then S h e gl anced at the door for some o n e

who had not yet appeared .
Phil paid his tribute to her with genu i ne feeling and ,
Marion repaid him by whispering :

“ ’
—
Margaret s dressed to kil l all in soft azure blue
her rosy cheeks black h air and eyes never shone as
, ,
they do to night She doesn t d ance on account of her

-
.
’
Sunday s c hoo l — it s all for you

-
’
.
Phil b l ushed an d smil ed .
”
The preacher won t b e here ? ’
”
O ur rector will .
He s a nice o l d gent l em an
’
I m fond o f him Miss .
’
.
Marion your mother is a genius I hope S he can pl an

, .
”
these littl e affairs oftener .
It was half past ten o c l ock when Ben Cameron entered

-
’
th e room wi th E l sie a l ittl e ru ffled at his de l ay over imagi
nary business at his o ffice Ben answered her criticisms .
with a strange elation She had felt a secret betwee n .
them and resented it .

At Mr s Le n oir s spec i al request he ha d put o n his full

.
’
,
un i fo rm of a Confe d erate Colonel in honour o f Mari o n ‘
and the poem her father had written of o n e o f his gallant

charge s He had n o t worn it si nce he fell that day i n
.
’
Phil s arms .
No o n e i n the r o om had eve r s e en him in this C olonel s ’
un i fo rm Its yello w sash wi th the gold fringe and tassels

.
w as fad ed an d there were tw o bu l let ho l es in the coat A .
m urmur o f applause from the boys sighs and exclamations ,
’
from th e girls swept the room as he took Marion s hand ,
bowed an d ki ssed i t Her blue eyes d ance d an d smile d .
o n h i m wi th frank admiration .
“ ’ ’
Ben yo u re the handsomest thi ng I ve ever se en !
,
s he said softly , .
“ ’
Thanks I thought you had a mirror I ll send yo u
. .
on e ,
he answered sl ipp ing h i s arm around her and glid
,
’
ing away to the strai ns o f a waltz The girl s hand trem .
bled as S he placed it o n his should e r her c h ec k s were ,
flushed and her eyes had a wistful dreamy look in their

,
depths .
When Ben rejoined Elsie and they strolled o n the lawn ,
the m il i tary comman d ant suddenly confronted them with

a squad of soldiers .
I ll trouble yo u for th o se buttons and shoul der straps

’
-
,
said the Captain .
Elsie s amber eyes began to S p i t fire Ben st ood still

’
.
and smiled .
”
What do yo u mean ? sh e aske d .
That I wi ll not be insulte d by the we ari ng o f thi s

”
un i fo rm t o day -
.
Ben strol l ed out in the stree t to hear the n e ws .
The Constitut i on had been ratified by an en orm o u s

majority and a Legislature e l ected composed of 101 n e
,
groes and 23 white men Sil as Lynch had been el ected .
Lieutenant Governor a negro Secretary o f State a negro

-
, ,
Treasurer and a negro Justic e of the Suprem e Court

, .
When Bizzel the wi zzen faced agent o f the Fre edman s

,
-
’
B ureau made this announcement from the court house

,
s teps pandemonium broke loose An incessant rattl e o f

, .
musketry began in which bal l cartridges were used th e ,
m issle s whistling ov er the town in e very direction Yet .
wi th i n half an hour the square was deserte d and a strang e

quiet followed the storm .
O l d Aleck staggered by the hotel h i s d runkenn ess ,
having reached the religious stage .
“
Behold a curios i ty gentlemen cri e d Ben to a group
, , ,
o f b o ys who had gathered

“
a vote r is come among u s in— ,
fact he is the people th e king o ur representati ve elect

, , , ,
the Honourable Alexander L e n oir o f the c o unty o f Ulster ,
“ ”
Gem m e n s de L awd s bin good ter me sai d Aleck ’
, , ,
weep i ng copious l y .
“
They say the rat labe l s were in a majori ty i n thi s pre
— ”
c i nct how was that ? asked Ben .
Ye ssah —dat what de scornful say— de m d at sets i n

“
’
de s eat 0 de scornful but de Lawd e r Hosts He fe tch em
,
low Mistah Bissel de Bur o man count all dem rat vo te s

.
— —
right sah dey couldn t fo o l him he know what d ey
,
’
—
mean h e count em al l for me an de rati ficati o n
’ ” ’
.
“ ” “ ’
Sure p op ! said Ben ; if you can t ratify with a rat
-
,
’ ”
I d l ike t o know why ?
B y th e L ig h t of a T o rc h 2
59
’
Dat s what I te ll s em sah
’
,
.
O f course said Ben good h u m o ure dly

, The vo ice
,
-
.
o f the peop l e is the voice o f — —

God rats or no rats if you
”
know how to count .
As o ld Aleck staggered away the sudden crash o f a ,
vo ll ey o f musketry echoed in the distance .
”
What s that ? asked Ben listening intently The
’
, .
a —
sound was unmist kab l e to a soldier s ear that volley ’
from a hundred rifles at a single word o f command It .
was fo l lowed by a shot o n a hil l i n the distance and then ,
b y a faint echo farther still Ben l istened a few moments

,
.
and turned into the l awn o f the hotel The music sud .
de n ly stopped the tramp of feet echoed o n the porch a

, ,
woman screamed and from the rear o f the house came

,
the cry
”
Fire ! Fi re !
Almost at the same moment an i mmense sheet of flame
shot S kyward from the b ig barn .
“ ” “ ’
My God ! groaned Ben Jake s i n jail to night .
,
-
,
’ ’
and they ve set the barn on fire It s worth more than .
”
the house .
The crowd rushed down the hil l to the b l az i ng bu il d

i ng Marion s fleet figure in its flying white dr ess leading
,
’
the crowd .
The l owing of the cows and the wil d neighi ng o f the

horses rang above the roar o f the flames .
Before Ben coul d reach the S pot Marion had Opened

every stall Two c o ws l eaped out to safety but n ot a
.
,
horse would move from its stall and each moment wilder ,
an d more p i tiful grew their death cries -

.
Marion rushe d to Ben her eyes dilate d her face as

, ,
whi te as the dre ss she wore .
“ ’ ”
O h Ben Queen won t come o ut ! What S hall I do ?
, ,
’
Yo u can do nothing chil d A hors e won t c o me o ut
, .
’
o f a burn i ng stable unless he s bl i n d fold ed
’
The y ll all .
”
be burned to death .
“ ”
Oh ! no ! the girl cr ied i n ago ny .
’
They d trample you to death if you tri ed to ge t them
’ ’
out . It can t be helped It s too late
. .
As Ben l o oked back at the gathering crowd Mar i on ,
s u d denly snatched a horse blanket lyi ng at th e d oor ran

-
, ,
wi th the speed o f a deer to the pond plunged i n S prang , ,
’
out and S ped back to the Open d o or of Que e n s stall
, ,
thr o ugh which he r shr ill cry could b e he ar d ab ov e th e

others .
As the girl ran towar d the burn i ng bu i l ding her thi n ,
white dress cl i ngi ng close to her exqu i s i te form she looked ,
like the marble figure o f a sylph by the hand o f some great

master into which Go d had su d denly breathed the breath
o f life .
As they saw her purp o se a cry o f horror rose from th e

,
’
cro wd her mother s scream lou d ab ove the rest
,
.
Ben rushed to catch her shouti ng : ,
”
Mari on ! Mari on ! She ll trample yo u to death !
’
He was t o o late She leape d i nt o th e s tall The

. .
crowd held the ir breath There was a moment o f awful

.
suspense and th e mare S prang through the op e n door

,
with the little white figure clinging t o he r man e an d hol d

i ng the blanket o ver her head .
A chee r rang ab ove the ro ar of the flame s The girl .

Ben stood o n the back porch talking in lo w tone s to ,
his father .
“
Will you join u s now sir ? We need the name an d ,
”
influence Of men o f your standing .
“
My boy two wrongs never make a right It s better
, .
’
to endur e awhil e The sober common sense o f the

.
Nati on wi l l yet save us We must appeal to it

. .
“
Eight more fires were seen from town to night -
.
Yo u only guess their origin .
I know their origin It was done by the League at

.
a signal as a celebration o f the el ection and a threat o f

terror to the county O ne o f o ur men conceal ed a faith
.
—
ful negro under the floor o f the school house and heard
the pl ot hatched We e xpected it a month ago but
.
—
”
hoped they had given it U p .
Even so my boy a secret society such as you have

, ,
planned means a conspir acy that may b ring e xil e or

death I hate lawlessness and di so rder We have had
. .
enough o f it Your cl an means ultimatel y martial l aw

. .
At least we wi ll get rid o f these so l diers by this election .
They have done their worst to me but we may save others ,
”
by patience .
“
It s the only way sir The ne xt step wil l be a b l ack
’
, .
” ’
hand on a white woman s throat !
The doctor frowned L e t u s h Op e for the best
. .
”
Your cl an is the l ast act o f desperation .
“
But if everything else fail an d this creeping h o rror ,
— ”
becomes a fact then what ?
“
My boy we wi ll pray that Go d may never let us live
,
to see the day

CHAPTER VIII
TH E R I OT IN TH E M A S T ER S H ALL
’
L ARME D at the possibl e gr owth of the se c ret cl an

into which Ben h ad urged him to enter Dr Cam ,
.
eron determined to press for rel ief from Op p res

sion by an open appeal to the conscience o f the Nation .
He call ed a meeting of conservative leaders in a

’
T a x payers Convention at Co l umbia His position .
as a leader had been made supreme by the indigni

ties he had su ffered and he fel t sure of his ab il ity to
,
accomplish resu l ts . Every county in the state was

represented by its best men in this gathering at the
C apital .
The day h e un d ertook to present his memori al to the

Le gislatur e was on e he never forgot The streets were .
crowded wi th ne groes who had come to town to hear

Lyn ch the Lieute n ant Governor speak in a mass meet
,
-
,
-
ing . Negro po l icemen swung their cl ubs in his face as

he pressed thr ough the inso l ent throng up the street to
the state l y marb l e Capito l At the door a b l ack greasy
.
,
trooper stopped him to parl ey E very decentl y dressed

.
white man was regarded a sp y .
As he passed inside the doors of the House o f Re p r e

sen tative s the rush o f fou l air staggered him
,
The reek .
o f v i l e c i gars and stal e whiskey mingled with the odour o f

,
2 63
perspi ri ng negro es was overwhelming He paused and , .
gaspe d for bre ath .
The space behind the seats o f the members was strewn

with corks broken glass stale crusts greasy pieces o f
, , ,
paper an d picked bones The hall was packed with

, .
negroes smoking chewi ng jabberi ng pushing perspiring

, , , , , ,
A carpet bagger at his el bow was explaining to an old

-
darkey from down east why his forty acres and a mule
’
ha d n t come .
On th e o ther side o f him a big negro bawl e d

“ ’ ”
Dat s all r ight ! D e c ullu d man o n top !
Th e do ct o r s urveyed the hall i n d is may At first n o t a .
whi te m e mbe r was vi s i ble The gall e ri es we re packed .
wi th n e gro e s The Speaker presid i ng was a n e gro th e

.
,
Cl e rk a negr o the do orke eper s n e gr oe s the l i ttle page s all

, ,
c o al black negr oe s the Chapla in a negro The negro

-
,
.
party c o nsisted of one hundred an d on e — n in e ty four -
blacks and s e ven scallawags who clai med to be white , .
Th e r e mains of Aryan c ivili sat ion were re prese nted by

twenty three wh ite men from the Sc o tch Iri sh hill counties
- -
.
The d o ctor had served three terms as the memb e r

fro m Ulster i n th i s hall i n th e old d ays and i ts appearance ,
n ow was b e yo n d any conce iv able depth o f d egradati o n .
Th e n i n e ty four Afri cans const ituting almost its solid

-
,
m e mbership were a m o tley crew E ve ry n egr o typ e was

, .
the re from the genteel butl e r to the cl odhopper fro m

,
the c o tto n and rice fields —

So me had o n s e cond han d .
seed y fro ck coats thei r old masters had give n them be

-
fo re the war glossy and threa d bare Old sto ve p i pe

,
.
hat s o f every styl e i n vo gue si nce No ah came o ut o f the

,
”
O rda da ! yelled another .
”
K nock im in de head !
’
”
S e ddo wn nigger ! ,
The Speaker po inted his gavel at Aleck and threatened

him l aughingl y
“
E f de gemman from U l ster doan se t down I gwine call
’ ”
im ter orda !
Uncl e Al eck greeted this threat with a wil d gu ffaw ,
which the who l e House about him joined in heartil y .
—
They laughed l ike so many hens cackling when o n e
started the others wou l d fo ll ow .
The most o f them were munching peanuts and the ,
crush of hu lls under heavy feet added a subnote to the

confu sion like the crackl e o f a prairie fire .
The ambition o f each negro seemed to be to S peak at

least a hal f dozen times o n each question saying the
-
,
sam e thing every time .
No man was al l owed to tal k five minutes without an

interruption which brought o n another and another
until the speaker was drowned in a storm of contending
yel l s Their struggl es to get the floor with bawlings
.
,
bello win gs and contortions and the sense l ess rap of the
, ,
’
Speaker s gave l were something a ppall ing
,
.
O n this scene through fetid smoke and animal roar

, ,
l ooked down from the wall s in marb l e h as relief the still

,
-
,
white faces o f Ro b ert Hayne and George Mc Du ffi e ,
thro ugh whose v eins flowed the b l ood o f Scottish kings ,
while o ver it b rooded in so l emn wonder the face o f John

Laurens whose dipl omatic genius at the court o f France
,
won mill ions of go l d for o u r tottering cause and sent a ,

Th e R io t in th e Master ’
s H all 26
7
French fleet and army into the Ches apeak e to entra p

Cornwall is at Yorktown .
The l ittl e group of twenty three white men the descend

-
,
ants o f these S pirits to whom Dr Cameron had b rought

, .
his memori al presented a pathetic spectacl e Most of

, .
them were old men who sat in grim si l en c e with nothing

,
to do or say as they watched the rising b l ac k tide their ,
dignity reserve and decorum at once the wonder and the

, ,
shame o f the modern worl d .
At le ast they knew that the minstrel farce being e n

ac te d o n that floor was a tr agedy as deep a n d dark as
was ever wo ven of the b l ood and tears o f a conquered

people Beneath those loud gu ffaws they coul d hear
.
the death rattl e in the throat of their bel oved state bar
-
,
b ar ism strangl ing civil isation by brute force .
For all the stupid upro ar the b l ack l eaders o f this mob
,
knew what they wanted On e o f them was speaking now

.
,
the l eader of the House the Hono ur ab l e Napo l eon ,
Whipper .
Dr Cameron had taken his seat in the l ittl e group o f

.
white mem b ers in o n e corner o f the cham b er beside an ,
o l d friend from an adjoining county wh o m he had known

in better days .
Now listen said his friend

, Wh en Whipper tal ks .
”
he always says something .
“
Mr Speaker I move you sir in view o f the arduous
.
, , ,
duties which o ur presiding o ffi cer has performed this week

for the State that he b e all owed o n e thousand do ll ars
,
”
extra pay .
The motion was put without de b ate and c arried .

The S peaker then call ed Whipper to the Chai r and made

the same motion to give the Leader o f the House an extra
,
tho u sand dollars for the performance o f h is heavy duties .
It w as carried .
“ ”
What does that mean ? asked the doctor .
Very S imple ; Whipper and the Speaker adjourn e d the

House yesterday afternoon to attend a horse race They .
lost a thousand do l lars each betting on the wrong horse .
They are recuperating after the strain They are booked .
for judges o f the Supreme Court when they fin ish this j ob .
The negro mass meeting to night is to i ndorse their names

- -
for the Supreme Bench .
“ ”
IS i t possib l e ! the doctor exclaime d .
When Whipper resumed his p l ace at his desk th e i ntro ,
duction o f bi ll s began On e after another were sent to

.
’
the Speaker s desk a measure to disarm the whi tes and
,
equip with modern rifles a Negro mil itia o f men ;

co make the uniform o f Confederate gray the garb o f c o n
v icts in South Caro l ina with the S ign o f rank to s ign i fy

,
the degree o f crime ; to pre v ent any person calling another

“ ”
a nigger ; to require men to remove their hats in the
presence of al l o fficers civil or military and all disfr an
, ,
c h ise d men to remo v e the i r hats i n the presence o f v oters ;
to force whites and blacks to attend the same schools and

Open the State Uni versity to negroes ; to permit the
intermarriage of whi tes and blacks ; and to i nforce so ci al
equality .
Whippe r made a brief S pe ech on the last measure

“
Before I am through I mean that it shal l be kn o wn
,
that Napoleon Whipper is as go o d as any man in South

The iron hand o f Fate is o n us We can only wait for the .
S hadows to deepen into night President Grant appears .
to be a babe i n the woods Schuyler Colfax the Vice .

,
president and Be l knap the Secretary of War are in the

, , ,
saddl e in Washington I hear things are happening .
there that are quite interesting Besides Congress .

,
n o w can g i ve l ittle relief The real law making power .

-
in America is the State Legislature The State .
l aw maker enters into the holy of holies o f o ur dai l y l ife

-
.
O nce more we are a so vereign State a so vereign Negro

—
”
State .
I fear my mission is futi l e said the doctor , .
It s ridicu ’
l ous — I ll ca ll for you to — ’
night and take you
to hear Lynch o ur Lieutenant Governor He is a remark
,
.
ab le man O ur negro Supreme Court Judge will pre

.
side
Uncle Al eck who had suddenly S pied Dr Camer o n
,
.
,
broke in with a l aughing wel come

“ ’ ’
I clar ter goodness Dr Cammun I d i dn t know y o u ,
.
,
’
wuz here sah I sh o gl ad ter see y o u I axes yer ter
,
. .
come across de street ter my room ; I go t su m fin p ow ful ’ ’
”
e rtic k le r ter say ter you
p .
The doctor fo ll owed Al eck o u t of the Hal l and across the

street to his room in a l ittl e boarding house His door was -
.
locked and the windows darkened by b l inds Inste ad o f

,
.
opening the bl inds he lighte d a l amp ,

.
“ ’
Ob cose Dr Cammun you say muflin bout what I
, .
,
”
gwine tell you ?
“
Certain l y not Al eck , .
The room was full o f drygoods boxes The space un d er .

T h e R io t in t h e Master ’
s H a ll 2
71
the b ed was p acked and they were pil ed to the c eil ing ,
around the wall s

“ ”
Why what s all this Al e c k ?
,
’
,
The mem b er from Ul ster chuckl ed

“
Dr C ammun yu se b een er p o w ful good fr ie n te r
.
,
’ ’ ’
n
me — gimme medicine lots er times en I hain t n e bbe r paid ,

’
’
you n u ttin I se sh o c ome inter de kingdom now en I
’
.
’
,
wants ter pay my respects ter yo u sah Des look ober , .
’
dat paper en mark wh at you wants en I h ab e m se n t
, ,
”
home fur you .
The member from Ul ster handed his physician a printed

l ist o f more than five hundred arti c les o f merchandise .
The doctor re ad it over with amazement .
“ ”
I don t understand it Aleck Do you own a store ?
’
,
.
’
N a sah but we git all we wants fum m o s eny ob em
-
,
’
.
Dem s S undries sah dat de gubm e n t gib s de members

’ ‘
,
’
, .
We des orda what we needs No troub l e tal l sah De .

’
,
.
” ’ ’
men what got de goods come roun en beg us ter t ake em .
The doctor smi l ed in S pite of the tragedy b ack o f the

j oke.
“ ’
—
Let s see som e of the goods Aleck are they first ,
”
class ?
“
Ye ssah ; de b es goin I show you ’ ’
. .
He pu l led out a num b er of bo xes and bund l es exhib iti ng ,
carpets door mats hassocks dog co ll ars cow bells oil

,
-
, ,
-
,
-
,
cl oths v el vets mosquito nets damask Irish l inen bill iard

, ,
-
, , ,
outfits towel s b l ankets flan n els quil ts women s hoods

, , , , ,
’
,
hats ribbons pins needl es scissors dumb bell s S kates

, , , , ,
-
, ,
crape skirt braids tooth brushes face powder hooks and

, ,
-
,
-
,
eyes skirts bustles chignons garters artifici al busts

, , , , , ,
'
chemises paraso l s watches jewe l ry diamond earr ings
, , , , ,
i vory handled kn i ves and forks p i stols and guns and a

-
, ,
VVe bste r S Dictionary

’
.
Got l ots mo in dem boxes nail ed up dar— ye ssah h i t s

’
,
’
’
no us e er letti n good tings go by yer when you kin des put
’ ’
o ut yer han en stop em ! Some er de members ordered
horses en carri ages but I tuk er par e r fine m ules wi d
,
’
harnes s en two buggies en er wagin Dey ro un at de .
”
libry stable sah , .
The doctor thanked Aleck for his friendly feel i ng but ,
told him it w as of course i mpossible for h i m at th i s

, ,
time being only a taxpayer and neither a voter n or a mem

,
“ ”
ber o f the Legi slature to share i n h i s supply o f sundries
, .
H e went to the warehouse that night with his friend to

hear Lynch won d ering if hi s mind were capable o f
,
receiving another S ho c k .
Thi s meeting had been called to i n d orse the cand i dacy ,
for Justice o f the Supreme Court of Napoleon Whi pper , ,
the Le ader of the House the notori ous negro thi ef and ,
gambler an d Will i am P itt Moses an ex convict his con

, ,
-
,
federate i n cri me They had been unanimously chosen

.
for the positions by a secret caucus o f the n i nety four negro -
members of the House This addition to the Court with .

,
the negro already a member wou l d give a majori ty to the ,
black man on the last Tribunal o f Appeal .
The few white men of the party who had any sense o f
de cency were i n Open revol t at this atrocity But their .
i nflu e nce was o n the wane The carpet bagger shaped the .
-
first Con v ent i on and got the first plums of o ffice Now the .
Negr o was i n the saddle and he meant to stay There , .

In the first masterful tones o f his voice the doctor s keen ’
intell igence caught the ring o f his savage metal and felt the
—
S hock o f h i s powerful personal ity a personal ity which
had thro wn to the winds every mask whose sole aim Of ,
l ife was sensual whose only fears were o f physical pai n

,
and death who could worsh i p a snake and sacrifice a

,
human being .
His play ful introduction showed h i m a chi l d Of Mystery ,
moved by Voices and inspired b y a Fetish His face was .
fu ll Of good humour and his who l e figure rippl ed with sleek

,
animal vivacity F or the moment l ife was a comedy and

.
,
a masquerade teeming with whims fancies ecstasies and , ,
superstitions .
He held the surging crowd in the ho ll ow o f his hand .
They yell ed l aughed howl ed or wept as he wi ll ed

, , ,
.
No w he painted in b urning words the imaginary hor

r or s Of slavery until the tears ro ll ed down his cheeks and
he wept at the sound Of his o wn voice Every dusky .
hearer b urst into tears and moans .
He stopped sudden l y brushed the tears from his eyes

, ,
S prang to the edge Of the p l atform threw both arms above ,
his head and shouted

“
Hosannah to the Lord God Al mighty for Emancipa
”
tion !
Instantl y five thousand negroes as o n e man were o n , ,
their feet shouting and screaming Their shouts rose

, .
in unison swell ed into a thunder peal and died away as

, ,
on e v0 1 c e .
Dead si l ence fol l owed and every eye was again riveted ,
on Lynch For two hours the doctor sat transfi xed

.
,
T h e R io t in th e M as ter ’
s H a ll 2
75
l istening and watching him sway the vast audience with

hypnotic power .
There w as not o n e note Of hesitation or o f doubt It .
w as the chall enge o f race against ra c e to mortal combat .
His cl os ing words ag ain swept every negro from h is seat

and me l ted every voice into a S in gl e frenzied shout
”
Within five years he cried the inte ll igence and the
, ,
we al th Of this mighty state wi ll be tr ansferred to the

Negro race Lift up your heads The wor l d is yours
. . .
Take it Here and now I serve notice o n every white

.
m an who b re athes th at I am as good as he is I demand .

,
and I am going to have the privil ege of going to see him

,
i n his house or h is hotel eating with him and sl eeping

,
with him an d when I see fit to take hi s daughter in

, ,
”
marri age !
As the doctor emerge d fr o m the st i fling crowd wi th his
friend he drew a deep breath Of fresh air took from his
, ,
pocket his conservative m e m or l al picked it into littl e bits

, ,
an d scattered them along the street as h e walke d i n s i lence
back to his hotel .

C HAPTER IX
AT L OV E R S L EA P ’
N sp i te Of the pitifu l collapse Of Old Stoneman under

his stroke Of paral ysis h is chil dren stil l saw the
,
unconquered soul shining i n h is co l ourless eyes .
They had both been on the point o f confessing their lo ve

affairs to him and jo i ning the i ne vitable struggle when he
was stri cken They knew only to o well that he would n o t
.
consent to a dual al l iance with the Camerons under the

conditions Of fierce hatreds and v iolence into which the
s tate had drifted They were to o high m inded to c o n
.
-
sider a vi olation Of his wi shes whil e thus helpless wi th his ,
strange eyes followi ng them about in childlike eagerness .
H i s weakness was m i ghtier than his iron w ill .
S O for e i ghteen months whil e he sl owl y groped o ut of

, ,
—
m en tal twil ight each had wai ted E l sie wi th a tender
,
faith struggl ing with d espair and Phil i n a tortur e o f

,
uncertainty and fear .
In the meantime the young N o rtherner ha d become as

,
radical in his sympathies w i th the Southern people as his

father had ever been against them This power o f as .
sim ilation has always been a mark Of Southern genius .
The sight o f the Black Hand on the i r thr oats now roused
his righteous indignation The patience with which they
.
endured was to hi m amazing The Southerner he had .
2 7 6
power The old Eagle cotton mill s had been burned

.
durin g the war Phil organised the Eagl e Phoenix Com

.
pany interested Northern capitalists bought the falls

, , ,
and erected two gre at mill s the dim hum of whose ,
S pind l es added a new note to the river s music Eager ’

.
,
swift modest his head fu ll o f ideas h is heart full o f

, , ,
fai th he had pressed forward to success

, .
’
As the O l d Commoner s mind b egan to c l ear and h is ,
recovery was sure Phil determ i ned to press his su i t fo r

,
Margaret s hand to an issue

’
.
Ben had dropped a hint Of an interview Of the R e v .
Hugh Mc Alp in with Dr Cameron which had thrown .

,
Phi l i nto a co l d sweat .
He hurrie d to the hotel to ask Margaret to drive wi th

’
him that afternoon He wou l d stop at Lover s Leap and
.
settle the question .
H e met the preacher just emerging from the d oor , ,
calm handsome serious and Margaret by his S ide The

, , , .
dark haired beauty seemed strangel y serene What

- .
could it mean ? His heart w as in h is throat Was he .
too late ? Wreathed in smil es when the preacher had

gone the girl s face was a riddle h e could n o t sol ve
,
’
.
T o his joy sh e consented to go

,
.
As he left in his trim littl e buggy for the hotel he ,
stooped and kissed E l sie w hispering ,
“ ”
Make an o ffering o n the al tar Of love fo r me Sis ! ,
’
You re too Sl ow The prayers Of all the saints wil l
.
”
not save you ! sh e repl ied with a l augh thro wi ng him a ,
kiss as he disappeared in the dust .
AS they drove t hr ough the great forest o n the cliffs ove r ,

At L o ve r ’
s L e ap 27
9
l ooking the ri ver the Southern worl d seemed lit with new
,
S pl endour to day for the Northerner

-
His heart beat .
wi th a strange courage The Odour Of the pines their

.
,
sighing music the subtone of the fall s below the subtl e

, ,
l ife giving perfume Of the fu ll ness o f summer the S pl en

-
,
d o ur of the su n gl eaming thr ough the deep fo l iage and the ,
sweet sensuous a ir all seemed incarnate in the cal m

,
lovel y face and gracious figure be side him .
They took their seat o n the O l d rustic buil t against the

beech which was the last tree o n the brink Of the c lifi
, .
A hundred feet bel ow flowed the river ripp l ing softl y ,
along a narrow strip Of sand which its c urrent had thrown

against the rocks The ledge Of towerin g granite
.
formed a cave eighty feet in depth at the water s edge ’

.
From this projecting wal l tradition said a young Indian

,
princess once leaped with her l over fleeing from the wrath ,
o f a cruel father who had separated them The cave be .
low was inaccessib le from above being reached by a nar ,
’
row footpath along the r iver s edge when entered a mile
down stream -
.
The view from the seat under the b ee ch was o n e o f

, ,
marvell ous b eauty F or mi l es the broad river ro ll ed in

.
,
cal m shining gl ory seaward its banks fringed with cane

,
and trees whi l e fie l ds o f c orn and cotton S pread in waving

,
green toward the distant hi ll s and b l ue mountains o f the

vve st .
Every tree o n this cli ff was cut with the initials Of gen
e r atio n s o f lovers from P iedmo n t .
They sat in si l ence for awhil e Margaret idly playing ,

with a flower S he had picked by the pathway and Phil ,
watching her de vout l y .
The Southern sun had tinged her face the redd i sh

warm hue o f ripened fruit doub l y radiant by contrast ,
w i th her wealth of dark brown hair The lustrous glance -

.
o f her eyes ha l f ve i led by their long lashes and the grace

, ,
ful careless pose Of her statel y figure he l d him enraptured

, .
Her dress Of airy azure b l ue S O becoming to her dark

, ,
beauty gav e Phil the impression Of the eiderdown feathers

,
Of some rare bir d o f the tropics He fe l t that if he dared .
to touch her sh e might l ift her wings and sail o ver the
cliff i nt o the sky and forget to light again at h is side .
I am going to ask a very bold and impertinent question ,
” “ ”
Mi ss Margaret Phil said wi th resolution
, May I ? .
Margaret smi l ed i ncredu l ousl y .
“
I ll ri sk your im mr tin e n c e and decide as to its bold
’
,
n e ss .
“
Tell me pleas e what that preacher said to you to
, ,
day .
Margaret looked away unable to suppress the merri ,
m e nt that played about her eyes and mouth .
“
Will you ne ver breathe it to a soul if I do ? ,
’
lie ve r f
Honest Injun here ,
on the sacred al tar Of the pri n
”
cess ?
“
O n my honour .
Then I ll tell you she said biting her l ips to keep

’
, ,
back a l augh “
Mr Mc Alp in is very handsome and elo
. .
quent I have always thought him the best preacher we

.
hav e e ver had in Piedmont

twin brother my heart began to sing at th e sound of y o ur

,
name
“
Call it he whispered , .
”
Phil my swe eth eart l sh e said wi th a laugh
, .
How tender and homelike the music Of your vo i ce !

The worl d has never seen the match Of your graci o us
Southern womanhood ! Snow bound in the North I -
,
dreamed as a chil d Of this worl d of eternal sunshine

, , .
’
And now e very memory and dream I v e found
”
in you .
“ ’
And you won t be disappointed in my simple ide al
”
that finds its all within a home ?
“
NO I love the Old fashioned dream o f the S o uth
.
-
.
Maybe you hav e enchanted me but I lo v e these green ,
hill s and mountains these rivers musical with cascade

,
—
and fall these so l emn forests but for the Black Curse
, ,
”
the South woul d be to day the garden Of the world !
-
“ ”
And you wil l hel p o ur peop l e l ift this curse ? softly
asked the girl nestl ing cl oser to his side
,
.
“
Yes dearest thy peop l e S hall be mine ! Had I a
, ,
tho usand wrongs to cherish I d forgive them all for yo ur ,

’
’
sake I ll hel p you build here a new South o n all that s
.
’
good and nob l e in the old until its dead fiel ds bloss o m ,
again its harbours bristle with Ships and the hum of a

, ,
’
thousand industries make music in every valley Id .
S ing to you in burning v erse if I cou l d but it is not my ,
way I have been awkward and slow in lo ve perhaps

.
,
but I ll be swift in your service I dream to make dead

’
.
stone s and wood l ive and breathe for you Of victories wrung ,
from Nature that are yours My poems wil l be deeds my .

,
At L o ve r ’
s L e ap 2 83
flowers the hard earned weal th that has a sou l which I

-
,
”
s hal l l ay at your feet .
“ ”
Who said my l over was dum b ? S he sighed with a ,
“
twi nkle in her shining eyes You must introduce me
to your father soon He m
.
ust l ike me as my father does

.
”
you or o ur dream can never come true
, .
’
A pain gripped Phi l s heart but he answered bravely , ,
“ ’”
I wi ll He can t help loving you
. .
They stood on the rustic seat to carve their initials

within a circle high o n the Ol d b eechwood book Of love
, .
“ —
May I write it out in ful l Margaret Cameron
”
Phil ip Stoneman ? he asked .
— —
No only the initial s now the full names when you ve ’
’
seen my father and I ve seen yours Jeannie Campbell .
and Henry Lenoir were once written thus in full and ,
many a lover has looked at that circl e and prayed for hap
in e ss l ike theirs You can see there a new on e cut o v er
p .
the Old the bark has fill ed and written on the fresh page
, ,
is Marion Lenoir wi th the blank bel ow for her lo ver s

‘ ’ ’
”
name .
Phil looked at the freshly cut circl e and laughed

”
I wonder if Marion or her mother did that ?
Her mother of course ,
.
I wonder whose will be the lucky name some day

”
within it ? said Phil musi ngly as he finish e d his o wn
, , .
CHAPTER X
A NI G H T H A W K
HEN the Old Commoner s pr ivate physician’
had gone and his mind had full y cl eared he ,
woul d sit for hours m the sunshine o f the v ine

cl ad porch asking E l sie o f the vill age its l ife and its p e o
, , ,
p l e He smi l ed good natured l y at her eager sympathy

.
-
for their su fferings as at the enthusiasm Of a child who

cou l d not understand He had c ome possessed by a
.
great idea—e vents must su b mit to it Her assurance .
that the poverty and losses o f the peopl e were far i n ex

cess o f the worst they had known during the war was too
absurd even to secure his attention .
He had refused to know any Of the people ignoring the ,
existence of El sie s call ers But he had fal len in lo ve

’
.
with Mar ion from the moment he had seen her The .
cold eye o f the O l d fo x hunter k indl ed with the fire Of his

-
forgotten youth at the sight Of this beautiful girl seated ,
o n the g l istening back Of the mare sh e had saved from
death .
As she rode thr ough the vil l age every boy lifted his hat
,
as to passing royal ty and no one Old or young could

, , ,
al low her to pass without a cry Of admiration Her ex .
u isite figure had deve l oped into the full trO ic S plen d our
q p
of Southern girl hood .
loo k ing ne gro sudden l y confronted him and he shrank

, ,
’
in terror c l ose to the girl s S ide .
” ’
What you do i n here sah ? the black keepe r rai led , .
’ ” ’ ’
Ai n t I done tole you bout runmin away ?
“
Yo u let h i m alone Marion cried , .
The negro pushed her roughl y from his side and knocked
Sam d own The girl screamed for hel p and Old Stone
.
,
man hobbled down the steps fol l owing E l sie , .
When they reached the gate Marion was bending o ver ,
the prostrate form .
“ ”
O h my my I bel i e v e h e s kill ed him ! S he wailed
, , ,
’
.
”
Run for the doctor sonny quick Stoneman said to , , ,
Hugh The boy darted away and brought Dr Cam

. .
eron .
”
How dar e yo u strike that man yo u de vil ? thundered ,
the old statesman .
“
Case I tole im ter stay home en do de wu k I put
’ ’
’
im at en he all de time r u n n in o ff here ter git su m fin
’ ’
,
ter eat I gwi ne frail de l ife outen im e f he doan ’

,
’
min me .
“ ’
We ll yo u make tracks back to the Poor House I l l
,
.
’
attend to this man and I l l have you arreste d for this ,
”
b efore night said Stoneman with a scowl , , .
The b l ack keeper l aughed as he left .
“
Not less you se er bigger man dan Gubn er Silas
’ ’
”
Lynch you won t ! ,
’
When Dr Cameron had restored Sam and dressed the

.
,
wound on his head where he had struck a stone in fal l ing ,
Stoneman i nsisted that the boy be put to bed .
Turn i ng to Dr Cameron he asked : .

,
A N ig h t H aw k 2 87
Why shou l d they put a brute l ike this in charge Of the

”
poor ?
“
That s a large question sir at this time said the
’
, , ,
“
doctor po l itely and now that y o u have asked it I have
, , ,
some things I ve b een l onging for an Opportunity to say

’
”
to you .
“
Be se ated sir the Old Commoner answered I shall
, , ,
”
be glad to hear them .
E l sie s heart l e aped with joy over the possib l e outcome

’
Of this appeal and S he l eft the room with a smi l e for the
,
doctor .
“
First all ow me said the Southerner pleasantly
, , , ,
to express my sorrow at your l ong ill ness and my pleas ,
ure at seeing you so well Your chil dren have won the .
l o ve o f all o ur people and have had o ur deepest sympathy

”
in your ill ness .
Stoneman muttered an inaudib l e repl y and the doctor ,
went on :
“
Your question brings up at once the prob l em Of the, ,
misery and degradation into which o ur country has sunk

under Negro ru l e
Stoneman smil ed cold l y and interrupted
O f course you understand my position i n politics
, ,
”
Doctor Cameron— I am a R adical Republ ican .
“ ”
S O much the b etter was the response , I have been .
l onging for months to get your ear Your word will be al l .
the more powerful if raised in o ur behalf The Negro is .
the master Of o ur state county city and town govern

, , ,
ments Every schoo l college hospital asylum and poor

.
, , , ,
house is his prey What yo u have seen is but a sample

. .
Negro insolence grows beyond endurance Their women .
are t aught to insul t their o ld mistresses and mock their

poverty as they pass in their o ld faded dresses Ye s , .
ter day a bl ack driver struck a white c hi l d o f six with
his whip and when the mother protested sh e was ar

, ,
rested b y a n egro po l iceman taken before a negro magis

,
‘
trate and fined $ 10 for insulting a
,
“
Stoneman frowned : Such things must be very e xc e p
”
tio n al .
“
They are every day occurrences and cease to exc ite
-
comment Lynch the Li euten ant Governor who has

.
,
-
,
bought a summer home here is urging this campaign Of ,
insu lt with de l iberate purpose

’
The Old m an S hook his head I can t think the .
”
Lieutenant Governor guil ty o f such petty vi llainy
-
.
“ ”
O ur school commissioner the doctor continued is , ,
a negro who can neither read nor write The b l ack grand .
jury l ast week discharged a negro for steal ing cattle and
i ndicted the owner for fal se imprisonment NO such rate .
o f taxation was ever imposed o n a civil i sed peop l e A .
tithe Of i t cost Great Britain her colon i es There are .
homes in this county o f them are ad vertised
for sal e by the sheri ff to meet his tax bills This house .
wi ll be sold ne xt court day

”
Sto n eman looked up S harp l y So l d for taxes ? .
Yes ; wi th the farm which has al ways been Mrs .
’
Le noir s support In part her l oss came from the cotton
.
tax Congress in addition to the deso l ation of war and

.
, ,
the ru i n of Black rule has wrung from the cotton farm ers
,
Of the South a tax Of Every do ll ar of this

2
subject to the b l ack S pawn o f an African jungle ! Can

human flesh endure it ? When Goth and Vandal bar
bar ian s overran R o me the Negro was the S la v e o f the
,
Roman Empire The savages Of the North b l ew o ut the

.
light o f Ancient Civil isation but in all the dark ages which
,
followed they ne ver dreamed the lepr o us infamy Of raising

a black slav e to rule over his former master ! NO peop l e
i n the hi story Of the worl d hav e ever before been so basel y
”
betraye d S O wantonly humi l iated and degraded !
,
Stoneman lifted his head in amazement at the burst Of

passi onate intensi ty with which the Southerner poured
out hi s protest .
“
For a Russian to rule a Pole he went on a Turk t o , ,
rule a Greek or an Austrian to dom i nate an Italian is

, ,
hard e nough but for a thick lipped flat nose d S pindl e

,
-
,
-
,
shanked negro exuding his nauseating an i mal Odour to

, ,
S hout in deri sion over the hearths and homes o f wh ite men
and women is an atrocity too monstrous for bel ief O ur .
people are yet dazed by its horror My God ! when they .
real ise its meaning whose arm wil l be strong enough to

,
hold them ?
“
I S hould think the South was su fficiently amused with
”
resistance to authority interrupted Stoneman
,
3
.
“
Even S O Yet there is a moral force at the bottom Of
.
every living race Of men The sense Of right the fee l ing Of
.
,
—
racial destiny these are unconquered and unconquerable
forces E very man in South Carolina to day is gl ad that
.
-
slavery i s dead The war was n ot too gre at a price for us

.
to pay for the lifting of its curse And n ow t o ask a South

.
erner to be the Sl ave of a Sl ave

A Nigh t H aw k 2
9 1
And yet Doctor said Stoneman coo l ly manhood

, , , ,
su ffrage is the one eternal thing fixed in the nature of

”
Democracy It is inevitab l e
. .
”
“
At the price Of racial life ? Never ! said the So uth
“
erner wi th fiery emphas i s
, This Republic is great n ot
.
,
by reason Of the amount of dirt we possess the si ze of our ,
—
census roll or o u voting register we are great because
r
,
Of the geni us Of the race o f pioneer white freemen who

settled this continent dared the might of kings and made
, ,
a wil derness the home o f Freedom O ur future depends .
o n the purity Of this rac i al stock The grant Of the ballot

.
to these mi ll ions of semi savages and the ri ot o f debauchery

-
”
which has fol l owed are cri mes against human progress .
”
Yet may we not trai n him ? asked Stoneman .
To a point yes and then sink to his level i f y o u walk

, ,
as hi s equal i n phys i cal contact with him His race i s not .
—
an infant ; it is a degenerate older than yours in time At .
l ast we are face to face with the man whom sl avery

concealed wi th its rags Su ffrage is but the new paper
.
cloak wi th which the Demagogu e has sought to hide the

issue Can we assimi l ate the Negro ? The very question
.
is pollution In Hayti no white man can own l and B l ack

. .
dukes and marquises drive over them and swear at them

for getting under their wheels Is civi l isation a patent .
cloak wi th which l aw tinkers can wrap an animal and

-
”
make him a king ?
“
But the negro must be protecte d by the ballot p ro ,
tested the statesman The humbl est man must have the
.
”
Opp ortunity to r i se The real issue is Democracy
. .
The issue s ir i s Civil i sati on ! Not whether a negr o

, ,
shall be pr o te cted but whe the r S o cie ty i s worth s aving

,
”
from barbari sm .
“
The state sman can ed ucat e put in the C o mm o n e r , .
The do cto r cl e ar e d h is thr o at wi th a qu i ck l ittl e n ervo us

c o ugh he was i n the hab i t Of givi ng when deeply mo ve d .
“
Ed ucat io n si r i s the de velopment o f that whi ch is
, , .
S i n c e the d awn Of h i story the Negro has own e d the Con

—
tin e n t o f Afr i ca r i ch beyon d the d ream o f p o et s fancy
’
,
crunchi ng acre s o f d i amonds beneath h i s bare black fee t .
Ye t he n eve r p i cked on e up from the dust until a wh i t e

man sho wed to hi m its gl i ttering l ight His lan d swarm ed .
w i th powerful and docile an i mals ye t he ne ver dr e amed ,
a harn e ss cart or sl e d A hunter by necessi ty he n eve r

, , .
,
mad e an axe S p e ar o r arrow he ad w o rth preservi ng b ey o n d

,
-
the m o m e nt o f i ts us e He lived as an ox c o ntent t o gra ze

.
,
for an ho ur In a land Of st o n e and timber h e n eve r

.
s awed a foo t Of lumb e r carv ed a block o r bu ilt a h o u se

, ,
s ave o f bro ke n st i cks and mu d W ith leagu e o n l e agu e .
o f o ce an stran d an d miles o f inland seas fo r fo ur tho u ,
s an d ye ars h e watched their surface r i ppl e und e r th e w in d ,
h e ard the thunder o f the surf on hi s b e ach the h owl o f th e ,
storm o ver hi s head gaze d o n the dim blue hor izo n call ing
,
him to worlds that l ie b e yo nd an d yet he n ever dre am ed a ,
—
sail ! He l i ved as h i s fathers l ive d st ole h i s fo o d w o rked ,
h i s w i fe s old hi s children ate h i s br o the r c o nt e nt t o d r ink

, , , ,
S i ng dance and sport as th e ap e !

, ,
“
And this creature half ch ild half an imal the sp o rt of
,
-
,
-
,
i mpulse whim an d c o ncei t pl e ase d wi th a rattl e t i ckled

, ,
‘
,
’
wi th a straw a be ing who l e ft to h i s will roam s at n ight
, , ,
an d sl ee p s in the day whose S p ee ch kn ows no wo r d o f

,
2
But may i t not all come o ut right i n the end ? After the
Dark Ages day br o ke at last We have the print ing press
, .
,
—
railroad and telegraph a r evo lution in human affairs .
We may do i n years what i t took ages to do in the past .
May not the Black man speedil y eme rge ? Who knows ?
An appeal to the North w il l be a waste Of breath This .
exper iment i s go i ng to be made It i s written in the book .
Of Fate But I like you Come to see me again

. . .
Dr Cameron left wi th a heavy heart He had grown a

. .
gre at h Op e in this long w i shed for appeal to Stoneman- -

.
It had come to his c ars that the Old man who had dwelt ,
a s o ne dead in their village was a power , .
’
It was ten o cl ock before the doctor walked slowly back
t o the hotel AS he passed the armory o f the black m il itia
.
,
they were still dril li ng under the command Of Gus Th e .
w i ndows were Open through which came the steady tramp

,
”
Of heavy feet and the cry of Hep ! Hep ! He p ! from the
’ ’
Captai n s thi ck cracked l i ps The full d re ss O fficer s .
-
un i form wi th i ts gold epaulets yel low stripes and glisten

, , ,
i ng sw ord only accentuated the coarse be stiality of Gus

, .
His huge jaws seem e d to h i de completely the gold bra id

on hi s collar .
The doctor watched wi th a shudder hi s black bloated

, ,
face co vered wi th persp irat i on and the huge hand gr i p

p i ng his swor d .
They sudden l y halted in d ouble ranks and Gus yelle d

“ ”
O dah arms ! ,
The butts of their r i fles crashed to the fl o or with pre

c ision an d they were allowe d to bre ak ranks for a bri ef
,
re st .
A N ig h t H a w k 2
95
’
They sang John Brown s Body and as its ec hoes ,
died away a big negro swung his rifle in a circl e over his
head shouting
,
“
Here s your regul ator for white trash ! En dey s
’ ’
n i ne hundred Ob em i n dis county

“ ”
Yas Lawd ! howled another
,
.
’ ’
We got em down n o w en we keep em dar chil e ,
bawl ed another .
The doctor passed o n slowly to the hote l The night .
was dark the streets were without lights under their pres
,
ent rulers and the stars were hidden with swift fly in g

,
-
clouds which thr eatened a storm As he passed under .
the boughs o f an oak i n front Of hi s house a voice abov e ,
him whispered :
“
A message for you sir , .
Had the wings o f a S p iri t suddenly brushe d his chee k ,
he wou l d not have been more startl ed .
“ ”
Who are you ? he asked with a slight tremor , .
A Night Hawk o f the In v isible Emp ire wi th a mes ,
”
sage from the Grand Dragon o f the Realm was the l ow ,
“ ’
answer as he thrust a note i n the doctor s hand
, I .
”
wil l wai t for your answer .
The doctor fumbled to h i s o ffice on the c o rner Of the

l awn struck a match and read :
, ,
“
A great Scotch Iri sh leader Of the South from Mem
-
phi s is here to night and wi shes to se e you If you will

-
.
meet General Forrest I will bring him to the hotel i n fif

,
teen minutes Burn thi s Ben . . .
The doctor wal ked quickly back to the spot where he

had heard the v oice and s aid ,
2
“ ’
I ll se e h i m wi th pleasure
.
The i nvis i ble messenger wheeled h i s horse and i n a

,
moment the echo o f h i s mu ffled ho o fs had d ied away in

the di stance .
2
Nobody would be fool enough to O ffer it You can .
’
buy al l the land in the c o unty for a dollar an acre It s .
n o t wo rth anyth i ng .
I di sagree with yo u sai d Ston e man cheerfully

, ,
.
I am looki ng far ahead I would l ik e to make an ex

.
er im e n t here wi th Pennsyl v ania methods o n this land

p .
’
I ll gi ve you ten thousand dollars cash for your fiv e hundred
acres i f you will take it .
“ ”
You don t m e an it ? Mrs Leno ir gasped choking
’
.
,
back the tears .
“
Certainly You can at once return to your home
.
,
’
I ll tak e another house and in vest your money for yo u i n
,
”
go o d Northern securities .
The mother burst i nto sobs unab l e to S peak while , ,
Mari on threw her arms impulsi ve l y around the o ld

’
man s neck and ki ssed hi m .
His cold eyes were warmed with the fir st tear they had
shed in years .
He mo ved the next day to the Ross estate which he ,
re nte d had Sam brought back to the home o f his child

,
ho od in charge of a goo d natured white attendant and -

,
instal led i n o n e Of the l ittle cottages o n the lawn He .
ordered Lynch to arrest th e keeper Of the poor and hold ,
him o n a charge of assault wi th intent to kill awa iting ,
the action o f the Gran d Jury The Lieutenant Governor .

-
rece ived this order with su ll en anger— yet he saw to its

execution He was not quite ready for a bre ak with the
.
man who had made him .
As tonished at his new humo ur Ph il and Elsie hasten e d ,
to confess to hi m their l ove affairs and ask h i s appro v al-

Th e B ea t of a S p arr o w
’
s W in g 2
99
of their choice His repl y Was cautious yet he did not

.
,
refuse h is consent He advised them to wait a few

.
months al low him time to know the young pe op l e and

, ,
get his bearings on the conditions Of Southern society .
His mood of tenderness w as a startl ing revel ation to them

o f the depth and intensity o f his l ove .
When Mrs Le no ir returned with Marion to her v ine

.
cl ad home sh e S pent the first day o f perfect joy since the

,
death of her lover hus b and The deed had n ot yet been
-
.
made for the transfer Of the farm but it was on l y a ques ,
tion o f legal formal ity She was to receive the money in

.
the form o f interest bearing secur ities and d eliver the t i tl e

-
o n the fo ll owing morning .
Ar m in arm mother and daughter v isited again each

,
hall owed spot with the sweet sense Of Ownership The

, .
pl ace was in perfect order Its flowers were i n gorgeous .
b l oom its wal ks clean and neat the fences painted and
, , ,
the gates swu ng o n new hinges .
They stood with their arms about one another watching ,
the su n sink behind the mountains with tears of gratitu d e ,
and h Op e stirring their sou l s .
Ben Cameron strode through the gate and they hur ,
ried to meet him with cries of joy

, .
“
Just dropped in a minute to se e i f you are snug for
”
the night ? he said .
“ ’
O f course snug and so happy we ve been huggin g on e
, ,
” “
another for hours said the mother , Oh Ben th e .
, ,
”
cl ouds have l ifted at last !
“ ”
Has Aunt Cindy come yet ? he asked .
3 0 0 Th e C lan s m an
’
No but she ll b e here i n the m o rn i ng to ge t bre ak
,
”
’
fast We don t want anyth i ng t o eat she answere d
.
, .
“ ’ ’
Then I ll come o ut when I m through my bus i ness ,
to night an d sleep in the hous e to ke ep y ou c o m

-
,
”
pany .
“ ’
Nons e nse said th e mother we couldn t th ink o f
, ,
’
putting you to the trouble We ve S pe nt many a n ight .
”
her e al o ne .
“
But not i n the past two years he said wi th a fr own , , .
’ ” “
We re not afraid Marion said wi th a smil e Be , ,
.
’
sides we d keep you awake all night with our laughte r an d
,
fo ol i shn e ss rummag ing through the hous e

, .
“ ’
Yo u d bette r let me Ben pr o tested , .
“ ’
N sai d the mother we ll b e happ i er t o n i ght al o n e ,
-
th o nly God s eye to see how perfectly si l ly w e can b e

’
.
C o me an d take supper with us to m o rrow n i ght Br ing -

.
— —
E lsi e an d her gu i tar I don t like the banjo and we ll ’ ’
”
hav e a little lo ve feast wi th music in the m oo nl ight -
.
“ ” “
Yes do that cr i ed Marion
, I kn o w we o we th i s
, .
go od luck to her I want t o te ll her h o w much I lo ve her

.
”
for it .
“
We ll i f yo u insist on staying al o ne sai d B e n re
, , ,
“ ’
lu c tan tly
’
I ll bring Miss E lsie t o morrow but I don t
,
-
,
”
like your being here wi thout Aunt C indy to night -
.
“ ” “
Oh we re all r ight ! laughed Mar io n
’
, but what I ,
want to know is what you are doing out so late eve ry

’
n i ght s ince you ve come h o me an d whe re you we re g on e ,
”
for th e past week ?
“
Important business he answere d soberly , ,
.
— ” “
Bus in es s I e xpe ct ! she cri ed Look here Ben .
,
the shadows beari ng themse l ves as qu e ens though they

,
”
wore the dress of the shepherdess .
“ ’
I m almost tempte d t o ki ss you for that as you once ,
took a dv antage Of me said Mari on with e nthusiasm .
The moon had r i sen and a whippoorwil l was chant i ng

his weird song o n the lawn as B e n left the m lean ing o n
th e gate .
It was past m i dnight before they fin i she d the last

touche s in restoring the ir nest to its Old homelike appear
ance and sat down happy and tired in the room i n which
Mar io n was b orn bro oding and dream i ng and talking
,
o ver the future .
The m o ther was hanging o n the w ords of her daughter ,
all the baffl e d l ove Of the dead poet husband her griefs ,
and po verty c o nsumed in the gl owing joy o f new hopes .
Her lo ve for thi s child was n o w a triumphant passion ,
which had melted he r o wn being into the Object of wor

ship until the soul Of the daughter was superimposed o n
,
’
the mother s as the magn e t i sed by the magnetiser .
“ ’ ”
And you l l ne ver keep a secr e t from me d e ar ? she ,
aske d o f Mari on .
“
Ne ver .
’
You ll te ll me all your lo ve affairs sh e asked softly -
, ,
as S h e dr e w the S hin i ng blond e head down on her sh o ulders .
”
Faithful l y .
You know I ve been afraid sometimes yo u were

’
keeping something back from me deep down in your ,
heart—and I m jealous You didn t refuse Henry Grier

’
.
’
—
because you lo ved Ben Cameron now d i d you ? ,
Th e B ea t of a S p ar r o w
’
s W in g 3 3 0
The littl e head lay still before sh e an swered

“ ’
How many times must I tell you Si ll y that I ve , ,
lo ved Ben S ince I can remember that I w il l al ways l o ve ,
hi m and when I meet my fate at last I shall boast to my

, , ,
children of my sweet g irl romance wi th the Hero o f

P iedmont and they shall laugh an d cry wi th m e o ver
,
it
’ ”
What s that ? wh ispered the mother leap ing t o her ,
I heard nothin g Mar ion answered listen in g , , .
”
I thought I heard footsteps o n the porch .
’
Maybe it s Ben who decided to come anyhow , ,
said the girl .
“ ”
But he d kn o ck ! whispered the mother
’
.
The do or flew Open wi th a crash and four black brutes ,
leaped i nto the room Gus in the lead wi th a re vol ver in

, ,
his hand hi s yellow teeth gr i nn ing thr ough his th i ck l i ps

, .
“ ’
Scream now an I blow yer brains o ut he growled
, , , .
Blanched wi th horror the mother sprang b e fore Mar ,
i on wi th a shi verin g cry

“ ”
What do you want ?
Not you said Gus cl o s i ng th e bl i n d s an d hand ing
, ,
“
a r o pe to another brute Tie de Ole o n e ter de bedp o st
. .
The mother screame d A blow from a black fist in her .
mouth and the rope was tied

, .
With the strength of despair sh e tore at the cords half ,
rising to her feet while with mortal anguish sh e gasped

,
“ ’
F or G od s sake S pare my baby ! Do as you will
,
— ”
with me an d ki ll me do n ot touch he r !
,
Ag ai n the huge fist swept her to the floor .

3 4
Mari on staggere d against the wall her face wh ite her , ,
d el i cate l i p s tr e mbl i ng wi th the chill Of a fear cold e r than

de ath .
“ —
We have n o m o ney the dee d has n o t be e n d cl iv
”
e red she plea d e d a sud d en gl i mm e r Of h Op e flash ing
, ,
i n he r blu e eye s .
Gu s ste pped clo se r wi th an ugly l e er h i s flat nose di

, ,
lated h i s s i ni ste r bea d eyes w ide apart gl e am i ng ap e l ike

,
- -
,
as he laugh ed
“ ’ ”
We ai n t atter m o n ey !
Th e gi rl utte re d a cry l o ng tre mul o u s he art r e n di ng
‘
-
, , , ,
pite o us .
A si ngl e tige r S pri ng and the black claws of the b e as t

-
,
s ank i nt o the so ft whi te thr o at and S h e was still .

tenderly at the l ittle home shin i ng am i d the roses caught ,
the ir fa i nt pe rfume an d faltered :

“ —
Let s go back a m i nute I want t o se e hi s room an d
’
,
’
kiss Henry s picture agai n .
“ —
NO we are going to h 1m n o w I he ar h i m call ing u s
,
” — “
f
i n the mists above the cl i f sai d the girl , c o me we ,
”
must hurry We m ight go mad and fail !
.
Down the dim cathedral a i sles Of the woo ds hall o wed ,
by ten de r memor ies through whi ch the po e t lo ver an d

,
father had taught them to walk w i th reverent feet and

without fear they fled t o the Old meet ing place Of L ove
,
-
.
O n th e br i nk of the prec i p i ce the mother tremble d

, ,
paused dr e w back an d gasped

,
“ ”
Ar e yo u not afraid my dear ? ,
”
N o ; death i s sweet now sa i d the girl
, , I fe ar only .
”
the p i ty Of those we love .
“
Is ther e no other way ? We m ight go am o ng
”
strangers pleaded the mother
, .
“
We could not escape ours el ves ! The thought of l i fe is
torture Only those who hate me coul d wi sh that I l ive
. .
The grav e will be soft and c o ol the l i ght Of day a burn

,
”
ing shame .
—
Com e back to the seat a moment let me tell yo u my
” “
love again urged the mother
, Li fe still i s dear whil e
.
”
I hold your hand .
AS they sat i n broo di ng angu i sh floating up from the ,
river v alley came the music of a banjo i n a negro cab in ,
m i ngled with v u l gar shout and song and dance A vers e .
Of the ribald senseless lay o f the playe r echo e d ab ove

’
the banjo s pert refrai n
On th e brin k o f th e re c i i c e th e l
p p mo th e r t remb e d
.
appeared A fresh motionless day broo ded over th e

.
world as the amorous stir Of the S pirit o f morn ing ro se

from the mo i st earth Of the fi elds below .
A bright star st ill shone in the sk y and the face Of the

,
mother gazed on i t i ntently D i d the Wo man sp ir i t the

.
-
,
burn i ng focus of the fi ercest desire to l ive and will catch

,
’
i n this supreme m o ment the star s Divi ne spe ech before
whi ch all human pass i ons sink i nto silence ? Perhaps ,
fo r she sm ile d
. The daughter answered with a smile ;
an d then han d in hand they stepped from the cl iff int o
, ,
th e m i sts an d on thr o ugh the Opal gates of Death .

—
Bo o k IV Th e K u K lu x K lan
CHAPTER I
TH E H UNT F OR TH E ANIMAL
’
UNT CINDY came at seven o clock to get break
fast and finding the house cl osed and no o n e at
,
home supposed Mrs Le noir and Marion had

, .
remai n e d at the Cameron House for the night She sat .
down on the steps waited grumb l ingl y an hour and then

, ,
hurr ied to the hotel to sco l d her former mistress for keep
i ng her o ut so long .
Accusto med to enter famil iarly S he thrust her head ,
i nto the dining room where the famil y were at breakfast

-
,
with a solitary guest muttering the S peech sh e had been

,
rehearsing o n the way :

“ —
I lak ter know what sort er way dis wh ar s Miss ’
”
Jeannie ?
Ben leap ed to h i s feet .
’ ”
Isn t S he at home ?
Been waitin dar two hours
’
.
”
Great God ! he groaned spr ing ing through the door
,
and rushing to saddle the mare As he left he called to .
”
his father : Let n o o ne know till I return .
At the house he cou l d find no trace o f the crime he

had suspected E very room was in perfect order He
. .
3 9
0
se arched the yard carefully an d under th e ced ar by the

,
win d o w h e saw the barefo o t tracks o f a negro Th e wh i te .
man was ne ve r born wh o c o uld make that track The .
en o rm o us heel projecte d backward and in the h oll o w of ,
th e i nstep where the d irt would scarcely b e touched by

an Aryan was the deep wide mark of th e African s flat ’
foot H e carefully measured it bro ught fro m an outh o u se

.
,
a b o x an d fastened i t over the S p o t

, .
It m ight hav e b e en an ord inary ch i cken th ief Of c o urse -

, .
He c o uld n o t tell but i t was a fact o f b ig im mrt A sud

, .
den h Op e flashe d through h i s m i nd that the y m ig ht have

r i se n w ith the sun an d strolled to the i r favo urite haunt at
’
Love r s Leap .
In two minutes he wa s the re ga zing wi th har d s et e ye s ,

-
’
at Mario n s hat and han dke rch ie f lyi ng o n the she l ving
r o ck .
The mare b e nt he r gl i ste n i ng n e ck t o uched the hat w ith ,
he r n o se l i fte d her head dilated her del icate n o str ils

, , ,
looked o ut o ver th e cl iff w ith her great s o ft half human -
eyes an d wh i nn ie d gently
, .
Ben leape d to the groun d p i cke d up the handkerch ie f

,
“ ”
an d l oo ke d at the i n itials M L worked i n the c orner
,
.
, .
H e k new what lay on the ri ver s bri nk below as well as i f ’
he stood o ver the dead bo die s He kissed the letters Of .
her name crushe d th e handkerchief in hi s loc k e d h an ds

,
'
an d cried
“
Now Lo rd God g ive me strength fo r the se rvi c e o f
, ,
”
my p e Op le !
He hurrie dly exam i ned the gro un d ama zed t o fi n d n o ,
’
The c o roner s jury reported that the mothe r and daugh
ter had been killed by accidentally fal l ing over the cliff .
In all the throng o f gri ef stri cken friends wh o came to the

-
l ittle cottage that day but two men knew the hell l it s e cret
,
-
beneath the tragedy .
When the bod ies reache d the home D oc to r Camero n ,
placed Mrs Cameron and Margaret outside to rece ive

.
v isitors and pre vent any o n e from disturb i ng h im H e .
took Ben into the room and locked the do ors .
“
My boy I wish you t o witness an experiment
,
.
H e d re w fro m its case a p o werful m i cros c o pe Of Fre nch

make .
“ ”
What o n e arth are you g oi ng to do s i r ? ,
’
The d oct o r s brill i ant eyes flashe d w ith a mystic l ight
as he re pl i ed
“ —
Fi n d th e fie n d who d id thi s crime and then we w ill
hang hi m on a gallows so high that al l men fro m the r ivers
to ends Of the earth shall se e and fe el and kn o w the m ight
”
of an unc o nquerable race o f men .
“ ’
But there s no trace Of h im here .
”
We shall see said the d o ctor adjusting h i s in stru
, ,
ment .
“
I bel i e ve that a m i cro scope Of su ffi cient power will
reveal on the ret i na Of these dead eyes the image o f this
devil as i f etched there by fire The experiment has been.
made successful ly i n France NO word or deed o f man

.
is l o st A German scholar has a mem o ry S O won derful

.
h e can repeat whole v o l umes o f Lat in German an d , ,
F rench w ith o ut an error A Russian O ffi cer has been

.
kn ow n t o re p e at the ro ll call o f any reg iment by re adi ng

-
Th e H u nt fo r th e A n im al 3 1 3
it twice Psychologi sts hold that nothi ng is lost from the

.
me mory o f man Impressions remain in the brain lik e

.
words wr itten o n pape r in invisible ink S O I b elieve Of .
images i n the eye if we can trace them earl y enough If .
no im me ssion were made subsequentl y on the mother s ’
eye by the light of day I belie ve the fire etche d record of

,
-
”
this crime can yet be traced .
Ben watched h im with breathless interest .
’
He first examined Mar ion s eyes But in the cold a z ure
.
blu e o f the ir pure d e pths he c o ul d find nothing

“ ’ ”
It s as I feared wi th the chil d he said , I can see .
nothing It i s on the mother I rely In the spl endour

. .
Of l i fe at th irty se ven she was the full blown perfect ion

,
- -
Of womanh o o d wi th eve ry vi tal fo rce at i t s highest t e n
S ion
’
He looke d long and pat ientl y int o the dead mother s
eye rose and wi pe d the perspiration fro m his face
,
.
“ ”
What i s it s ir ? asked B e n
,
.
Wi th o ut reply as i f i n a trance he returned t o the

, ,
m i croscope and again rose wi th the little quick nervous

cough h e gav e o nly i n the greatest excite ment and wh is ,
pere d :
“
Lo ok n o w and tell me What you se e .
Ben looked and said :

“
I can see nothing .
Your p o wers of v ision are not trained as m i ne repl ied ,
the doctor resuming his pl ace at the instrument

, .
“ ”
What do yo u see ? asked the younger man bending ,
nervously .
“ —
The best i al figure of a negro his huge black hand
I
—
plai nly de fin e d the upper part the face i s d im as if of ,
—
obscured by a gray m i st Of dawn but the massive jaws
— — ”
and l ips are clear merci ful God y e s l i t s Gus !
-
’
The doctor leaped to his feet l i vid w i th excitement .
Ben bent aga in looked l o ng and e agerly but c o uld see

, ,
nothing .
“ ’
I m afrai d the i mage i s in your eye s i r not the , ,
’
mother s sai d Ben sadl y , .
“ ’
That s po ssible o f course sai d the doctor yet I
, , ,
’ ”
do n t b el iev e it .
“ ’
I ve thought of the same scoundre l and tried blood
’
ho unds on that track but for some reason they c o uldn t
,
foll o w i t I suspected hi m from the first an d espec i ally

.
,
s i nce learn i ng that he left for Columbia o n the early m orn

”
i ng trai n on pretended o fficial business .
’ ”
Then I m not m i staken i nsi sted the doctor trem
’
, ,
“
bling with e xcitement Now do as I tell you F ind
. .
whe n he returns Capture h i m bind gag and carry h im

.
, , ,
”
to your meet i ng place under the cliff and let me know
-
,
.
On the afternoon of the funeral two days later Ben , ,
rece ived a cypher telegram from the conductor o f the trai n

tell i ng hi m that Gus was o n the even ing mail due at
’
Piedmont at n i n e O clock .
The papers had bee n filled wi th accounts o f the acci

dent and an enormous crowd fr o m the c o unty and many
, ,
adm i rers o f the fiery l yr i cs of the poet father had come -

,
fro m distant parts to hon o ur hi s name All business was .
suspended and the entire whit e population of the village

,
foll o wed the bodies to the ir last resti ng place -

.
AS th e crowd s return e d to the ir hom e s no not i ce was ,

ke pt under the saddle in a crowd without disc overy It .
required l e ss than two minutes to remo ve th e saddles ,
place the d i sguises and remount , .
At the s ignal o f a wh i stle the men and horses arraye d

,
in wh ite and scarlet swung i nto dou b le file cav alry forma -
tion an d stood awaiting orders The moon was n o w .
sh in i ng brightly and its light shimmer i ng on the sil e nt

,
horses and men with the i r tal l S piked cap s made a picture
such as the world had not seen since the Knights o f the
Middle Ages rode o n their Ho l y Crusades .
As the tra in neared the flag station which was dark an d

-
,
unatten ded the conductor approached Gus leaned o ver

, , ,
“ ’
and sai d : I ve just gotte n a message fro m the sheri ff
telling me to warn y ou to get Off at this stat io n and slip
’
i nt o town There s a crowd at the d e po t there waiti ng
.
”
for you and they mean trouble .
Gus trembled and whispered ,
D e n fur Gawd s sake lemme Off here

’
.
Th e two men wh o got o n at the stat ion bel o w steppe d

o ut b e fore the negro and as he alighted from the car
, , ,
se ized tri ppe d and thr ew him to the gr o und The e n

, ,
.
g in eer blew a sharp signal and the train pulled o n

,
.
In a minute Gus was bound and gagge d .
On e o f the men drew a whist l e and b l ew twi c e A s ingl e .
tremulous cal l like the cry of an owl answered The .
swift beat o f horses feet fo l lowed and four whi t e an d

’
,
-
s carlet clansmen swept i n a circle ar o und the gr o up .
On e o f the strangers turned to the horseman wi th red

winge d ensi gn on his cap sal uted and said :
, ,
“ ’ ”
Here s your man Night Hawk ,
.
Th e H u n t for t h e A n im al 3 1
7
Thank s gentl emen w as the answer

, , Let us know
when we can be of service to your county .
The strangers S prang into their buggy and disappeared

toward the North Caro l ina l i ne .
The clansmen b l indfolded the negro pl aced him on a

,
horse tied his legs securely and his arms behind him to
, ,
the ring in the saddl e .
The Night Hawk blew hi s whistl e four S harp bl asts and ,
his pickets gall oped from the ir posit ions and joined him .
Again the signal rang and hi s men wheeled with the pre
,
c ision o f trained cavalr men i nto column formation three

y
abre ast and rode toward Piedmont the single b l ack figure
, ,
tied an d gagged in the centre o f the white and scarlet - -
squadron .
CHAPTER II
TH E F I E RY C ROS S
HE clansmen w ith their pri soner skirt e d the

village and hal ted i n the woods o n the river
bank The Night Hawk signalled for s ingle file
.
,
and in a few minutes they stood against the c l iff unde r

Lo ver s M ap and s alute d the chief who s at h i s h o rse
’
, ,
await ing the ir arr iv al .
P i ckets were place d i n e ach d irect i on o n the narrow

path by whi ch the spot was approached an d o ne was ,
sent to stand guard on the shel v ing rock ab ov e .
Through the narro w crooke d entrance they led Gus into

the cav e which had been the rendezv ous of the Piedmont
Den of the Klan since its formati on The meet i ng place .
-
was a gran d hall e ighty feet deep fifty feet wi d e and more
, ,
than forty feet i n height which had been carv e d o ut Of the

,
stone by the s wi ft current of the r ive r i n age s past when

its waters sto o d at a higher le vel .
TO night i t was l i ghted by cand l es place d o n the ledges Of

-
the walls In the centre on a fallen boulder sat the

.
, ,
Grand Cyclops of the Den the presiding O fficer of the

,
township his rank marked by s carlet stri pes o n the white

,
cloth S p ike of his cap Around him stood twenty or more

.
clansmen i n the ir un iform completely d i sguise d O ne

,
.
am o ng them wo re a vellow sash tri mmed i n g old ab o ut his

, ,
3 I 8
many but hide not thy face from us O God for thou
, , ,
”
art o ur re fuge l
As the last echoes of the prayer lingered and d ied i n the
v aulte d roof the clansmen rose and stood a moment i n
,
s ilence .
Again the v o i ce o f the Cyclop s broke the stillness

“
Brethren we are met to n ight at the request Of the
,
Grand Dragon o f the Realm who has honoured us with ,
his presence t o const itute a H igh Court for the tri al of a

,
case i n volv i ng l i fe Are the Night Hawks rea d y to sub

.
”
m it the ir evi d ence ?
“ ”
We are rea d y came the answer
, .
Then let the Gran d Scri be read the o bject s of the

Order o n wh i ch your author i ty rests .
The Scribe Ope n ed h i s Book o f R e c o r d The P rescrip t ,
”
o the Order o the I n visible E m ire
f f p an d solemnly read
,
“
To the l ov ers o f law and order peace and just i ce and , ,
to the S hades Of th e venerated dead g reeting ,
Thi s i s an i nst i tut i on o f Ch i valry Human ity Mercy , , ,
an d Patri otism : emb o dyi ng i n its gen i us an d princ i ples

all that i s chivalri c i n con d uct n o ble i n sent i ment gen
, ,
e ro u s i n manho od an d patrio t i c i n purpose : its pe cul i ar

,
Objects be i ng ,
“
F irst : To pr otect th e weak the i nnocent and th e , ,
defenseless from the i ndign ities wr ongs and outrages o f ,
the lawless the v i olent and the brutal ; t o rel ie ve th e in

, ,
jure d and the Oppressed : to succour the sufferi ng and un

fortunate and especiall y the widows and the o rphan s o f
,
Confederate Soldiers .
“
Sec o nd : To protect and defend the Constitut io n o f
T h e F ie ry C ro ss 3 2 r
the United States and all the laws passed in conformity

,
there to and to pro tect the states and the peop l e thereof
,
from all invasion from any source wh atever .
“
Third : To aid and assist in the e xecution of al l Con
stitu tio n al l aws and to protect the eop l e from un l awful
, p
seizure and from tri al e xc ept b y their peers in conformity
,
”
to the laws Of the l and .
The N ight Hawks will produce their evidence said ,
the Cycl ops and the Grand Monk will conduct the case
,
Of the people against the negro Augustus Caesar the ,
”
former sl ave Of Dr Richard Cameron . .
Dr Cameron advanced and removed his cap His

. .
snow white hair and beard ruddy face and dark brown
-
,
-
bri lliant eyes made a strange picture in its weird sur

roundings l ike an ancient al chemist ready to conduct
,
so me dar ing experiment in the problem o f life .
“ ” “
I am here brethren he said to accuse the black
, , ,
brute about to appear of the cr ime Of assau l t o n a

daughter Of the South
A murmur o f thr ill ing surprise and horror swept the
crowd of whi te and scarlet figures as with on e co mmon
impulse they moved closer .
“
H i s feet have been measured and they exactly tally
w ith the negro tracks found under the window of the L e
no ir cottage His flight to Columbia and return on th e
.
pub l ication o f their deaths as an accident is a confirmation

of our case I wi ll not relate to you the scientific e xp eri
.
’
ment which first fixed my suspicion o f this man s guilt .
My wi tness cou l d not con firm it and it might not be to

,
you credib l e But this negro i s pecul iarly sensit iv e to hyp

.
u otie i nfluence I propose to put him un de r th i s p ower

.
to n ight before you and i f he i s guilty I can make hi m

-
, , ,
tell his confe derates describe and rehears e the cri m e ,
”
i tself .
Th e N ight Hawks le d Gus before Doctor Cameron ,
unt ied his hands remo ved the gag and slipped the blind
, ,
fold from his head .
’ ’
Under the doctor s rig i d gaze the negro s knees struck
together and he collapsed i nto compl ete hypnosis merely
, ,
l i ft i ng his huge paws lamely as if to ward a b l ow .
They seated h i m on the boulder from which the Cyclops

rose and Gus stared about the cave and grinned as if
,
i n a d ream seeing noth i ng .
The doctor recalled to hi m the day o f the crime an d ,
he began to talk to h i s three confederates describing h i s ,
plot i n d etail now and then pausi ng and breaki ng i nt o a

,
fiendish laugh .
Old Mc Alliste r who ha d thr ee lo ve ly d aughte rs at home

, ,
threw o ff his cap sank to his knees and buried his face i n
, ,
his hands while a dozen o f the white figures cro wde d

,
closer nervously gr i pp i ng the re v ol vers which hung from

,
their red be lts .
D octor Cameron pushe d them back and l ifted h i s hand

in warning .
The negro began to li ve the crime w ith fearful real i sm

— the journey past the hotel to make sure the v ictims had
’
gone to their home ; the vi sit to Aunt Cindy s cab i n to
fin d h e r there ; lying in the field waiting for the last l ight
o f the V il l age to go out ; gloating w i th v ulgar ex ultation
ove r their plot and plann i ng o ther cri mes to foll o w its
,
2
neck A do zen m o re were on him in a moment kickin g

.
, ,
stamping cursing and crying like madmen

, , .
Doctor Cameron leaped forward and beat them o ff

“
Men ! Men ! You must n ot kil l him i n this condition !
S o me of the white figures had fall en prostrate o n the
ground sobbing in a frenzy Of uncontrollab l e emotion
,
.
Some were l ean i ng against the wall s th e ir faces buried ,
in their arms .
Again Old Mc Allister was on h i s knees cryi ng o ver an d

o v er again
“
Go d have mercy on my p e Op le !
When at length quiet was restored the negro was r e ,
vive d and again bound b l indfolded gagged and thr o wn

, , , ,
to the ground before the Grand Cyclops .
’
A sudden inspiration flashed in Doctor Cameron s eyes .
Turn ing to the figure with yel l ow sash and double cross
he said :
Issue your orders and despatch your couri er to
night with the Ol d Scottish r ite o f the F iery Cross It .
w ill send a thr ill Of i nsp i ration to every clansman i n

the hill s .
“ —
Good prepare it qu i ckly was the answer , .
Doctor Cameron Opened his medic ine case drew the ,
silver drinking cover from a flask and passed o ut of th e

-
,
cav e to the dark circle Of blood still sh i ning i n the sand by

the water s edge He knelt an d filled the cup half full Of
’
.
the crimson grains an d dippe d it i nt o the r iver From a

,
.
saddle he took the l ightwoo d torch returned within , ,
and placed the cup on the boulder on which the Grand

Cyclops had sat He l oo sed the bun dl e of l ightwood to o k
.
,
T h e F i e ry C ro s s 32 5
two pieces tied them into the form Of a cross and l aid it
, ,
beside a lighted candl e near the S il ver cup .
The sil ent figures watched his every movement He .
l ifted the cup and said :

“
Brethren I ho l d in my hand the w ater o f yo ur river
,
bearing the red st ain of the l ife o f a Southern woman a ,
pricel ess s acrifice on the al tar o f outraged c ivi l isation .
”
Hear the message of your c hief .
The tall figure with the ye ll ow sash and doub l e cross

stepped before the strange al tar whil e the white forms ,
Of the clansmen g athered about him in a c ircl e He .
lifted his cap and laid it o n the bou l der and his men
, ,
gazed o n the flushed face o f Ben Cameron the Grand ,
Dragon of the Real m .
He stood for a moment silent erect a smou l dering , ,
fie r c e n e ss i n his eyes something cruel and yet m agnetic

,
i n his al ert bearing .
He looked on the prostrate negro lying in his u niform

at his feet se i zed the cross lighted the three upper ends
, ,
and hel d i t bl azing in his hand while in a voice full Of

, ,
the fir es Of fee l ing he said :

,
“
Men o f the South the time for words has passed the
, ,
hour for action has struck The Gr and Turk wil l e xe

.
cute this negr o to night and fling his b ody on the lawn o f
-
”
th e b l ack Lieutenant Governor of the state
-
.
The Grand Turk bowed .
“
I ask for the swi ftest messenger Of this Den who can
”
r i de till dawn .
The man whom Doctor Cameron had al ready chosen

stepped forward
Carry my summons to the Grand Titan o f the ad

join ing province in North Caro li na whom y o u wil l find at
Hambright Tel l him the story o f this crime and what
.
u ha v e seen and heard A sk him to report to me here

y o .
’
the second n ight from this at ele ven o c l ock with six
, ,
Gran d Giants from h i s adjoining counties each aecom ,
an ie d by two hundred picke d men In olden times

p .
when the Chi eftai n o f o ur people summoned the cl an o n an

e rran d Of life and death the Fiery Cross extinguished in
, ,
sacr i fic i al blood was sent by swift courier from v il lage

,
t o vi llage This call was never made in vain nor wil l it

.
,
be to n ight i n the new world Here o n this S pot made

-
.
,
holy ground by the b l ood of those we hold dearer than

l i fe I raise the ancient symbol o f an unconquered race
,
o f men
High abo v e his head i n the darkness o f the cav e h e

l ifted the blazing emblem
“
The Fiery Cross o f old Scotland s hills ! I quench ’
its flames i n the sweetest bloo d that ever stained the sands
”
o f Time .
He d ipp e d i ts en d s i n the sil ver cup extinguished the ,
fire and handed the charred symbol to the courier who

, ,
qu i ckly di sappeared .
CHAPTER III
TH E P ARTING OF TH E WA YS
HE disco very o f the Captain of the African Guards

l ying in his full uniform in Lynch s yard sent a ’
thril l o f terror to the triumphant l eagues Across .
the breast of the body was pinned a scrap Of pape r o n

which was written i n red ink the letters K K K It was . . .
the first actual evidence o f the exis tence o f this dre ad e d

order in Ulster county .
The Fir st Li eutenant of the Guards assume d command

and held the full company i n the ir armory under arms
day an d night Beneath his door he h ad found a notice
.
which was also nailed on the court house It appeared -

.
in the P i edmont E agle and i n rap i d succession in e very

newspaper not under Negro i nfluence in the state It .
read as fol l ows
HEAD !
UARTERS or REALM NO 4 . .
“
DREAD F U L E RA , B LA CK E P O CH ,
“
HID E O U S HO UR .
GENERAL ORD ER NO . 1 .
“
The Ne gro M ilitia n ow orgam sed in th i s S tate thr eaten s
th e e xt in c tion o f c ivilisat io n Th ey h ave avowe d th eir p urp ose
.
to m ak e w ar u p on an d extermin at e th e K u Kl ux Kl an an ,
organi sat ion whic h is n ow th e so l e u ar di n o f S oc ie ty All

g a .
negroes are h ereby given forty e igh t h our s from th e p ublication

-
o f th is notice in th eir re s e c t ive c ounties to surren der th eir

p
ar m s at th e c o ur t h o u s -
e door . Th ose wh o refuse mu st tak e
th e c o n se q u e n c es .
B y o rder o f th e G D o f R e al m No
“
. . .
4 .
”
B y th e G ran d S c rib e .
The white peop l e o f Piedmont read this notice with a

thri l l o f exu l t ant joy Men w al ked the streets with an
.
erect bearing which said without words

“ ”
Stand o ut o f the way .
For the first time since the dawn o f B l ack Rul e negroes
began to yiel d to white men and women the right Of w av
o n the streets .
O n the day following the old Commoner sent for Phil , .
“ ”
What is the l atest news ? he asked .
—
The town i s in a fever of e xcitement not o ver the
disco very i n Lyn ch s yard— but over the b l acker rumour
’
that Mar ion and her mother committed suicide to con

”
ceal an assaul t by t his fiend .
“
A trumped u p lie said the Old man emphatically
-
,
’ ’
It s true s ir I l l take Doctor Cameron s word for it
, .
’
.
”
You hav e just come from the Camerons ?
Ye s .
Let it be yo ur last vis it The Camerons are on the .
road to the gallows father and son Lynch informs me

,
.
that the murder committed last night and the insol ent ,
notice nail ed on the cour t house door coul d have come -

,
only from their brain They are the hereditary leaders .
o f these peop l e They alone woul d have had the audacity

.
to fling this crime into the teeth Of the world and threaten
worse We are face to face with Southern barb arism
. .
Every man now to his o wn standard ! The house o f

”
Stoneman can have no part wi th midnight assassins .
’
Don t ask me t o S hare it said the younger man , ,
e mphatically .
The fathe r wi nced hi s l i ps trembl ed and he answered

, ,
br o kenly :
“
My boy thi s is the b i tterest hour of my life that has
,
had l i ttle to make i t s we e t To hear such words from you

.
i s more than I can bear I am an old man n ow m y — .
sand s are nearly run But two human be ings lov e me

.
,
and I l ov e but two O n you and your sister I have lavi shed
.
all the tre asures o f a maimed and strangled soul— and i t

has come to thi s ! Read the not i ce which one of yo ur
”
fr ie nds thrust i nto the windo w o f my bedroom last n ight .
H e handed Phil a p ie ce o f pap e r on wh i ch was wr itten
Th e lub footed b east wh o h as sn eake d into our

o ld c -
,
town p reten di n g to se ar c h for h ealth in reali ty th e le ader of

, ,
th e in fern al Un ion L eagu e will b e g iven fo r ty —

,eigh t h ours to
vacate th e h ouse an d rid th is community of h is p resen c e .
K K K . . .
Are yo u an office r o f the Un io n Le agu e ? P hil asked

i n surpri s e .
“
I am i ts soul .
H ow could a S o utherner discove r this i f your own ,
” ’
chil dren d idn t know i t ?
“
By the ir S p ie s who hav e join ed the Le agu e .
An d d o the rank and file kn o w th e Black P o p e at the

”
head o f the o rd er ?
“
NO but hi gh o ffic i al s do
, .
”
Does Lynch ?
”
Certai nly .
The n he is the scoundrel w h o placed that n o te i n your

Th e P a r t in g of th e W ay s 33 1
room It is a cl um sy attempt to forge an orde r o f the

.
Klan .The white man does not live in t his town capable
”
of that act I know these people
. .
“
My boy you are b ewitched by the smi l es o f a woman
,
to deny your o wn flesh and blood .
“ —
Nonsense father you are possessed by an idea which
,
has become an insane mania

“ ”
Will you respect my wi shes ? the Old man broke in ,
angril y .
“
I wi ll n ot was the clear answer Phil turned and
,
.
’
l e ft the room and the O l d man s massive head sank on his
,
breast in hel p l ess baffled rage and grief .
He was more successful in his app eal to Elsie He con .
vin c e d her o f the genuineness Of the threat aga inst him .
The brutal reference to his l ameness roused the girl s soul ’

.
’
When the Old man crushed b y Phil s desertion broke
, ,
down the last reserve o f his stra nge cold nature tore his ,
wounded heart Open to her cried in agony over his deform,
ity his lameness and the anguish with which he saw the
, ,
threatened ruin o f his life work S he thr ew her arms around

-
,
his neck in a flood of tears and crie d :

“
Hush father I wil l not desert you I wil l never leav e
, , .
you or wed without your b l essing If I find that my

, .
’
l over was in any way responsib le for this insul t I l l tear ,
his image o ut of my heart and n ev er S peak his name

”
again !
She wrote a note to Ben asking him to meet her at ,
sundown o n horseback at Lover s Leap ’

.
Ben was e l ated at the une xpected request He was .
hungry for an hour with his sweetheart whom he had not ,

seen save for a moment s i nce the storm o f exc itement

broke fol l owing the discovery of the crime .
He hastened through h is work of ordering the movement

Of the K l an for the night and determ ined to surprise Elsie
,
by meeting her in his uniform of a Grand Dragon

Secure in her loyal ty he would de l i b eratel y thus put his
,
l ife in her hands Using the water o f a brook in the woods

.
for a mirror he adjusted his yel l ow sash and pushe d the

,
two revo l vers back under the cape o ut o f sight sayi ng to ,
himse l f w ith a laugh :

“
Betray me ? Wel l if sh e does life would n o t be
, ,
worth the l iving !

When E l sie had recovered from the first shock o f sur
prise at the white horse and rider waiting fo r her under
the shadows of the Old beech her surprise gave way to ,
grief at the certainty o f his guil t and the gre atn e ss o f his
‘
love in thus placing his l ife without a question in her hands .
He tied the horses i n the woods and they s at down o n ,
the rustic.
He remo ved his helmet cap threw back the white cap e
,
S howi ng the scarl et l ining and the two gol den circles w ith
,
their flam ing crosses o n his breast with boyish pr i de , .
The costume was becoming to his Sl ender graceful figure ,
and he knew it .
Yo u se e sweetheart I hold high rank in the Empire

, , ,
he whispered .
From beneath his cape he drew a long bundle which

he unro ll ed I t was a triangul ar flag o f brill iant ye llow
.
edged in S c arl et I n the centre of the ye ll ow ground was

.
the figure o f a huge b l ack dragon with fiery red eyes and
o ur o ffi cers are usurpers placed the re by the sub vers ion

”
o f law.
’ ”
Won t you g ive thi s all up for my sake ? sh e pleaded .
”
Bel i e ve me you are in great danger
, .
“
N o t so great as is the danger o f my S ister and mother
— ”
and my sweetheart it i s a man s place to face danger ’
,
he gravely answered .
This v iol ence can only l ead to your ruin and shame
I am fighting the battle o f a race o n whose fate hangs
the future o f the South and the Nation My ruin and .
”
s hame wil l be o f small account if they are saved was the ,
e ve n answer .
“
Come my dear sh e pleaded tenderly you know
, , , ,
that I hav e weighed the treasures Of music and art and

g iven them al l for o n e cl asp of your hand o n e throb o f ,
yo ur heart against mine I shoul d call you cruel did I

.
n ot know you are i nfinitely tender This is the onl y thing .
I have e v er asked yo u t o do for me

“
Dese rt my p eOp le ! Yo u must not ask Of me th i s
infamy i f yo u lo ve me he cried
, ,
.
“ —
But l i sten ; this i s wrong this wild vengeance i s a
,
crime yo u are doing howe ver great the provocation We

,
.
cannot continue to l ove o n e another if you do this Listen : .
I lo ve yo u better than father mother l ife o career al l

r ,
— ,
my dreams I ve lost in you I ve l ived thr ough eternity

’
.
’
to d ay with my father
-
“
Yo u know me guiltless Of the vul gar threat against
him
“
Yes and yet you are the leader o f desperate men wh o
,
’
m ight have done it As I fought this battle to day I ve
.
-
,
Th e P ar ti n g of th e W ay s 33 5
lost yo u l ost mysel f and sunk down to the depths Of

, ,
despair and at the end rang the one weak cry o f a woman s
,
’
heart for her l over ! Your frown can darken the brightest
sk
y
. For your sake I can give up all save the sense of
.
’ —
right I ll wal k by your side i n l ife lea d you gently and
tenderl y along the way of my dreams if I can but if you ,
go your way it shall be mine ; and I S hal l still be gl ad

,
—
b ecause you are there ! Se e how humbl e I am only yo u
”
must not comm it crime !
“
Come sweetheart you must not use that word he
, , ,
protested with a touch o f woun ded pri de

,
.
“
You are a conspirator
”
I am a revolutionist .
”
You are committing murder !
”
I am waging war .
El si e leaped to her feet i n a su dden rush of anger and

e xtended her hand :
Good bye . I shall not see you again I do not know
-
.
”
you Yo u are sti ll a stranger to me
. .
He held her hand firmly .
“
We must not part in anger he said slowly I have
, .
grave work to do before the day dawn s We may n ot se e .
each other again .
She led her horse to the seat quickly and wi thout waiting
for his assistan c e S prang into the saddle .
”
Do you not fear my betrayal of your secret ? sh e asked .
He r ode to her side bent c l ose and whispe red :

, ,
“ ”
It s as safe as if locked in the heart of God
’
.
A little sob caught her v oice yet sh e said slowly i n firm

,
tones
If another crime is committed in this county by your

”
K l an we wi ll never se e each other again
, .
He escorted her to the edge o f the town without a word

,
pressed her hand in sil ence wheeled his horse and disap
, ,
e are d o n the road t o the North C arol i na l i n e

p .
utmost i mpor tance If there is a fai nt heart among you

.
,
now is the time to retire

“
We are with you ! cried the men .
There are laws Of o ur race o ld befo re th i s Republic

,
was born in the souls o f white freemen The fiat o f fools .
has repealed o n paper these laws Your fathers who .
created th is Nation were fir st Conspirators then Re volu ,
tio n ists now Patr i ot s an d Sa i nts

, I need to n ight ten .
-
v olunteers to lea d the com i ng clansmen over this county

and disarm e very negro i n i t The men from North Caro.
lina cann o t be recognised E ach o f you must run thi s

.
r i sk Your absence from home to night w ill be doubly

.
-
d ange rous for what will b e done here at this negr o arm o ry
under my comman d I ask o f these ten men to ri de the ir
.
horses until dawn e ve n unt o death to ri de fo r the ir God

, , ,
their native land an d the womanhood o f the S o uth !

,
“
To each man who acce pts this danger o us miss io n I ,
O ffer for your bed the earth for your canopy the sky for
, ,
your bread st o nes ; an d when the flash o f bayo n e ts shal l

fling i nt o your face from the Square the challenge o f
,
—
martial law the protecti on I prom i se yo u i s exil e im ,
pr isonment and death ! L e t the ten men who accept

,
”
these terms step fo rward four paces .
W ith a s i ngle i mpulse the whole d ouble l i ne Of fo rty

white and scarlet fig ures mo v e d quickly forward four steps !
- -
The leader shook han d s w ith each man h is voi ce thro b ,
b i ng w ith emotion a s he said

“
Stand together like th i s men an d arm ie s w ill march
, ,
an d c o untermarch over the South i n v ai n ! We w ill sav e

”
the l i fe of our peopl e .
T h e B an n e r of th e D r ag o n 339
The ten gu ides selecte d by the Gran d Dragon rode

forwar d and each le d a d ivisi on o f on e hundred men
,
through the ten townships o f the county an d successfully

disarme d e very negro before day w ithout the loss o f a life .
The remai n i ng squadron o f two hun d red and fifty men

from Hambright accompan ied by the Grand Titan in
,
comman d o f the Pro vi n c e of Western H ill Counties were ,
led by Ben Cameron i nto Piedmont as the waning moon

’
rose between twel ve and one O clock .
’
They marched past Stoneman s place on the way to the
negro armory which stoo d o n the Opposite s i de o f the stre e t
,
a block bel ow .
The wild m uS Ic of the b e at of a thousand hoofs o n the

cobblestones o f the street wake d e very Sleeper The old .
Commoner hobble d to h i s wi ndow and watched them pass ,
his b ig han d s fumbl i ng nervo usly an d h i s soul s tirr e d t o

,
i ts d epth s .
The ghostl ike s ha dowy columns mo ve d slowly with th e

deliberate consciousness Of power The scarlet circles on .
their breasts could be easily seen when on e turned toward

the house as coul d the b ig re d l e tters K K K o n each
,
. . .
’
horse s flank .
In the centre o f the l i n e wave d fro m a gol d tipped S pear -
the b attle flag o f the Klan AS they passed the bright lights
.
burning at h i s gate Ol d Stoneman could see this standard

,
pl a inly The huge black d ragon with flami ng eyes and

.
tongue s eeme d a l i v ing th ing crawl i ng o ver a scarlet

tipped ye l low cloud .
At the w i ndow above stood a litt l e figure watching that

banner of the Drago n pass with ach ing heart .
Phil stood at another smi ling w ith admirat ion for th e ir

,
daring
By George it stirs the blood to see it ! Yo u can t crush
,
’
”
men Of that b reed !
The watchers were not long in doubt as to what the
raiders meant .
They deployed quickly around the armory A whistl e .
rang its shri ll cry and a vol l ey o f two hundred and fifty
,
carbines and revolvers smashed every glass in the buil din g .
The sentinel had already given the alarm an d the drum ,
was call ing the startl ed negroes to their arms They r e .
turned the vo ll ey twice and for ten minutes were answered

,
with the steady crack Of two hundred and fifty guns A .
white flag appeared at the door and the firi ng ceased , .
The negroes lai d down their arms and surrendered All .
save three were allowed to go to their homes for the n ight

and carry their wounded with them .
The three confederates i n the crime of the i r captain

were bound and led away In a few minutes the crash
.
o f a v olley told the i r en d .
’
The little white figure rapped at Phil s d oor and placed
a tremb li ng hand o n his arm :
“ ” “
Phil sh e said softly p l ease go to the hotel and stay
, ,
—
until you know all th at h as happened until y o u know the
’
full l ist Of those killed and wounded I l l wait You . .
understand
As he stooped and ki ssed her he felt a hot tear roll,
do wn her cheek .
“
Yes little S i s I understand he answere d
, , , .
tr ate d .All was planned an d ordered as by dest iny The .
accused was tried by secret tribunal sentenced w ithout ,
a he aring execute d in the de ad o f night without warn i ng

, ,
me rcy or appeal The mo ve ments of the Klan were l ike

,
.
cl o ckwork w ithout a word sav e the whistle o f the N ight

, ,
Hawk th e crack o f his re vol ver and the hoof beat o f

, ,
-
swi ft hors e s movin g l ike figures i n a dream and v anishing ,
in mists and S hadows .
The o l d club — footed Puri tan in his mad scheme o f ,
v engeance and party power had o verlooked the Cove ,
n an te r the backbone o f the South This man had just

, .
begun t o fight ! H i s race had defied the Crown o f Great

Britain a hundred years from the caves an d wilds of
Sco tlan d and Ireland taught the Engl ish people how t o
,
slay a ki ng and bu ild a commonwealth and driven in to , ,
exil e int o the wilderness o f America led ou r Re volution , ,
pe o pled the hill s of the South and conquered the West ,

.
As the y o ung German patriots o f 1 81 2 had o rgan i se d

the great struggle for the ir liberties under the noses of
the garri sons of Napoleon S O Ben Cameron had met the
,
l ea de rs o f his race in Nashvi ll e Tennessee within the , ,
picket l i nes o f thir ty five thousand hostil e troops and in

-
,
the ruins of an Old homestead discussed and adopted the

r itual o f the Invisib l e Empire .
Wi thin a few m o nths this Empire overspread a terri

tory larger than modern Europe In the approaching .
election it was reaching o ut its daring white hands to tear

the fruits o f victory from twenty mill ion v ictorious con
u e ro r s
q .
The tri umph at which they aimed was one of incredi bl e

T h e R e ig n of th e K lan 34 3
grandeur They had risen to snatch power o ut of defeat

.
and death Under their cl an leadership the Southern

.
-
people had sudden l y devel oped the courage o f the lion ,
the cunn ing of the fox and the deathless faith of religiou s
,
enthusiasts .
Society was fused i n the white heat of o ne subl ime

thought and beat with the pulse of the single will of the
Grand Wizard of the Klan at Memphis .
Women and chil dren ha d eyes and saw not ears and ,
hear d not Over four hundred thousan d disguises for

.
men and horses were made by the women of the South ,
and not on e secret e ver passed their lips !

With magnifice nt audacity infinite patience an d re
, ,
m or sele ss zeal a conquered people were struggling to

,
turn his o wn weapon against their conqueror and beat ,
his brains o ut with the bludgeon he had place d in the

hands of the ir former slaves .
Behin d the tragedy of Rec o nstruct io n st o od the re

markable man whose ir o n will al o ne ha d driven the se
terr ible me asur es thr ough the chao s o f pass i on c orrup ,
t io n and bewil derment which followe d the first assas sina

,
tion of an Ameri can Presi d ent AS he leaned on h is .
win d ow i n thi s vill age Of the South and watched i n S p ee ch

less rage the struggle at that negro armory he felt fo r the ,
first time the foundations S inki ng beneath his fee t As .
he saw the black cowards surr e n der i n terror noted the ,
i ndifference and co o l defiance wi th which those wh ite

horse me n r o de and shot he kne w that he had c oll i ded
,
with the ult i mat e fo rce whi ch his whol e s che m e had ove r
loo ked .
He turned on his big cl u b foot from the window cl inch e d ,
his fist and muttered

,
“ ’
But I ll hang that man for this deed if it s the last act ’
”
o f my l ife !
The morning brought dismay to the negro the carpet ,
bagger and the scal awag Of Ul ster A pecu l iar freak o f

, .
weather in the earl y morning added to their terror The .
s u n rose clear and bright e xcept fo r a s l ight fog that

floated from the river v all ey increas ing the roar Of the fall s
, .
’
Ab out nine o clock a huge black shadow sudden ly rushed
,
over Piedmont from the west and i n a moment the t o wn

,
was S hr ouded in twilight The cr i es Of birds were hushed

.
,
an d chickens went to roost as i n a total ecl ipse Of the sun .
K n o ts o f peop l e gathered on the streets and gazed u n

easily at the threatening skies Hundreds o f negroes .
began to Si ng and shout and pray whil e sensib le pe o pl e ,
feared a cycl one or cloud burst A furious downpour o f

-
.
rain was swi ftly fo llowed by sunshine and the negr oe s ,
rose fro m their knees shouting with joy to find the e nd

,
Of the world had after al l been postponed .
’
But that the end of their brief reign in a white man s
land had come but few o f them doubted The e vents
,
.
Of the night were su fficientl y eloquent The mo v ement .
o f the clouds in sympathy was unnecessary .
O ld Stoneman sent for Lynch and found he had fled ,
to Columbia He sent for the on l y l awyer in town who m

.
the Lieutenant Go vernor had to l d him could be trusted

-
.
The lawyer was polite but his refusal to undertake the

,
prosecution o f any all eged member of the Klan was em

phatic .
bar and w ired Lynch to return i mmed i ately t o P ie dm o nt

, .
He d eterm i ne d t o c o nduct the prosecution o f Ben Cam

e ro n i n pers on W ith the a i d Of th e Lieutenant Go vern o r
.
-
he s uccee ded in fi nd i ng a man wh o wo uld dare t o s wear o ut

a warrant agai nst h i m .
As a prelim i nary sk irm i sh he was charged w ith a vio

lat ion of the statut o ry laws o f the Un ited States relat i ng
t o Rec o nstruction an d arraigne d b e fo re a Comm i ssi o n e r .
’
Again s t E ls i e s ag o n i sing protest o l d Stoneman ap ,
e ar e d at th e c o urt house to con d uct th e prosecut io n

-
p .
In the ab se nce of the Un ite d States Marshal the war ,
rant ha d been place d in the hands Of th e s he r i ff re turn ,
’
able at t e n o cl o ck on the m o rning fi xed fo r the tri al The .
n e w She r iff o f Ulster wa s n o less a pers o nage than Uncl e

Ale ck who had r e s i gne d h i s seat in the H o us e to acce pt
,
the m o re pro fitable o ne of Hi gh Sheriff o f the C o unty .
The re wa s a l o ng de lay i n begi nn i ng the tri al At .
n o t a s i ngl e wi tn e ss s umm o n ed ha d app e are d n or ,
ha d th e pri s o n e r see n fit t o honour the c o urt wi th h is

pre se n c e .
Old St o neman s at fumbl i ng his han ds i n n e r vo u s s ull e n

rage whil e Phi l l o oked on w ith amusement
, .
“ ”
Se nd fo r th e s heri ff he growled t o th e C o mmi ss i oner
,
.
In a m o ment Aleck appeared bowi ng humbly an d p o

litely t o ev ery white man he pass ed He bent half w ay.
to the fl oo r befo re the Comm i ssi on e r and said :

Mars e B e n b e he re i n er m i nute sah He s e r e atin ,
.
’ ’
’ ”
hi s bre akfu s I run erl o ng erh e ad
. .
’
Sto n e man s fac e wa s a thun de rcl o u d as h e s crambl ed
to his fee t an d glared at Aleck
T h e R e ig n of th e K la n 34 7
”
Marse Ben ? D i d you say Marse Ben ? Who s he ? ’
Ale ck b o we d low again .
“ —
D e yo ung Colonel sah Marse Ben Camero n , .
An d you the S her iff o f this county trotted along i n

”
fro nt t o make the way sm oo th for yo ur pri soner ?
“ ”
Ye ssah !
Is that the way you esco rt pri soners before a court ?
— ”
De m ki n er pr isoners ye ssah
’
.
”
Why didn t you wal k beside h im ?
’
Aleck gri nned from ear to ear and b o wed very low
“ ”
He say su m fin to me sahl ’
,
”
An d what did he say ?
Aleck sh o ok his head and laughed
“ ”
I hates ter insinuate ter de cote sah l ,
”
What did he say to you ! thundered St o neman .
— —
He say h e say c f I walk longsi de e r h im h e — ’
”
k nock hell outen me sah ! ,
“ ”
In deed .
’
Ye ssah en I S pec he w o uld
’
, sai d Aleck in sin u at , ,
“
in gly
’
. La he s a gemman sah he is ! He tell me h e
, , ,
come right o n He be here .
Stoneman whispered to Lynch turned wi th a look Of ,
contempt to Aleck and said : ,
“
M Sheriff you interest me
.
, Wil l you be kind .
enough t o explain to this court what has happened

to you lately t o so m iracul o usl y change your
”
manners ?
Aleck glanced ar o und the room ner vo usly .
“ — ’ ”
I seed su m fi n a vi s i on sah l ,
A visio n ? Ar e yo u g ive n t o vi s io n s ?
Na sah Dis yere wuz er sho nuff vision ! I wuz er

-
.
feelin bad al l day y istiddy

’
Soon in de m awn in e z I .
’
wuz gwine l ong de road I se e a big black b ird er settin

’
,
’
o n de fence He flOp his wings look right at me en say

.
, ,
‘
Corpse ! Corpse ! Aleck s voice dro pped to -
’
( C,
a whisper en las night de K u Klu xe s come ter see m e ’
”
sah l
Stoneman lifted his beetl ing brows .
’
That s i nteresting We are search i ng for informa .
tion on that subject .
“
Ye ssah ! Dey wuz S p e r its ridin white hosses wid
’
,
’
flowin white robes en big b l ood red eyes ! De hosses ,
-
wuz twenty feet high en some er de S p e rits wuz higher ,
’
dan d i s cote house ! Dey wuz all bal headed cept -
,
’
right on d e top whar dere wuz er straight blaze er fire s hot

”
up i n de air ten foot high !
“ ”
What did they say to you ?
’
Dey say d at e f I didn t des ign d e s h e riff s O ffice go ’
,
back ter farm in en behave myself dey ha d e r job waitin ’

,
’
’
fer me i n hell sah E n shos you born d ey wu z right , .
”
fr o m d ar !
“ ”
Of c o urse ! sn eered the Ol d Commoner .
Ye ssah ! H i t s des lak I tel l yer On e o b em makes

’ ’
.
me fetch im er drink er water I carry two bucketsful

’
.
’
ter im fo I git done en I swar ter Go d he drink it all
’ ’
,
’
right dar fo my eyes ! He say hit wuz p ow ful dry d own
’ ’
bel ow sah ! En den I feel sum fin bus loose i nside er

,
’ ’
me en I disremember all dat come ter pass ! I made er

,
jump fer de ribber bank en de next I knowe d I wu z er ,
pullin fur d e odder sh o

’
I se er p ow ful g ood swimme r ’
.
’ ’
,
White Ho use a copy o f which the Operat o r del ivered t o

,
Ben Cameron withi n an hour .
Pres i dent Grant next morning i ssu e d a proclamation

declar i ng the nine Scotch Iri sh hill counti es of South
-
Carolina in a state o f i nsurrect i on ordered an army corps

,
o f five thousan d men to report there for duty , pen ding

the further necessity of m artial law and the suspension
o f th e wr i t o f H abeaa Cor m
-
p .
CHAPTER VI
TH E CO UNT E R S TR OK E
R O M the hour he had watched the capture o f the

armory Ol d Stoneman fe l t in the air a current
against him which was el ectric as if the dead ,
’
had heard the cry of the c lan sm e n s greeting risen and ,
rallied to the i r pale ranks .
The daring campaign these men were waging took

his breath They were going not onl y to defeat his del e
.
atio n to Congress but send their own to take their seats

g , ,
reinforced by the enormous power o f a suppressed Negro

vote The bl ow was so sub l im e in its audacity he laughed
.
,
i n secret admiration whil e he raved and cursed .
The army corps took possession o f the h il l counties ,
quartering from five to six hundred regu l ars at each court .
h ouse ; but the mischief was done The state was o n .
fire The eighty thousand rifles with which the negroes

.
had been armed were now in the hands o f their foes

A white rifle club was organised in e very town v illage and
-
, ,
hamlet They attended the pub l ic meetings with their

.
guns drill ed in front of the S peakers stands yel l ed hooted

,
’
, , ,
hissed cursed and jeered at the orators who dared to

, ,
champion or apo l ogise for Negro rule At night the .
hoof beat Of squadrons of pale horsemen an d the crack

-
SS I
of their revo l vers struck terror to the heart Of every n e gro ,
carpet bagger and scal awag

-
, .
There was a momentary lull in the excitement whi c h ,
Stoneman mistook for fear at the appearance o f the troops, .
He had the Governor appoint a white sheriff a you n g ,
scalawag fro m the mountai ns who w as a noted moon

sh i ner and desperado He arrested over a hundred .
l eading men in the county charged them with complicity ,
in the ki lling of the three members Of the African Guard ,
and instructed the j udge and cl erk of the court to refuse

bai l and commit them to jail under mil itary guard .
To his amazement the prisoners came i nto Piedmont

,
armed and mounted They paid no attention to the

.
deputy S heriffs who were supposed to have them in

charge They del iberatel y formed i n line under Ben
.
’
Cameron s direction and h e led them in a parade through
the streets .
The five hundr ed United States regulars who were

camped on the river bank were Westerners Ben led .
his squadron of armed prisoners in front Of this camp and

took them through the evo l utions of caval ry with the pre
c ision Of veterans The sol diers dropped their games and
.
gathered l aughing to watch them The drill ended

, , .
with a doub l e rank charge at the river embankment

-
.
When they drew every horse o n his haunches on the brink ,
firing a vo l ley with a S ingl e crash a wil d cheer broke from ,
the soldiers and the O fficers rushed from their tents

, .
Ben whee l ed his men gall oped in front of the camp

, ,
dre w them up at dress parade and sal uted A low word ,

.
of command from a trooper and the Westerners qu i ckly ,

Den o f th e Klan an d i ssu i ng pos itive o rders that no wh i te

man should come to P i edm o nt .
A clash w i th th e authori ty o f the Un i te d State s h e ha d

avo id e d from the first as a matter of pri nci ple It was .
essent i al to hi s success that his men should comm i t n o act

o f d esperat i on wh i ch would imper i l h i s plans Abo v e .
all he wi she d t o avoid a clash w i th o l d Sto n e man per

,
s on a Hy .
The arr iv al o f th e b i g excurs ion was the s ignal for a

reviv al of negr o i ns olence which had been planne d Th e .
men bro ught from the Eastern part o f the state were
s elected for the purpose They marched o ver the town
.
yell i ng and s inging A crowd of them half drunk

.
, ,
form ed themsel ves three abre ast and rushed the si d ewalks ,
pushi ng eve ry white man w o man and ch il d i nto the

, ,
street .
The y met Ph il o n h i s w ay t o th e h o tel an d pu s he d h im

i nto the gutte r He said noth i ng crossed the street
.
, ,
b o ught a re vol ver loade d i t and put it i n hi s pocket He

,
.
was n ot popular wi th the negroes an d he had bee n S h o t ,
at twi ce on h i s way fr o m the m ills at n ight The wh ol e .
affair Of this ral l y over wh i ch hi s father meant t o pre si de

, ,
fill ed hi m wi th disgust and he was i n an ugl y mo o d

,
.
Lynch s S peech was bold bitter and i ncendiary and at

’
, , ,
i ts close the dr unken negro troopers fr o m the local garr i

son began to slouch thr ough the streets two and two look , ,
i ng for troub l e .
At the cl o se of the S peaki ng Stoneman call e d the o ffice r

,
i n command o f these troops and said ,
“
Major I wish this ral ly to d ay to be a pr o clamati o n
,
Th e C o u nt e r S t r ok e 35 5
of the supremacy of law and the enforcement of the

,
equality Of every man under law Your troops are e n .
titl ed to the r ights of white men I understand the hotel .
table h as been free to d ay to the soldiers from the camp

on the river They are returning the co urtesy e xtended
.
to the criminal s who drilled before them Send two Of .
your black troops down for dinner and see that it is served
”
I wish an e x ampl e for the st ate .
“
It wi l l be a dangerous performance sir the major , ,
protested .
The Old Commoner furrowed his brow .
“ ”
Have you been instructed to act under my orders ?
”
I have sir said the o fficer sal uting
, , , .
Then do as I tel l you snappe d Stoneman , .
Ben Cameron had kept indoors all day and d ined wi th ,
fifty o f the Western troopers wh o m he had identified as

leading in the friendly demonstration to his men Mar .
garet who had been busy with Mrs Cameron enterta in

, .
i ng the se soldiers w as seated in the dining room alone

,
-
eating her d i nner while Phil waited impatiently in the

,
parlour .
The guests had al l gone when two big negro troopers ,
fighting drunk wal ked into the hotel They went to

, .
the water cool er and drank ostentatiousl y thrusting

-
,
their thick lips coated with fil th far into the cocoanut

dipper whil e a dirty hand graspe d its surface
,
.
They pushed the dining room door Open and suddenl y

-
flopp e d down beside Margaret .
She attempted to ri se and cried i n rage ,
”
How d ar e you black brutes ? ,
O ne of them threw his arm around her chair thrust h i s ,
face into hers and said with a laugh ,
’
Don t hurry my beauty ; stay and take d i nner wid u s l”
,
Margaret again attempted to rise and screamed as , ,
Phil rushed into the room with drawn re v ol ver On e of .
the negroes fired at him misse d and the next moment , ,
dropped dead with a bu llet through hi s heart .
The other leaped across the table and through the Ope n
wi ndow .
Margaret turned confronti ng both Phil and Ben wi th ,
revol vers in their hands and fai nted , .
Ben hurried Phil o ut the back door and persuad ed h im

to fly .
“
Man yo u must go ! We must not have a n ot here to
,
day There s no telling what wil l happe n A disturb

.
’
.
ance now and my men will swarm i nto town to night

,
-
.
”
F or God s sake gO until things are qu i et !
’
,
“ ’ ’
But I tell you I ll face it I m not afrai d sai d Phil .
,
qu i etly .
“
No but I am urged Ben
, The se two hundre d
, .
negroes are armed and drunk Their O fficers may not .
be able to control them and they may lay the ir hands o n ,
— — — —
you go go l go l you must go ! The trai n i s due in
fifteen minutes .
He hal f l ifted h im on a horse t ied behind the hotel ,
leaped o n another galloped to the flag station two m iles

,
-
out o f town and put hi m o n the north b ound train

,
-
.
“ ” ’
Stay in Charl otte unti l I wi re for you was B e n s ,
parting injunction .
He turne d hi s hor se s he a d fo r Mc Allister s se nt the

’ ’ ‘
,
CHAPTE R VII
TH E S NAR E OF TH E F OWL E R
WEET was the secret joy o f old Stoneman over the

fate o f Ben Cameron His death sentence woul d
.
strike terror to his party and his prompt e xec u

,
tion o n the morning of the e l ecti on but two days o ff

, ,
wou l d turn the tide save the state and rescue h i s daugh
, ,
ter from a hated alliance .
He dete rmi ne d to bar the las t way o f e scape He knew .
the Klan wo uld attempt a rescue and stop at no means ,
fai r o r foul short of c ivil war Afrai d of the l o yalty o f the

.
whi te battali ons quartered i n P i e d m o nt he d eterm i ned to ,
le a v e i mme di ately for Spartanburg o r der an exchange ,
Of garri s o n s an d when the d eath warrant was returned

, ,
from hea d quarters plac e i ts executi on i n the hands of a

,
stranger to whom appeal woul d be v ai n He knew such

, .
an o fficer i n the Spartanburg post a man o f fierce vin , ,
dic tive nature once court marti ale d for cruelty who
, ,
hate d every Southern wh i te man w ith mortal venom He .
wo ul d put hi m i n command Of the death watch -

.
H e h i re d a fast team an d dro ve across the county with

all S pee d d oub l y anxious t o get out of town before Elsie
,
d i sco vere d the tragedy and appeale d t o h i m for mercy .
Her te ars an d agony woul d be more than he coul d endure .
She w o ul d stay i ndoors o n account o f th e crowds and he ,
35 8
T h e S n ar e o f th e F ow le r 35 9
woul d not b e missed until evening when safel y beyond ,
her reach .
When Phi l arrived at Charlotte he found an immense

c rowd at the bu ll etin h ear d in front of the Obser ver O ffice
reading the account o f the Piedmont tragedy To his .
horror he l earned of the arrest trial and sentence Of Ben

, ,
for the deed whi c h he had do ne .
He rushed to the Oflic e of the Division Superintendent

of the Piedmont Air Line Rail road revealed his i dentity , ,
tol d him the tr ue story o f the tragedy and begged fo r a ,
S pe c ial to c arry him back The Superintendent wh o was

.
,
a cl ansm an not on l y agreed but within an hour had the

, ,
S pecial ready and two cars fill ed wi th stern l ooking men -
to accompany him Phil asked no questions He knew

. .
what it meant The tra in stopped at Gaston i a and

.
’
King s Mountain and took on a hundre d m ore men .
The S peci al pulled into P iedmont at dusk Phil ran to .
the Commandant and aske d for an i ntervi ew with Ben

al one .
“ ”
For what purpose sir ? the o fficer as ke d
, .
Phil resorted to a ruse knowi ng the Commandant to

,
b e unaware of any difference o f Op i nion between him and

his father .
“
I ho l d a comm i ssion to obt ain a confession from the
prisoner which may save his l ife by destroying the K u
”
K l ux K lan .
He was admitted at once and the gu ard ordered to with

dr aw until the i nterview ended .
’
Phi l took Ben Cameron s place exchanging hat and ,
coat and wrote a note to his father tel li ng i n detail the

, ,
truth and asked for his i mmed i ate i nterference

, .
’
Deli ver that and I ll be o ut of here i n two hours he
, ,
sai d as he place d the n ote i n Ben s hand

,
’
.
“ ’ ”
I ll go strai ght to the house was the q u i ck repl y
, .
’
The exchange of the Southerner s slouch hat and Prince
’
Albert for Phil s derby and short coat completely foo l ed
the guard in the dim light The men were as much al ike
.
as twins except the shade Of difference i n the colour o f

their hair He passed the s entinel W ithout a chall enge
.
,
’
and walked rapidl y toward Stoneman s house .
O n the way he was aston i shed to meet five hundred

soldiers just arrived on a S pecial from Spartanburg .
Amaze d at the une xpected mo vement he turned and fol ,
lowe d them back to the jail .
They halte d in front o f the buil ding he had just vacated ,
an d the i r commander handed an O fficial document to the

o fficer in charge The guard was changed and a cordon
.
o f soldiers enc ircled the pr i s o n .
The P ie d m o nt garr i son had re ceive d not i ce by wi re to

mo ve t o Spartanburg an d Ben heard the beat Of the i r
,
d rums already marching to board the S pecial .
He pre sse d forward an d aske d an i ntervi ew w ith the

Captai n i n c o mmand .
The answer came with a brutal o ath

“
I have been warn ed agai nst all the tri cks and l ies th i s
town can hatch The commander Of the de ath watch
.
-
will perm it no intervi ew receive no visitors hear no appeal

, , ,
and allow no c o mmun i cation with the prisoner until after

CHAPTE R VIII
A R ID E F OR A L IFE
HEN Ben Cameron failed to find e ither El si e o r

her father at home he hurr ie d to the hot el, ,
walki ng under the shadows o f the tre es t o

avoid rec ogn it ion tho ugh his resemblance to Phi l woul d
,
have enable d h i m to pass i n his hat and coat unchallenged

by any save the keenest Observ ers .
’
H e found his mother s bedroom door ajar and saw
Elsie within sobbing in her arms He pause d watched .
, ,
and l i stened .
—
Ne ve r had he seen his moth e r s o beauti ful her face
calm i ntelligent and v ital crowned w ith a halo of gray
, , .
She st o od flushed and dignified softly smo o th ing the

, ,
gol de n hai r of th e sobbing girl whom sh e had learned t o

l ove as her daughter Her who l e be i ng re flected the ye ars
.
of homage sh e had insp i re d in husband children and , ,
neighb o urs What a woman ! She had made war in

.
evitable fought i t to th e b i tter end ; and in the despair of

,
a Negro reign of t e rror still the pro phe tess and high
,
pri estess of a peopl e serene und i smayed and defiant

, , ,
she had fitted the uniform o f a Gran d Dragon on her

last son and sewed in secret day and night to equip his
,
m e n An d through it all she was without affectati o n

.
,
her swe et m o therl y ways gentl e manner and b e aring al

,
ways re sistle ss to those who came within her influence ,
36 2
A R ide fo r a L ife 6
3 3
If he dies cried the tearful v oice I shall never for

, ,
give mysel f for n ot surrendering without reserve and

”
fighting his battl es with him !
”
He is not dead yet was the mother s firm answer ,
’
.
’
Doctor Cameron is on Queen s back Your lover s .
’
—
men will be riding to night these young d are devi l - -
K nights o f the South with their l ife in their hands

, ,
a song on the i r lips and the scorn o f death in ,
their sou l s !
“
Then I ll ride with them cried the girl sudden l y
’
, ,
lifting he r head .
Ben stepped into the room and with a cry o f joy Elsie ,
S prang i nto his arms The mother stood si l ent until

.
their lips met in the long tender kiss of the l ast surrender
of perfect love .
“ ”
HOW did you escape so soon ? sh e asked quietly ,
’
while Elsie s head stil l lay o n his breast .
“
Phil shot the brute and I rushed him o ut o f town
, .
He heard the news return ed on the S pecial took my

, ,
place and sent me for his father The guard has been
,
.
changed and i t s impossible to see him or communicate

,
’
,
with the new Commandant

Els i e started and turned pal e .
“
An d father has hidden to avoid me —merciful God
i f P hil is executed
“ ’
He i sn t dead yet e ither sai d Ben sl i pp i ng hi s arm
, , ,
“
aro und her But we must save him Without a cl ash o r
.
a drop of b l oodshed if possib l e The fate o f ou r people

, .
may hang o n this A battle with Unite d States tro ops

.
now m ight me an ru i n for the South

6
”
But yo u will save h i m ? Elsi e plead ed l ooking i nto ,
his face .
“ — ’
Yes o r I ll go down wi th him was the ste ady answer , .
Where is Margaret he asked .
Gone to Mc Alliste r s with a message from yo ur’
”
father Mrs Cameron replied
, . .
“
Tell her when sh e returns to keep a steady nerv e .
’
I ll save Phil Send her to find her father Tell him
. .
to hold five hundred men ready for action in the

woods by the river and the rest in rese rve two miles
o ut of town
“ ”
May I go wi th her ? E l sie asked eagerly , .
”
NO I may need you he said
.
“
I am going to fin d
, .
the Old statesman now if I hav e to d rag th e bottoml e s s

,
”
pit Wai t here until I return
. .
Ben reached the telegraph oflic e unobserved call e d the ,
Operat o r at Columbia and got the Grand G i ant of th e

,
c o unty into the O ffice Within an h o ur he learn e d that

.
th e de ath warrant had been received and appro ve d It

- .
w o ul d b e re turn ed by a messenger t o Pie d m o nt on the

m o rn i ng trai n He learn e d also that any app e al fo r a
.
stay must be mad e through th e Hon o urabl e Austin Ston e

man the se c ret re presentative Of the Go v ernme nt clothe d
,
with th i s S pe ci al p o wer The exe cuti on had bee n o rdered

.
the day Of the electi on to prevent th e c o nce ntratio n o f any

,
large fo rce b e nt on rescue .
“ ”
Th e ol d fox l Ben muttere d .
Fro m the Grand Giant at Spartanburg he l e arn ed after ,
a delay o f thre e hours that Stoneman had l e ft wi th a boy

,
i n a buggy whi ch h e had hired for thre e days and re

, ,
Margaret snatched the child i n her arms and ki sse d

him .
She knocked in v ain for ten minutes At last she heard .
his voice within

“
GO away from that door !
“ ’ ”
I m from Piedmont sir cried Margaret w ith an
, , ,
”
impo r tant message from the Commandant fo r yo u .
“
Ye s ; I saw y o u come I wi ll not see you I know
. .
everyt hing and I will hear no ap p e a

,
“
But you can n o t know Of the ex c hange o f men
p l eaded the girl .
“
I tell you I know all about it I will not interfere .
But yo u could not be so cruel

The majesty Of the law must be v indicated The .
judge who consents to the executi on of a murderer i s not

cruel He i s sho wi ng m e rcy to S o c i ety GO now ; I
. .
,
”
will n o t hear you .
In v ain Margaret knocke d begged plead ed and sobbe d

, , , .
At last in a fit of desperation as sh e s aw the sun S inking

, ,
lower and the precious minutes flyi ng S h e hurled her ,
magn i ficent figure against the door and smashed the ch e ap

lock wh i ch held i t .
The Ol d man sat at the o ther si de of the room l ooki ng ,
o u t o f the wi ndow with h i s mass iv e jaws locked in rage

,
.
The g i rl staggered to his side knel t by hi s chair placed

, ,
he r trembling hand o n his arm and begge d ,
“
For the l ove of Jesus have m e rcy ! C o m e w i th m e
,
”
quickly !
W ith a growl of anger he sai d ,
“ ”
NO !
A R ide fo r a L ife 6
3 7
It was a mad i mpulse in my defense as we ll as his

,
own .
“
Impulse yes ! But back o f i t lay b anked the fires of
,
c ruelty and race hatred ! The Nation can not l ive with
”
such b arbari sm rotti ng i ts heart out .
“
But this i s war Sir a war of races and this an acci
, ,
-
,
—
dent Of war besi des h i s life had been attempted b y them
,
twi ce before .
“
So I ve heard an d ye t the Negro always happens to
’
,
3,
be the victim
Margaret l eaped to her feet and gl ared at the Ol d man
fo r a moment i n uncontro ll abl e anger .
“ ”
Are you a fiend ? sh e fairly shrieked .
Ol d Stoneman merely pursed his l ips .
The girl came a step clo ser and e xtended her h and ,
again in mute appeal .
“
NO I was fo o l i sh Yo u are not cruel I have he ard
,
. .
o f a hundred acts Of char i ty you have done among o u r
poor Come thi s i s horrible ! It i s i mpossi bl e ! Yo u

.
,
can not consent to the death of your so n

Stoneman looked up sharply
’
Thank God he hasn t married my daughter yet
,
” “
Your daughter ! gasped Margaret I ve told you .
’
i t was Phil who killed th e negro ! He took Ben s pl ace ’
just before the guards were exchanged

“ —
Phil Phil shri eked the old man staggering to ,
his club foot and stumbli ng toward Marg aret with dil ated
“ —
e yes and whiten i ng face ; My boy Phi l — why why -
,
— — ”
are you crazy Phil ? Did you say P hil?
“
Yes Ben persuaded him to go to Charlotte until
.
the excitement passed to avoid troubl e Come come —

, ,
”
si r we must be quick ! We may be too late !
,
She se i zed and pul l ed him toward the d o or .
”
Yes Yes we must hurry he said i n a laboured
.
, ,
“
whi sper lo o ki ng around dazed
, Yo u wil l S how me the .
,
— o —
way my child y u love him yes we will go qu i ckly ,
— ”
qu i ckly ! my boy m y boy l
Margaret called the landlord and while they h itched ,
Queen t o the buggy the old man stood helplessly

,
wri nging and fumbling h is big ugly hands mutteri ng ,
i ncohere ntly an d tugging at his collar as th o ugh about

,
to su ffo cate .
AS they dashed away old St o neman lai d a trembl i ng

,
’
hand o n Margaret s arm .
“ ”
Your horse i s a good o n e my chil d ? ,
Yes ; the o ne Marion saved the finest i n the county -

.
”
An d you know the way ?
E v ery foot of i t Phil and I have dri ven it Often
. .
— ”
Yes ye s yo u lo v e him he sighed pressing he r
, , ,
han d .
Through the l o ng reckless dri ve as the mare flew over ,
th e rough hills e very nerve and muscle Of her fine body

,
at i ts utmost tension the father sat si l ent He braced his

,
.
cl ub foot agai nst the iron bar o f the dashboard and gri pped
the sides o f the buggy to steady h is feeble body Mar .
garet leaned forward i ntently watch in g the road to av oid

’
an acci dent The Old man s strange colourless eyes
.
stare d straight in front wi de Open and se e ing noth ing

, , ,
as i f the s o ul had already fle d through the m i nt o e t e rn i ty .

Margaret tied the mare Ben he r m o the r and fathe r .

, ,
and every servant were gone .
In a few moments the second o fficer hurried to Ston e

man saluted and said
, ,
“
We v e pulled it o ff in g o od shape s i r They ve tri e d
’
, .
’
t o fool us wi th a dozen tricks and a whole regiment has ,
been lying i n wait for us all day But at dark the Captain .
o utwi tted them took his pri soner with a squad of picked
,
’
cavalry an d escaped their pickets They v e been gon e
,
.
an hour and o ught to be back with the body

,
Old Stoneman S prang on him wi th the sud den fury Of

a madman clutch i ng at his throat
,
.
“ ’ ” —
If you ve killed my son he gasped g o
g o l Fol
,
low them with a swi ft messenger and stop them ! It s a ’
— ’
—
m i stake you re killing the wrong man you re kill ing ’
—
my boy quick — m God quick — don t stand there star ’
y ,
”
ing at me !
The O fficer rushed to obey hi s order as Margare t ,
entere d .
The Old man seized her arm and sai d with lab o ure d ,
breath
“
Your father my child ask him to come to me qu i ckly
, ,
.
Margaret hurri ed to the church and an usher called the ,
doctor to the door .
’
He read the question trembl i ng on the gi rl s lips .
“
Nothing has happened yet my daughter Your ,
.
brothe r has held a regiment of his men in readiness every

”
moment o f the day .
“
Mr Stoneman is at the hotel an d asks to se e you im
.
”
m ed iately she whispered
, .
”
“ V e n g e an c e Is M in e 37 1
God grant he may prev ent bl oodshed said the ,
”
father . GO inside and stay with your mother .
When Doctor Cameron entered the parl our Stoneman ,
hobbl ed painfull y to meet him his face ashen and his , ,
breath rattling in h is throat as if his sou l were being

strangl ed .
“
Yo u are my en e my Doctor he said taking his hand
, , , ,
but you are a pious man I have been call ed an in fi del

.
—
I am onl y a wil fu l sinner I have sl ain my o wn son u m ,
less God Almighty who can raise the dead shall sav e
, ,
him ! You are the man at whom I aimed the b l ow that

h as fal l en o n my head I wish to confess to you and se t
.
myself right before Go d He may hear my cry and hav e

.
,
”
mercy o n me .
He gasped for breath sank i nto his s e at lo o ke d aro un d

, , ,
an d said
“ ”
Will yo u cl ose the door ?
The doctor comp l ied with h is request an d returned .
“
We all wear masks Doctor began the trembling , ,
“
voi ce
. Beneath lie the secrets of love and hate from
which actions mo ve My will al one forged the chains o f
.
.
—
Negro rul e Three forces mo ved me party succe ss a ,
vicious woman and the quenchless desire for p e rsonal

,
vengeance When I first fe ll a vict im to the Wiles of th e

.
yellow v ampire who kept my house I dreamed of lift ing ,
h er t o my le v e l An d when I fe l t myself sinking into

.
the b l ack abyss Of animal ism I whose soul had learne d , ,
the pathway o f the stars and held h i gh con verse with the
great S pirits of the ages
He paused looke d up in terro r an d whi s p e red
, ,
’ ’
What s that noise ? Isn t it the distant beat of horses ’
h o ofs
“ “ ’
No said the doctor listening ; it s the roar of the
, ,
”
fal l s we hear from a sudden change of the wind
, .
“ ’ ”
I m done now Stoneman went o n slowly fumbling
, ,
“
h i s hands My life has been a fail ure The d i ce o f
. .
”
God are always loaded .
His great head droo ped lower and he continued ,
“
Mightiest Of all was my motive of revenge Fierce .
business and political feuds wrecked my iron mill s I -

.
shoul dered their vast debts and paid the last mortgage ,
Of a hundred thousand do ll ars the week before Lee invaded

my state I stood on the hi ll in the darkness cried raved
.
, , ,
cursed while I watched h is troops l ay those mi lls in ashes

, .
’
Then and there I swore that I d live until I ground the
South beneath my heel ! When I got back to my house ,
they had buried a Confederate so l dier in the field I .
dug his body up carted i t to th e woods and threw it into

, ,
a ditch
The hand o f the white haired Southerner sudden l y -
— ’
gripped Old Stoneman s throat and then relaxed H i s .
head sank on his breast and he cried i n anguish : ,
“
God be mercifu l to me a sinn e r ! Would I too seek , ,
revenge !
Stoneman looked at the d o ctor dazed by hi s sudden ,
onslaught and col l apse .
“
Yes he was s o mebody s boy down here he went o n
,
’
, ,
—
who was loved perhaps e ven as I l ove I don t blame ’
you See in the i nside pocket next to my heart I carry

.
,
the pictures o f Phi l and E l sie taken from babyhood up ,

from t o wn The Captain thought a th o u s an d m e n were

.
”
o n h i m and surre ndered without a sh o t
,
.
’
At twe l v e O cl o ck Ben st o od at the gate wi th Elsie
, .
“
Your fate hangs i n the balance of this election t o
” “ ’
night she said
,
I ll share it with yo u success or fail
.
,
ure l i fe o r d eath
, .
“ ”
Success not fai lure h e answere d firmly The .
, , ,
Grand Dragons Of Six state s have already wi red vi ctory .
L oo k at o ur li ghts on the mountains ! They are abl aze

-
rang e on range o ur si gnals gleam unt il the F iery Cros s
”
is lost am o ng the stars !
“ ”
What d o es i t mean ? she whi spered .
—
That I am a successfu l re volut i onist that Ci vi li s a
”
t i on has b ee n saved and the South redeeme d fro m S ham e
, .
TH E E ND
m
Ab le an d el uent — n i t t i
” Bookma n f es “
A c o fl c o f e rr fic
ll u
oq orc
el f b s bi g in te est L u un
. . .
“
A n ov
”
o a or n r
o is v i e Co r ie r-J o r a l .
Te s d l u h te m i n l e eey
.
B l m
a tl S re un
e Dw
ar an a g r g on v r
A n e e ti n l l y d m ti st y
.
“
De m t ! -
p ag a n p orr
3 L u i R e u bl
xc oc r a
b k —
p o a ra a c or . .
A l i in b u ni
.
“
2. o s p ic . ” N w
“
l e s t y is”— f h fi ne t Y k M l d E p e
v g, r ng oo . e
Th
e e nt fi i
e ov or on e o t e s or ar an x r ss .
I n
F it h i n S
r c Ge e H mI
Ste n
c t on .
hi t i l e it
org
l y — P
a in “ !
l l Te l e
r s or c a r a 1tta
bu
F Ch l , .
c i an ra n c u o ro n zc e .
Th st n w k f st n g m
Cb ph ron c e-
—N w Y k W ld
rg g ra .
e ro g
Th
or
m st”—we fu l n e l I h e
o a ro an “
e d in e s
e o po r ov av
N d u
e or or
A e el t i n f h intensity f
M
.
ax
in e m t i n l we —h
r a y ar . or a .
S ut h e n t h u h t — B t n J u n l St n
r v a o o t e o
”
t n n l e llen u n
o r o g os o o r a ro g o o a po r t e
An e h m k in m u
ed in m n wee k s ”—C f
. .
!
b k k h m e w h os a ov e av a po
w it h t u t h st n e t h n fi ti n
- oo ac
p oc a g , p
a y . r rric .
A tl n t J u n l
r ra g r a c o
the b k
.
a a o r a
N h bi h
m st n t ble b k f m h e e i t i n ”— we fe
t e su e ct
.
o o r oo on as
“
Th he d
l e s n e s f e e si n N w
t e v r
p ess s in e Un le T m C b in
e o o a oo ro ap p ro ac po r or ar
‘ ’ ’
e t e luti n f J u n l
xp r s
e t
r c c o s a p re s s o o . e
i i d h
m de n time R H W B tt l e i n
c p t ate t e gr a s r vo o o o r a .
”
un deni b le f e e t
‘
u y
-
n fie ld R e u bl n
o r s . e v. . . a
O
S p ri g p
it lit
f
y ” —Cb
ica
Re d
b
H e ld
d a o rc , a an
I is s len di d h u m n d u ment
.
v a . ica g o cor - ra .
i tu e s t n ds ”—li k e t i n f A sw e e in e i n ly fl
t a p a oc .
Th h
in d k ni g h t Ch i E e n i ng Un le T m s C bin e e w i t en
e p c r a o ut a rac g o p g p c, t e o c se t to
’ !
fi re a ar ca g o v c o a v r r t
Tb 8 m m S u t h
. .
c ! o .
T HOMAS DIXON ,
JR
Author of
'
The Leop ard s p o ts S
HE thor show e d in The Leo p ard s S p ot s

au
’
h is m ast ery o f t he e xp r e ssion o f p o w e rfu l

h uman e mo tio n s . This n ew st o ry app eal s t o
a w ide r au die n c e on
, t h e g re at e st o f all
subj ec t s fo r a n o ve l th e p ow e r o f Lov e as
, ,
af fec t e d by t h e moveme n t t o w ard S oc ial ism w h ic h m ark s

t h e n e w c e n t u ry I t is e ssen t ially a love sto ry an d c harac
.
t e r st u dy o f t h r ee st ron g m e n an d t w o fasc i at in g w om e n n .
In sw ift u n ifie d an d dramat ic ac t ion w e see S oc ialism a

, ,
de adly fo rc e in th e ho ur o f t h e e c lip se o f Faith de st roy in g

,
t h e h o me l ife an d w e ak e n in g th e fi b e r o f A n g lo S axo -
n
m an hoo d . This dre am o f fellow ship an d sol idarity i

sh ow n t o b e a lap se t o t h e h erd o ut o f w h ic h
, u n de r ,
Love th e sac re dn e ss o f m arriag e w as e vol ve d as t h e b asis

,
o f c ivil iz at ion . T h e c r ash an d roar o f Ne w Yo rk s c o lo s ’
sal life a e h e ard t h ro u g h o u t t h e n o ve l

r T h e bo o k g rip s
.
t he e ade r an d h ol ds him
r T he five fi g u re s o f the drama
.
are ve ry vivid.
ILLUSTRATED BY C LINEDINST
DO UBL E DAY P A G E s C O MPA NY

PUBLISHERS
East 16th St . NEW YORK

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T HE C L A N S M A N

TH E C LANS M AN is the second bo ok of a series of

Leopard s Spots was the statement i n historical outl ine

of the conditio ns from the enfranchisement o f the Negro

The o rgan is at ion was go verned by the Gran d Wi z ard

The Grand Dragon commanded a State the Grand ,

Titan a C o ngressional District the Grand Giant a

County and th e Grand Cycl ops a Township Den The

twel ve volum es o f Government repo rts o n the famous

the date o f its dissolution .

The chaos of blind passion that followed Linco l n s ’

assassination is inconcei v able to day The Re volution

it produced in our Government an d the bold attempt

o f Thaddeus Ste vens to African i se ten great st ates

I have sought t o preserve in this romance bo th the

men wh o enact the drama o f ﬁerce re v enge into which

TH E C LAN S MAN is the second book o f a ser ies of

Le opard s Spo ts w as the statement in historical outline

of the conditions from the enfranchisement of the Negro

The organ is ation was go verned by the Grand Wi zard

The Grand Dragon commanded a State the Grand ,

Titan a Congressi onal D istrict the Grand Giant a

County and th e Grand Cycl ops a Town ship Den The

twelve volumes of Government repo rts o n the famous

the date of its d i sso l ution .

The chaos of blind passion that followed Linco l n s ’

assassination is inconcei v able to d ay The Re volution

it produced in o ur Government an d the bold attempt

o f Thaddeus Ste vens to African i se ten great states

I have sought t o pres e rv e i n thi s romance bo th the

men who enact the drama o f ﬁerce re v enge into which

I have merely changed their names w ithout taki ng a

In the darkest hour o f the life o f the South when he r ,

wounded people lay helpless amid rags and ashes und e r

m ists o f the mountains appeared a whi te cl o ud the si ze

Ho w the yo ung South led by the r e incarnat e d s o uls o f

the Clansmen o f O ld Scotland went fo rth under this ,

cove r and agai nst o v erwhelm ing odds darin g exile im , ,

peopl e fo rms one of the m o st dramati c chapte rs i n the

hi st o ry of the Aryan race .

THE ASSAS SINATI ON

The Bruised Reed

The F irst Lad y of the Land

THE REIGN O F T ERR OR

A Fall en Slavehol der s M ansi on

The Eyes of the Jungle

At the Dawn o f Day

THE K U K LUX K LAN

The Hunt for the Animal

The Sn are of the Fowler

S c en e : Washington and the Foot Hill s o f the Carolinas

BE N C AM ER O N Grand Dragon o f the K u Klux Kl an

AU G U S T U S C AE S A R O f the B l ack Guard

HE fa ir g irl who was pl ayi ng a banjo and si ng i ng

turn ing to the surgeon whi sp e red ,

O n the soft spri ng air came the ro ar of excite d thou s an ds

around the corner hi s shril l vo i c e qu iveri ng wi th e xci te

he a ds o ut and o the rs rushe d int o the street an d crowde d

aro un d the b o y stru ggl ing t o g e t hi s pap e rs H e thre w

the m right an d left and snatched the money—n o one asked

E xtra! P eac e! Victory ! L ee has surren dered!

The gre at N o rth wi th i ts m ill io n s of s tu rd y peo pl e

an d th ei r exhau s tl ess re so ur c es had gre e te d the ﬁ rst