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Tally rand and Firefly
By J. NacNEILL JOHNSON
I
CHAPTER XIV.
There was probably no other word
in the dialect of the Plantation slave
that expressed quite so much con
tempt as the word “Buckra.” Mar-
ryatt, the great French lexicographer,
tells us that this is an African word,
which on the shores of Africa, meant
“White Man,” but as it was used by
our Negroes on the southern planta
tions it referred only to the poor
white people, who did not own slaves.
It was exceedingly rare to find a
slave that hated his master; and it
was equally rare to find a master
that was personally cruel to his
slaves; but the great bulk of the
trouble was caused by the “Buckra”
overseers, who were detested and held
in contempt by every slave except the
few who were willing to curry favor
with the Buckra by becoming a spy
and informer. And be it said to the
everlasting credit of the Negro race,
these exceptions were few and far be
tween.
Across the river from Mr. Stude-
bolt’s Verdun plantation,, in Arkansas,
there lived a very wealthy planter
named Bolter. His plantations call
ed The Mains, extended for several
miles along the river,' and as far back
west. He owned three hundred slaves,
and his Negro quarters were about
midway between his mansion house
and the river, and about a mile from
each. Tallyrand, being the son of a
wealthy planter, and a man of in
fluence, was always privileged to go
among the negrro quarters of any
plantation in the country when he
pleased, and he actually knew every
negro by name, not only on The Mains,
but on any one of half a dozen other
plantations up and down the river for
a radius of many miles.
Mr. Bolter owned a young negro
man named Zeke, a man of tremen-
d(ms strength. He was not tall like
Bill and Ned, but was as strong as
an ox. His neck was large and the
muscles of his arms were so big they
looked like they were swollen
He was just a little bow-legged, but
then he was a ditcher, and you know
bow-legged men make the best ditch
ers. Tallyrand, like all other boys
was a worshiper of great strength,
and this was the probable cause of
his taking such a liking to Zeke. Tal
lyrand often passed where Zeke was
digging a canal, and would always
stop and look at him throw out the
great spade-fulls of dirt, and look
with astonishment at the enormous
muscles on Zeke’s arms, as they
swelled to the effort; and Zeke on two
or three occasions asked Tallyrand
to bring him a stick of candy. After
Tallyrand had brought him candy
twice he asked Zeke what he did wjth
it, as he noticed he carefully hid it
in his coat lining. Zeke came as near
blushing as a black negro could, but
refused to tell. In sport Tallyrand
threatened not to bring any more
candy; then Zeke relented and said:
“Well ril tell you. I want to gin it
to Suckie, but you mustn’t tell on me.”
Tallyrand not only promised, but said
he would bring him two sticks next
time. Zeke’s pleasure showed itself
in a great horse laugh; then he spit
on his hands and bent to his task.
Suckie, as Tallyrand knew, was a
“lackly wench,” black as a coal, with
gazelle eyes, blue gums and immacu
late teeth, and when she laughed
showd every one of them. She lived
in the upper end of the quarter, and
since she was ten ears old she and
her mother did the washing for the
“quarter.” But recently Suckie had
been promoted to the office of house
maid for the white folks at the man
sion of Mr. Bolter, and while she and
Zeke were recognized lovers, and were
expected to marry, if slaves could be
said to marry, her constant duties at
the “Big House” kept her away from
the “quarter” so nearly all the time,
Zeke was well-nigh distracted, for he
did not dare show himself over at
the kitchen except on Sunday after
noons; and to him the Sundays ap
peared a year apart.
Old Colonel Bolter was not a cruel
man naturally, but he drank rum, aAd
that will make any man cruel; besides
it was the cause of his terrible suf
fering from gout that for the last
years of his life confined him to his
room, and most of the time to his
bed. His eldest son, Jacob, was a
negro trader, and very much dreaded
by the slaves on the Mains Plantation.
But his younger son, Tom, was be
loved by every negro on the place.
Tom and Zeke had been play-fellows
in childhood, and a boy never out
grows this: and Zeke always knew he
was safe when he could appeal to
“Marse Tom,” and the “Buckra"’
overseer hated Zeke for this favor
itism on the part of Tom.
All the foregoing applied to The
Mains Plantation two years before
the opening of this story; and the
year that has passed since Tallyrand
found his little friend, Firefly, makes
a gap of three years in the affairs of
The Mains, and the changes there
had been many and great. Old Colo
nel Bolter had become a confirmed in
valid. Tom had opened a law office
in Little Rock;- Zeke and Suckie had
married, after the fashion of slaves,
that is to say “they jumped the
broom” together in the presence of
Marse Tom, and were husband and
wife. The Buckra overseer, Mr. Soak-
em, made a sharp contract with Colo
nel Bolter, by which he should receive
in addition to his annual salary, a con
tingent share of the profits of the
plantation, and had stipulated in the
contract that there should be no ap
peal from him by a slave; and in
a short time the slaves began to feel
the weight of his heavy hand in a
way that made their lives almost a
burden.
When Zeke learned that there w*as
to be no appeal from the Buckra over
seer, Mr. Soakem, his heart almost
died within him, and he exclaimed,
“Oh, Lord help me!” and he wondered
where his enemy would strike him
first.
But Zeke was surprised beyond ex
pression to find that Mr. Soakem
actually appeared to be growing kind.
A negro dearly loves to have a “task”
assigned to him; so when he finished
his task he can play the balance of
the day, or the balance of the week
as the case may be. Mr. Soakem had
always refused to assign a task to
Zeke; but now he came to him of his
own accord, and said in a friendly
voice: “Zeke, how would you like
to have me assign you a weekly
task?” Zeke replied. that he would
be very glad. Then, Mr. Soakem
said: “Well, I will let you lay the
task off.” This also pleased Zeke
beyond expression, and he laid off an
honest week’s work, and asked the
overseer how that would do? Mr.
Soakem replied: “You ought to know,
and I believe you are honest about
it.” So the stakes were set, indi
cating the work for the week.
Poor, simple Zeke had but one
thought, and that was to complete his
task, and have a day off. So he work
ed like a Trojan, early and late, do
ing more ditching each day than any
other two men on the plantation could
do; so by Friday at noon Zeke had
completed his week’s task, and Mr.
Soakem was right there to take note
of the time. Mr. Soakem did not
congratulate Zeke, but said: “Well
you got me this time; but I am a man
of my word.” Zeke did not like the
tone in which this was spoken, but
in his happy freedom he soon forgot
it; and armed with a pass from the
overseer, so that “ Pa tterr oilers”
would not take him up, he actually
walked into the village and rested all
day Saturday; and Saturday night he
said to Suckie that he did not believe
Mr. Soakem was as hard a master
as the Buckra that was over them
before.
But all this kindness was soon ex
plained. Next Monday morning Mr.
Soakem appeared at Zeke’s canal, and
said: “Well you cheated me last week.
Now let us see what is a fair task
for this week.” Zeke was undeceived
in a moment, and no argument that
he could use made any impression on
the heartless overseer. . Zeke tried to
talk humbly, and said:--“But Boss,
you know I nearly worked myself to
death to earn Saturday free.” But
to this Mr. Soakem answered: “That
he would have none of his “sass,” and
went on laying off a task much larger
than that assigned for the week be
fore. Then Zeke took the “sulks,”
and said that he did not want any
more tasks, which greatly irritated
the overseer, and he showed his wick
ed heart to poor Zeke in this informa
tion: “You impudent buck! You
have every foot of that dirt excavated
by Saturday night, or I shall stripe
yotir back like a Zebra’s; and under
stand, there is now no Marse Tom to
appeal to. Another thing I will tell
you: You and that “lackly wench”
Suckie have been married more than
two years, and no increase. That
wench goes to the block in New Or
leans to be sold; no drones shall be
allowed on this plantation. My con
tract includes a contingent part of the
profits, and a wench that bears no
children shall not remain on The
Mains; and there is no appeal from
me.”
Zeke’s blood froze in his veins. He
could not utter a word. He forgot
himself, and was thinking only of
Suckie. He had never made a fight
at an overseer, though his back bore
the marks of the cruel lash; but now
the temptation was so great he drop
ped his spade and put it away from
him. Without a word he stepped out
of the canal, and walked off towards
Colonel Bolter’s mansion, paying not
the slightest heed to the overseer’s
imperative commands to stop and re
turn to work. The overseer then
jumped on his horse, and galloped
ahead of Zeke, ard called several
slaves that were in the field, and or
dered them to take hold of him. And
from force of habit they ran in front
of Zeke. But there was a look in
Zeke’s face that made them recoil;
and Zeke walked on to his master’s
mansion.
(To be continued)
Bring us your Job Work.
A BILLION DOLLAR GARDEN
We count wheat and cotton as prin
cipal crops, and yet, in 1921, they both
together were barely equal in value
to the vegetables grown on farms in
the Unit^ States. If we add the
truck grown on city and town lots to
the “garden sass” grown on farms we
find a total just about equal to that of
the national corn crop. Not all of
these vegetables were sold, of course,
but perhaps as great a proportion of
them as of the corn produced found
their way to a direct cash market.
So far as that is concerned, the poul
try products for the last census year
—1919—^were more than a billion dol
lars in value, and the dairy products
nearly a billion and a half. Resi
dents of Vass and community will find
these figures interesting, because they
show how extremely important the
garden and the poultry yard are to
all this nation, as well as to the rest
of the world.
MY ROSE
Tin cans for canning at McKeithan
& Company.
Dr. J. C. MANN
Eyesight Specialist will be at
CHEARS’ JEWELRY STORE
Sanford, N .0.
every Wednesday in each week from
10:00 A. M. to 4:00 P. M.
Glasses fitted that are easy and rest
ful to weak eyes, children and young
people given special attention. Cross
eyes straigthened without operation.
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this space next week. It may have a
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Gunter’s Store
VASS, NORTH CAROLINA
Lakeview, N.
Dear Pilot:
|k Will the enclosed 1
through these hot da^^
' * ^ to your troubles?
imagine the ocean anc
melt. Cordially
HELEN Mi
P. S.—^The Pilot gr
better all the time.
♦ *
A day in June, a sc
Old ocean rippling w|
A sky of bllie with fl
Flung wide, now n<
now light.
By giants or by fail
They roamed, or sh
or prayed.
All this upon a June
Where on the isle,
born.
A dainty little bud
Fit for a queenly dij
With leaf of green, a
plete,
A little bud, fair, pi
A jewel rare, a pric
Soon rudely broken
By life’s rough oceai
Upon life’s rocks to
When gentler winds
tide.
And loving arms she
To shield the flowei
sea.
What magic stearedl
me j
And let it bloom closj
Thank God that in
might,
The simple rose bud|
And grew into a flo’\
Its fragrance tossed 1
Yet in my garden, bk
THE FOURTH
UNIVERSr
Chapel Hill, July 6.-
July was celebrated by
Summer School student
program of stunts and)
on in Memorial Hall d
from the various collegj
in the state, and stud(
states of Georgia, South
Virginia. The program
a procession headed by
Uncle Sam, represented
Sawyer, of Gastonia, C\
sented by Miss Drois T
boro, Columbia represt
Hulda Hester, of Chatai
The first two weeks c
Session closes with w<
partments rapidly unde
student body of more t|
ously down at it, somi
normal and some workil
credit, many in the Gr)
studying in some specialf
The Teacher’s Burej
indispensable to the tei
and those preparing t(
It is rendering a service
able nowhere else, in ph
students in desirable poj
like manner furnishin
schools the teachers thej
for. Principals of publi]
the state are frequentl;
devoted to this Bures
with students about ne:
tions. The students ai
special blanks and filii
. the Teachers’ Bureau,
qualifications and credits
i^s this year reaching ml
before, due to the enlarj
sudent body.
The recreational sidj
school life is this year
siderable attention. T^
pools, one in the gymnaj
near town, are affordii
advantages during the
and proving thoroughly!
the afternoons. Dances
day night in the gymnasil
supervision of the socij
are attended by all stu<
ed in terpischore and
social events. Other ej
are being given througj
Sion. 1
Field Day exercises w|
place in this session of [
ty Summer School, acc|
annoucement of Miss Hi
seling, director of Phy^
for the past nine yei
of the Summer School]
whole day will be devol
•of this nature with the i
ticipating. Miss MassI