الفصل الفصل 6 · Discovery

. Discovery

Mr. and Mrs. Shelby, after their protracted discussion of the night

before, did not readily sink to repose, and, in consequence, slept

somewhat later than usual, the ensuing morning.

“I wonder what keeps Eliza,” said Mrs. Shelby, after giving her bell

repeated pulls, to no purpose.

Mr. Shelby was standing before his dressing-glass, sharpening his

razor; and just then the door opened, and a colored boy entered, with

his shaving-water.

“Andy,” said his mistress, “step to Eliza’s door, and tell her I have

rung for her three times. Poor thing!” she added, to herself, with a

sigh.

Andy soon returned, with eyes very wide in astonishment.

“Lor, Missis! Lizy’s drawers is all open, and her things all lying

every which way; and I believe she’s just done clared out!”

The truth flashed upon Mr. Shelby and his wife at the same moment. He

exclaimed,

“Then she suspected it, and she’s off!”

“The Lord be thanked!” said Mrs. Shelby. “I trust she is.”

“Wife, you talk like a fool! Really, it will be something pretty

awkward for me, if she is. Haley saw that I hesitated about selling

this child, and he’ll think I connived at it, to get him out of the

way. It touches my honor!” And Mr. Shelby left the room hastily.

There was great running and ejaculating, and opening and shutting of

doors, and appearance of faces in all shades of color in different

places, for about a quarter of an hour. One person only, who might have

shed some light on the matter, was entirely silent, and that was the

head cook, Aunt Chloe. Silently, and with a heavy cloud settled down

over her once joyous face, she proceeded making out her breakfast

biscuits, as if she heard and saw nothing of the excitement around her.

Very soon, about a dozen young imps were roosting, like so many crows,

on the verandah railings, each one determined to be the first one to

apprize the strange Mas’r of his ill luck.

“He’ll be rael mad, I’ll be bound,” said Andy.

“_Won’t_ he swar!” said little black Jake.

“Yes, for he _does_ swar,” said woolly-headed Mandy. “I hearn him

yesterday, at dinner. I hearn all about it then, ’cause I got into the

closet where Missis keeps the great jugs, and I hearn every word.” And

Mandy, who had never in her life thought of the meaning of a word she

had heard, more than a black cat, now took airs of superior wisdom, and

strutted about, forgetting to state that, though actually coiled up

among the jugs at the time specified, she had been fast asleep all the

time.

When, at last, Haley appeared, booted and spurred, he was saluted with

the bad tidings on every hand. The young imps on the verandah were not

disappointed in their hope of hearing him “swar,” which he did with a

fluency and fervency which delighted them all amazingly, as they ducked

and dodged hither and thither, to be out of the reach of his

riding-whip; and, all whooping off together, they tumbled, in a pile of

immeasurable giggle, on the withered turf under the verandah, where

they kicked up their heels and shouted to their full satisfaction.

“If I had the little devils!” muttered Haley, between his teeth.

“But you ha’nt got ’em, though!” said Andy, with a triumphant flourish,

and making a string of indescribable mouths at the unfortunate trader’s

back, when he was fairly beyond hearing.

“I say now, Shelby, this yer ’s a most extro’rnary business!” said

Haley, as he abruptly entered the parlor. “It seems that gal ’s off,

with her young un.”

“Mr. Haley, Mrs. Shelby is present,” said Mr. Shelby.

“I beg pardon, ma’am,” said Haley, bowing slightly, with a still

lowering brow; “but still I say, as I said before, this yer’s a

sing’lar report. Is it true, sir?”

“Sir,” said Mr. Shelby, “if you wish to communicate with me, you must

observe something of the decorum of a gentleman. Andy, take Mr. Haley’s

hat and riding-whip. Take a seat, sir. Yes, sir; I regret to say that

the young woman, excited by overhearing, or having reported to her,

something of this business, has taken her child in the night, and made

off.”

“I did expect fair dealing in this matter, I confess,” said Haley.

“Well, sir,” said Mr. Shelby, turning sharply round upon him, “what am

I to understand by that remark? If any man calls my honor in question,

I have but one answer for him.”

The trader cowered at this, and in a somewhat lower tone said that “it

was plaguy hard on a fellow, that had made a fair bargain, to be gulled

that way.”

“Mr. Haley,” said Mr. Shelby, “if I did not think you had some cause

for disappointment, I should not have borne from you the rude and

unceremonious style of your entrance into my parlor this morning. I say

thus much, however, since appearances call for it, that I shall allow

of no insinuations cast upon me, as if I were at all partner to any

unfairness in this matter. Moreover, I shall feel bound to give you

every assistance, in the use of horses, servants, &c., in the recovery

of your property. So, in short, Haley,” said he, suddenly dropping from

the tone of dignified coolness to his ordinary one of easy frankness,

“the best way for you is to keep good-natured and eat some breakfast,

and we will then see what is to be done.”

Mrs. Shelby now rose, and said her engagements would prevent her being

at the breakfast-table that morning; and, deputing a very respectable

mulatto woman to attend to the gentlemen’s coffee at the side-board,

she left the room.

“Old lady don’t like your humble servant, over and above,” said Haley,

with an uneasy effort to be very familiar.

“I am not accustomed to hear my wife spoken of with such freedom,” said

Mr. Shelby, dryly.

“Beg pardon; of course, only a joke, you know,” said Haley, forcing a

laugh.

“Some jokes are less agreeable than others,” rejoined Shelby.

“Devilish free, now I’ve signed those papers, cuss him!” muttered Haley

to himself; “quite grand, since yesterday!”

Never did fall of any prime minister at court occasion wider surges of

sensation than the report of Tom’s fate among his compeers on the

place. It was the topic in every mouth, everywhere; and nothing was

done in the house or in the field, but to discuss its probable results.

Eliza’s flight—an unprecedented event on the place—was also a great

accessory in stimulating the general excitement.

Black Sam, as he was commonly called, from his being about three shades

blacker than any other son of ebony on the place, was revolving the

matter profoundly in all its phases and bearings, with a

comprehensiveness of vision and a strict lookout to his own personal

well-being, that would have done credit to any white patriot in

Washington.

“It’s an ill wind dat blow nowhar,—dat ar a fact,” said Sam,

sententiously, giving an additional hoist to his pantaloons, and

adroitly substituting a long nail in place of a missing

suspender-button, with which effort of mechanical genius he seemed

highly delighted.

“Yes, it’s an ill wind blows nowhar,” he repeated. “Now, dar, Tom’s

down—wal, course der’s room for some nigger to be up—and why not dis

nigger?—dat’s de idee. Tom, a ridin’ round de country—boots

blacked—pass in his pocket—all grand as Cuffee—but who he? Now, why

shouldn’t Sam?—dat’s what I want to know.”

“Halloo, Sam—O Sam! Mas’r wants you to cotch Bill and Jerry,” said

Andy, cutting short Sam’s soliloquy.

“High! what’s afoot now, young un?”

“Why, you don’t know, I s’pose, that Lizy’s cut stick, and clared out,

with her young un?”

“You teach your granny!” said Sam, with infinite contempt; “knowed it a

heap sight sooner than you did; this nigger an’t so green, now!”

“Well, anyhow, Mas’r wants Bill and Jerry geared right up; and you and

I ’s to go with Mas’r Haley, to look arter her.”

“Good, now! dat’s de time o’ day!” said Sam. “It’s Sam dat’s called for

in dese yer times. He’s de nigger. See if I don’t cotch her, now;

Mas’r’ll see what Sam can do!”

“Ah! but, Sam,” said Andy, “you’d better think twice; for Missis don’t

want her cotched, and she’ll be in yer wool.”

“High!” said Sam, opening his eyes. “How you know dat?”

“Heard her say so, my own self, dis blessed mornin’, when I bring in

Mas’r’s shaving-water. She sent me to see why Lizy didn’t come to dress

her; and when I telled her she was off, she jest ris up, and ses she,

‘The Lord be praised;’ and Mas’r, he seemed rael mad, and ses he,

‘Wife, you talk like a fool.’ But Lor! she’ll bring him to! I knows

well enough how that’ll be,—it’s allers best to stand Missis’ side the

fence, now I tell yer.”

Black Sam, upon this, scratched his woolly pate, which, if it did not

contain very profound wisdom, still contained a great deal of a

particular species much in demand among politicians of all complexions

and countries, and vulgarly denominated “knowing which side the bread

is buttered;” so, stopping with grave consideration, he again gave a

hitch to his pantaloons, which was his regularly organized method of

assisting his mental perplexities.

“Der an’t no saying’—never—‘bout no kind o’ thing in _dis_ yer world,”

he said, at last. Sam spoke like a philosopher, emphasizing _this_—as

if he had had a large experience in different sorts of worlds, and

therefore had come to his conclusions advisedly.

“Now, sartin I’d a said that Missis would a scoured the varsal world

after Lizy,” added Sam, thoughtfully.

“So she would,” said Andy; “but can’t ye see through a ladder, ye black

nigger? Missis don’t want dis yer Mas’r Haley to get Lizy’s boy; dat’s

de go!”

“High!” said Sam, with an indescribable intonation, known only to those

who have heard it among the negroes.

“And I’ll tell yer more ’n all,” said Andy; “I specs you’d better be

making tracks for dem hosses,—mighty sudden, too,—-for I hearn Missis

’quirin’ arter yer,—so you’ve stood foolin’ long enough.”

Sam, upon this, began to bestir himself in real earnest, and after a

while appeared, bearing down gloriously towards the house, with Bill

and Jerry in a full canter, and adroitly throwing himself off before

they had any idea of stopping, he brought them up alongside of the

horse-post like a tornado. Haley’s horse, which was a skittish young

colt, winced, and bounced, and pulled hard at his halter.

“Ho, ho!” said Sam, “skeery, ar ye?” and his black visage lighted up

with a curious, mischievous gleam. “I’ll fix ye now!” said he.

There was a large beech-tree overshadowing the place, and the small,

sharp, triangular beech-nuts lay scattered thickly on the ground. With

one of these in his fingers, Sam approached the colt, stroked and

patted, and seemed apparently busy in soothing his agitation. On

pretence of adjusting the saddle, he adroitly slipped under it the

sharp little nut, in such a manner that the least weight brought upon

the saddle would annoy the nervous sensibilities of the animal, without

leaving any perceptible graze or wound.

“Dar!” he said, rolling his eyes with an approving grin; “me fix ’em!”

At this moment Mrs. Shelby appeared on the balcony, beckoning to him.

Sam approached with as good a determination to pay court as did ever

suitor after a vacant place at St. James’ or Washington.

“Why have you been loitering so, Sam? I sent Andy to tell you to

hurry.”

“Lord bless you, Missis!” said Sam, “horses won’t be cotched all in a

minnit; they’d done clared out way down to the south pasture, and the

Lord knows whar!”

“Sam, how often must I tell you not to say ‘Lord bless you, and the

Lord knows,’ and such things? It’s wicked.”

“O, Lord bless my soul! I done forgot, Missis! I won’t say nothing of

de sort no more.”

“Why, Sam, you just _have_ said it again.”

“Did I? O, Lord! I mean—I didn’t go fur to say it.”

“You must be _careful_, Sam.”

“Just let me get my breath, Missis, and I’ll start fair. I’ll be bery

careful.”

“Well, Sam, you are to go with Mr. Haley, to show him the road, and

help him. Be careful of the horses, Sam; you know Jerry was a little

lame last week; _don’t ride them too fast_.”

Mrs. Shelby spoke the last words with a low voice, and strong emphasis.

“Let dis child alone for dat!” said Sam, rolling up his eyes with a

volume of meaning. “Lord knows! High! Didn’t say dat!” said he,

suddenly catching his breath, with a ludicrous flourish of

apprehension, which made his mistress laugh, spite of herself. “Yes,

Missis, I’ll look out for de hosses!”

“Now, Andy,” said Sam, returning to his stand under the beech-trees,

“you see I wouldn’t be ’t all surprised if dat ar gen’lman’s crittur

should gib a fling, by and by, when he comes to be a gettin’ up. You

know, Andy, critturs _will_ do such things;” and therewith Sam poked

Andy in the side, in a highly suggestive manner.

“High!” said Andy, with an air of instant appreciation.

“Yes, you see, Andy, Missis wants to make time,—dat ar’s clar to der

most or’nary ’bserver. I jis make a little for her. Now, you see, get

all dese yer hosses loose, caperin’ permiscus round dis yer lot and

down to de wood dar, and I spec Mas’r won’t be off in a hurry.”

Andy grinned.

“Yer see,” said Sam, “yer see, Andy, if any such thing should happen as

that Mas’r Haley’s horse _should_ begin to act contrary, and cut up,

you and I jist lets go of our’n to help him, and _we’ll help him_—oh

yes!” And Sam and Andy laid their heads back on their shoulders, and

broke into a low, immoderate laugh, snapping their fingers and

flourishing their heels with exquisite delight.

At this instant, Haley appeared on the verandah. Somewhat mollified by

certain cups of very good coffee, he came out smiling and talking, in

tolerably restored humor. Sam and Andy, clawing for certain fragmentary

palm-leaves, which they were in the habit of considering as hats, flew

to the horseposts, to be ready to “help Mas’r.”

Sam’s palm-leaf had been ingeniously disentangled from all pretensions

to braid, as respects its brim; and the slivers starting apart, and

standing upright, gave it a blazing air of freedom and defiance, quite

equal to that of any Fejee chief; while the whole brim of Andy’s being

departed bodily, he rapped the crown on his head with a dexterous

thump, and looked about well pleased, as if to say, “Who says I haven’t

got a hat?”

“Well, boys,” said Haley, “look alive now; we must lose no time.”

“Not a bit of him, Mas’r!” said Sam, putting Haley’s rein in his hand,

and holding his stirrup, while Andy was untying the other two horses.

The instant Haley touched the saddle, the mettlesome creature bounded

from the earth with a sudden spring, that threw his master sprawling,

some feet off, on the soft, dry turf. Sam, with frantic ejaculations,

made a dive at the reins, but only succeeded in brushing the blazing

palm-leaf afore-named into the horse’s eyes, which by no means tended

to allay the confusion of his nerves. So, with great vehemence, he

overturned Sam, and, giving two or three contemptuous snorts,

flourished his heels vigorously in the air, and was soon prancing away

towards the lower end of the lawn, followed by Bill and Jerry, whom

Andy had not failed to let loose, according to contract, speeding them

off with various direful ejaculations. And now ensued a miscellaneous

scene of confusion. Sam and Andy ran and shouted,—dogs barked here and

there,—and Mike, Mose, Mandy, Fanny, and all the smaller specimens on

the place, both male and female, raced, clapped hands, whooped, and

shouted, with outrageous officiousness and untiring zeal.

Haley’s horse, which was a white one, and very fleet and spirited,

appeared to enter into the spirit of the scene with great gusto; and

having for his coursing ground a lawn of nearly half a mile in extent,

gently sloping down on every side into indefinite woodland, he appeared

to take infinite delight in seeing how near he could allow his pursuers

to approach him, and then, when within a hand’s breadth, whisk off with

a start and a snort, like a mischievous beast as he was and career far

down into some alley of the wood-lot. Nothing was further from Sam’s

mind than to have any one of the troop taken until such season as

should seem to him most befitting,—and the exertions that he made were

certainly most heroic. Like the sword of Coeur De Lion, which always

blazed in the front and thickest of the battle, Sam’s palm-leaf was to

be seen everywhere when there was the least danger that a horse could

be caught; there he would bear down full tilt, shouting, “Now for it!

cotch him! cotch him!” in a way that would set everything to

indiscriminate rout in a moment.

Haley ran up and down, and cursed and swore and stamped

miscellaneously. Mr. Shelby in vain tried to shout directions from the

balcony, and Mrs. Shelby from her chamber window alternately laughed

and wondered,—not without some inkling of what lay at the bottom of all

this confusion.

At last, about twelve o’clock, Sam appeared triumphant, mounted on

Jerry, with Haley’s horse by his side, reeking with sweat, but with

flashing eyes and dilated nostrils, showing that the spirit of freedom

had not yet entirely subsided.

“He’s cotched!” he exclaimed, triumphantly. “If ’t hadn’t been for me,

they might a bust themselves, all on ’em; but I cotched him!”

“You!” growled Haley, in no amiable mood. “If it hadn’t been for you,

this never would have happened.”

“Lord bless us, Mas’r,” said Sam, in a tone of the deepest concern,

“and me that has been racin’ and chasin’ till the sweat jest pours off

me!”

“Well, well!” said Haley, “you’ve lost me near three hours, with your

cursed nonsense. Now let’s be off, and have no more fooling.”

“Why, Mas’r,” said Sam, in a deprecating tone, “I believe you mean to

kill us all clar, horses and all. Here we are all just ready to drop

down, and the critters all in a reek of sweat. Why, Mas’r won’t think

of startin’ on now till arter dinner. Mas’r’s hoss wants rubben down;

see how he splashed hisself; and Jerry limps too; don’t think Missis

would be willin’ to have us start dis yer way, no how. Lord bless you,

Mas’r, we can ketch up, if we do stop. Lizy never was no great of a

walker.”

Mrs. Shelby, who, greatly to her amusement, had overheard this

conversation from the verandah, now resolved to do her part. She came

forward, and, courteously expressing her concern for Haley’s accident,

pressed him to stay to dinner, saying that the cook should bring it on

the table immediately.

Thus, all things considered, Haley, with rather an equivocal grace,

proceeded to the parlor, while Sam, rolling his eyes after him with

unutterable meaning, proceeded gravely with the horses to the

stable-yard.

“Did yer see him, Andy? _did_ yer see him?” said Sam, when he had got

fairly beyond the shelter of the barn, and fastened the horse to a

post. “O, Lor, if it warn’t as good as a meetin’, now, to see him a

dancin’ and kickin’ and swarin’ at us. Didn’t I hear him? Swar away,

ole fellow (says I to myself ); will yer have yer hoss now, or wait

till you cotch him? (says I). Lor, Andy, I think I can see him now.”

And Sam and Andy leaned up against the barn and laughed to their

hearts’ content.

“Yer oughter seen how mad he looked, when I brought the hoss up. Lord,

he’d a killed me, if he durs’ to; and there I was a standin’ as

innercent and as humble.”

“Lor, I seed you,” said Andy; “an’t you an old hoss, Sam?”

“Rather specks I am,” said Sam; “did yer see Missis up stars at the

winder? I seed her laughin’.”

“I’m sure, I was racin’ so, I didn’t see nothing,” said Andy.

“Well, yer see,” said Sam, proceeding gravely to wash down Haley’s

pony, “I ’se ’quired what yer may call a habit _o’ bobservation_, Andy.

It’s a very ’portant habit, Andy; and I ’commend yer to be cultivatin’

it, now yer young. Hist up that hind foot, Andy. Yer see, Andy, it’s

_bobservation_ makes all de difference in niggers. Didn’t I see which

way the wind blew dis yer mornin’? Didn’t I see what Missis wanted,

though she never let on? Dat ar’s bobservation, Andy. I ’spects it’s

what you may call a faculty. Faculties is different in different

peoples, but cultivation of ’em goes a great way.”

“I guess if I hadn’t helped your bobservation dis mornin’, yer wouldn’t

have seen your way so smart,” said Andy.

“Andy,” said Sam, “you’s a promisin’ child, der an’t no manner o’

doubt. I thinks lots of yer, Andy; and I don’t feel no ways ashamed to

take idees from you. We oughtenter overlook nobody, Andy, cause the

smartest on us gets tripped up sometimes. And so, Andy, let’s go up to

the house now. I’ll be boun’ Missis’ll give us an uncommon good bite,

dis yer time.”