Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/128

 "Look here, Camp, we ain't got no hard feelin's agin you, but there's agoin' to be trouble for every rebel in this county who don't git on our side and do it quick."

"I'm used to trouble pardner," replied Tom.

"You've got a nice little cabin home and ten acres of land. Fight us, and we will give this house and lot to a nigger."

"I don't believe it," cried Tom.

"Come, come," said Perkins, "you're not fool enough to fight us when we've got a dead sure thing, a majority fixed before the voting begins, Congress and the whole army back of us?"

"I ain't er nigger!" said Tom, doggedly.

"What's the use to be a fool Camp," cried Haley. "We are just using the nigger to stick the votes in the box. He thinks he's goin' to heaven, but we'll ride him all the way up to the gate and hitch him on the outside. Will you come in with us?"

"Don't like your complexion!" he answered rising and going toward the door.

"Then we'll turn you out into the road in less than two years," said Haley as they left.

"All right!" laughed the old soldier,

"I slept on the ground four years, boys."

When he came back into the room he met his wife with tears in her eyes. "Oh! Tom, I'm afraid they'll do what they say."

"To tell you the truth, ole woman, I'm afraid so too. But we're in the hands of the Lord. This is His house. If He wants to take it away from me now when I'm crippled and helpless, He knows what's best."

"I wish you didn't have to go agin 'em."

"I ain't er nigger, ole gal, and I don't flock with niggers. If God Almighty had meant me to be one He'd have made my skin black."