Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/151

 the Lord has taken away. I will still say, Blessed is the name of the Lord!"

"I wish I had such faith." She led Tom into the room where the Preacher lay.

"Why, what's this, Preacher? A bandage over your eye, looks like somebody knocked you in the head?"

"Yes, Tom, but it's nothing. I'll be all right by to-morrow. You needn't tell me anything that happened at your house. I've heard the black hell-lit news. It will be all over this county by night and the town will be full of grim-visaged men before many hours. Your child has not died in vain. A few things like this will be the trumpet of the God of our fathers that will call the sleeping manhood of the Anglo-Saxon race to life again. I must be up and about this afternoon to keep down the storm. It is not time for it to break."

"But, Preacher, what happened to you?"

"Oh! nothing much, Tom."

"I'll tell you what happened," cried Mrs. Durham standing erect with her great dark eyes flashing with anger.

"As he came home last night from a visit to the sick, he was ambushed by a gang of negroes led by a white scoundrel, knocked down, bound and gagged and placed on a pile of dry fence rails. They set fire to the pile and left him to burn to death. It attracted the attention of Doctor Graham who was passing. He got to him in time to save him."

"You don't say so!"

"I'm sorry, Tom, I'm so weak this morning I couldn't come to see you. I know your poor wife is heartbroken."

"Yes, sir, she is, and it cuts me to the quick when I think that I gave the orders to the boys to shoot. But, Preacher, I'd a killed her with my own hand if I couldn't