The Purchase Price; Or, The Cause of Compromise

by Emerson Hough

  CHAPTER VII

  A CONFUSION IN CHATTELS

  Their conversation was brought to an end by sounds of hurrying feetupon the decks above them. The hoarse boom of the steamer'swhistle indicated an intended landing. A swift thought of possibleescape came to the mind of Josephine St. Auban. When Dunwodyturned in his troubled pacing up and down the narrow floor of thecabin, he found himself alone.

  "Jeanne!" cried she, running from the stair to the door of herstate-room. "Hurry! Quick, get your valises! We'll leave the boathere, at once!" Escape, in some fashion, to some place, at once,that was her sole thought in the panic which assailed her.

  But when presently, as the boat drew in along the dock, she madeready to go ashore and hurriedly sought a servant to take care ofthe luggage, it was the captain of the _Mount Vernon_ himself whocame to meet her.

  "I am sorry, Madam," he began, his cap in hand, "but your passagewas booked farther down the river than this point. You aremistaken. This is not Cairo."

  "What of that, sir? Is it not the privilege of a passenger to stopat any intermediate point?"

  "Not in this case, Madam."

  "What do you mean?" she blazed out at him in anger on firstimpulse. But even as she did so there came over her heart oncemore the sick feeling of helplessness. Though innocent, she wasindeed a prisoner! As much as though this were the Middle Ages, asthough these were implacable armed enemies who stood about her, andnot commonplace, every-day individuals in a commonplace land, shewas a prisoner.

  "You shall suffer for this!" she exclaimed. "There must be a lawsomewhere in this country."

  "That is true, Madam," said the captain, "and that is the trouble.I'm told that my orders come from the _highest_ laws. Certainly Ihave no option in the matter. I was told distinctly not to let youoff without his orders--not even to allow you to send any wordashore."

  "But the gentleman who accompanied me is no longer on the boat. Heleft me word that our journey in common was ended. See, here ishis note."

  "All I can say, Madam, is that this is not signed, and that he didnot tell me he was going to leave. I can not allow you to goashore at this point. In fact, I should consider you safer here onthe boat than anywhere else."

  "Are there then no gentlemen in all the world? Are you not a manyourself? Have you no pity for a woman in such plight as mine?"

  "Your words cut me deeply, my dear lady. I want to give you suchprotection as I can. Any man would do that. I am a man, but alsoI am an officer. You are a woman, but apparently also some sort offugitive, I don't know just what. We learn not to meddle in thesematters. But I think no harm will come to you--I'm sure not, fromthe care the gentlemen used regarding you. Please don't make ithard for me."

  The boat was now alongside the dock at the river settlement, andthere was some stir at the gangway as room was made for thereception of additional passengers. As they looked over the railthey discovered these to be made up of a somewhat singular group.Two or three roughly dressed men were guarding as many prisoners.Of the latter, two were coal black negroes. The third was a youngwoman apparently of white blood, of comely features and of composedbearing in spite of her situation. A second glance showed that allthese three were in irons. Obviously then the law, which at thattime under the newly formed Compromise Acts allowed an owner tofollow his fugitive slaves into any state, was here finding anexample, one offering indeed all the extremes of cruelty both tobody and to soul.

  "For instance, young lady, look at that," went on the boat captain,turning to Josephine, who was carried back by the incoming rush ofthe new passengers. "It is something we see now and again on thisriver. Sometimes my heart aches, but what can I do? That's thelaw, too. I have learned not to meddle."

  "That's the law, too"]

  "My God! My God!" exclaimed Josephine St. Auban, her eyes dilatingwith horror, forgetting her own plight as she looked at thespectacle before her. "Can these things really be in America! Yousubmit to this, and you are men? Law? Is there _any_ law?"

  She did not hear the step behind them, but presently a voice brokein.

  "If you please, Captain Rogers," said Warville Dunwody, "I think itwill not be necessary to restrain this lady in any way. By thistime she knows it will be better not to make any attempt to escape."

  Jeanne, the maid, was first to see the distress in the face of hermistress.

  "_Infame_! _Infame_!" she cried, flying at them, her handsclenched, her foot stamping. "Dogs of pigs, you are not men, youare not gentlemen! See now! See now!"

  Tears stood in the eyes of Jeanne herself. "Come," said she, andput an arm about her mistress, leading her back toward the door ofthe cabin.

  "This is bad business, sir," said the older man, turning toDunwody. "I don't understand all this case, but I'm almost readyto take that girl's part. Who is she? I can't endure much longerseeing a woman like that handled in this way. You'll some of youhave to show me your papers before long."

  "You ask me who she is," replied Dunwody slowly, "and on my honor Ican hardly tell you. She is temporary ward of the government, thatmuch is sure. You know very well the arm of the nationalgovernment is long. You know, too, that I'm a state senator andalso a United States marshal in Missouri."

  "But where do you come into this case, Senator?"

  "I came into it last night at a little after nine o'clock,"rejoined Dunwody. "Her former guardian has turned her over to me.She does not leave the boat till I do, at Cairo, where I change forup-river; and when I go, she goes. Don't pay any attention to anyoutcry she may make. She's my--property."

  Captain Rogers pondered for a time, but at length his face brokeout into a sort of smile. "There may be trouble ahead for you," hebegan. "It is like my old friend Bill Jones in there. He buys hima young filly last spring. Goes over to bring the filly home, andfinds she isn't broke, and wild as a hawk. So he puts a halter onher and starts off to lead her home. The filly rears up, fallsover and breaks her neck; so he's out his money and his pains.Some sorts of women won't lead."

  "They all do in time," rejoined Dunwody grimly. "This one must."The old boat captain shook his head.

  "Some of them break their necks first," said he. "This one's gotblood in her too, I tell you that."

  Dunwody made no answer except to turn and walk down the deck. Thecaptain, pondering on matters entirely beyond his comprehension,but forced to accept the assurances of men such as these who hadappeared as guardians of this mysterious young woman, now returnedto his own quarters. "I reckon it's none of my business," hemuttered. "Some high-class forger or confidence worker that's beatthe government somehow, maybe. But she don't look it--I'll bedamned if she looks it. I wonder--?"

  Dunwody, left to himself, began moodily to walk up and down thenarrow deck, his hands behind his back. On his face was the redfighting flush, but it was backed by no expression of definitepurpose, and his walk showed his mental uncertainty. All at oncehe turned and with decision passed down the stairs to the lowerdeck. He had heard voices which he recognized.

  Judge Clayton had joined the party in charge of the fugitives, andwas now in conversation with the overseer, a short man clad in acoarse blue jacket, with high boots and greasy leather trousers.The latter was expatiating exultantly upon his own bravery andshrewdness in effecting the recapture of his prisoners.

  "Why, Jedge," said he, "fust off it di'n't look like we'd ever gittrack of 'em at all. I cotched the trail at Portsmouth at last,and follered 'em back into Ohio. They was shore on the'underground' and bound for Canada, or leastways Chicago. I found'em in a house 'way out in the country--midnight it was when we gotthar. I'd summonsed the sher'f and two constables to go 'long.Farm-house was a underground railway station all right, and thefarmer showed fight. We was too much fer him, and we taken 'em outat last, but one of the constables got shot--some one fired rightthrough the winder at us. This Lily gal was the wust of the lot,and I don't put it a-past her to 'a' done some of the shootin'herself.
But we brung 'em all along.

  "Now, Jedge," he continued, "of co'se, I think I can do somethingfor these two bucks Bill and Jim--this gal only persuaded 'em torun away with her. But if I was you, I shore would sell that Lilygal South, right away. She's bound fer to make trouble, andnothin' but trouble, fer you as long as you keep her round theplace."

  The speaker, coarse and ignorant, presented a contrast to the tall,dignified and quiet gentleman whom he accosted, and who now stood,with hands in pockets, looking on with genuine concern on his face.

  "Lily," said he at length, "what makes you act this way? Haven'tyou always been treated well down there at home?"

  "Yas, sir, I reckon so," replied the girl sullenly; "well asanybody's niggahs is!"

  "Then why do you want to run off? This is the third time in thelast year. I've been kind to you--I say, Dunwody," he went on,turning suddenly as he saw the latter approach--"haven't I alwaystreated my people right? Haven't I always given them everything inthe world they ought to have?"

  "Yes, Judge, that's the truth, and any neighbor of yours will sayit," assented Dunwody as he joined the group. "What's wrong then?This Lily girl run off again? Seems to me you told me about her."

  "Yes," said Judge Clayton, rubbing a finger across his chin inperturbation, "the poor thing doesn't know when she's well off.But what am I to do with her, that's the question? I don't believein whipping; but in this case, Wilson, I'm going to turn over thosetwo boys to you. I won't have the girl whipped even yet. I'll seeyou when we get down to Cairo," he added, turning away. "We'llhave to change there to the Sally Lee, for the Vernon doesn't stopat our landing. She's going straight through to Memphis."

  As Judge Clayton walked away, Dunwody turned to the overseer, whomhe had seen before on the Clayton plantations.

  "So you had trouble this time?" he ventured.

  "Heap of it, sir," replied the overseer, taking off his cap. "Itwas that fine yaller lady there that made most of it. She's theone that's a-fo_mint_in' trouble right along. She's a quietlookin' gal, but she ain't. It's all right what the jedge says tome, but I'm goin' to have a little settle_ment_ with this fine ladymyself, this time."

  The girl heard him plainly enough, but only turned moodily backtoward the coil of rope where sat the two blacks who had been hercompanions. From these she kept her skirt as remote as though theywere not of her station. Dunwody approached the overseer, and puta gold double-eagle in his hand.

  "Listen here, Wilson," said he, "you seem to be able to handle suchpeople discreetly. Now I've got a prisoner along, up-stairs,myself--never mind who she is or how she comes here. As you know,I'm a United States marshal for this district, and this prisonerhas been turned over to me. I'm going on up home, beyond St.Genevieve, and I've got to change down there at Cairo myself, totake the up-river boat."

  "Mulattress?" listlessly inquired Wilson, after grinning at thecoin. "They're the wust. I'd rather handle straight niggers myown self."

  "Well," said Dunwody, "now that you mention it, I don't know butthey would be easier to handle. This prisoner is about as tall asthat girl yonder, and she's a whole lot lighter, do you understand?Of a dark night--say about the time we'd get down to Cairo,midnight--well wrapped up, and the face of neither showing, itmight be hard to tell one of them from the other."

  "How'll you trade?" grinned Wilson. "Anybody kin git a mighty goodtrade for this yaller lady of ours here. If she was mine I'd tradeher for a sack of last year potatoes. I reckon Jedge Clayton'll besick enough of her, time he gets expenses of this last trip paid,gittin' her back."

  "I'm not trading," said Dunwody, frowning and flushing. "But nowI'll tell you what I want you to do, when we get into Cairo. I mayhave trouble with my prisoner, and I don't know any better man thanyourself to have around in a case like that. Do you think, if Ileft it all to you, you could handle it?"

  "Shore I could--what's the use of your troublin' yourself about it,Colonel Dunwody? This here's more in my line."

  Dunwody turned away with a sudden feeling of revulsion, almost ofnausea at the thought now in his mind. It was a few moments laterthat he again approached Wilson.

  "There's a French girl along with this prisoner of mine," said he."Just take them both along together. I reckon the French girlwon't make any disturbance--it's the other--the lady--her mistress.She's apt to--to 'fomint' trouble. Handle her gently as you can.You'll have to have help. The captain will not interfere. Youjust substitute my prisoner for yours yonder at Cairo--I'll showyou where she is when the time comes. Once you have her aboard myboat for St. Genevieve, you can come back and take care of your ownprisoners here. There may be another eagle or so in it. I am notasking questions and want none asked. Do your work, that's all."

  "You don't need to be a-skeered but what I'll do the work,Colonel," smiled Wilson grimly. "I've had a heap o' trouble thelast week, and I'm about tired. I'll not stand no foolishness."

  Had any friend seen Warville Dunwody that night, he must havepronounced him ten years older than when the Mount Vernon had begunher voyage.