Red Rock: A Chronicle of Reconstruction

by Thomas Nelson Page

  CHAPTER XXXIV

  LEECH AND STILL MAKE A MOVE, AND TWO WOMEN CHECK THEM

  The departure of Leech and Still from the County was followed bythe quieting down which always signalized their absence. The Countybreathed the freer and enjoyed the calm, knowing that when theyreturned there would be a renewed girding of loins for the strugglewhich the approaching campaign would inevitably bring. It was noteven disquieted over the rumors of some unusual move which, it wasreported, the Government, on the application of Leech and Still, wouldmake to strengthen their hands. These rumors had been going on so longthat they were hardly heeded now. It would be time enough to meet thestorm when it came, as it had met others; meanwhile, the people of RedRock would enjoy the calm that had befallen. The calm would be brokenwhen Leech and Still returned for the trial of the Red Rock case atthe approaching term of court. Steve Allen and Jacquelin, meanwhile,were applying all their energies to preparation for the trial. Rupert,filled with the desire to do his part, was riding up and down theCounty notifying their witnesses, and, it must be said, talking with aboy’s imprudence of what they were going to do at the trial. “They weregoing to show that Still was a thief, and were going to run him andLeech out of the County,” etc.

  Rupert left home one morning to go to the railway, promising to returnthat evening. Jacquelin sat up for him, but he did not come; and as hedid not appear next morning, and no word had come from him, Jacquelinrode down in the evening to see about him. At the station he learnedthat Rupert had been there, but had left a little before dark, theevening before, to return home. He had fallen in with three or four menwho had just come from the city on the train, and were making inquiriesconcerning the various places and residents in the upper end of theCounty, something about all of which they had appeared to know. Theysaid they were interested in timber lands and had a good deal of lawbusiness they wished attended to, and they wanted advice as to who werethe best lawyers of the County; and Rupert said he could tell them allabout the lawyers: that General Legaie and Mr. Bagby were the best oldlawyers, and his brother and Steve Allen were the best young lawyers.They asked him about Leech and McRaffle.

  Leech wasn’t anything. Yes, he was—he was a thief, and so was Still.Still had stolen his father’s bonds; but wait until he himself got onthe stand, he’d show him up! McRaffle was a turncoat hound, who hadstolen money from a woman and then tried to run her out of the County.

  One of the men who lived about the station told Jacquelin that he hadgone up and tried to get Rupert away from the strangers, and urged himto go home, but that the boy was too excited by this time to know whathe was doing.

  “He was talking pretty wildly,” he said, “and was abusing Leech andStill and pretty much all the Rads. I didn’t mind that so much, but hewas blowing about that old affair when the negro soldiers were shot,and about the K.K.’s and the capture of the arms, and was telling whathe did about it. You know how a boy will do! And I put in to stop him,but he wouldn’t be hearsaid. He said these men were friends of his andhad come up to employ you all in a lawsuit, and knew Leech and Stillwere a parcel of rascals. So I let him alone, and he went off with ’em,along with a wagon they’d hired, saying he was going to show them thecountry, and I supposed he was safe home.”

  By midnight the whole population of that part of the County was out,white and black, and the latter were as much interested as the former.All sorts of speculation was indulged in, and all sorts of rumorsstarted. Some thought he had been murdered, and others believed he andhis companion had gotten on a spree and had probably gone off togetherto some adjoining county, or even had turned at some point and gone tothe city; but the search continued. Meantime, unknown to the searchers,an unexpected ally had entered the field.

  That evening Ruth Welch was sitting at home quietly reading when aservant brought a message that a man was at the door asking to seeMajor Welch. It happened that Major Welch was absent in town, and Mrs.Welch had driven over that afternoon to see a sick woman. So Ruth wentout to see the man. He was a stranger, and Ruth was at once struck bysomething peculiar about him. He was a little unsteady on his feet, hisvoice was thick, and, at first, he did not appear to quite take in whatRuth told him. He had been sent, he repeated several times, to tell“Mazhur Welth” that they had taken his advice and had made the firstarrest, and bagged the man who had given the information that startedthat riot, and had gotten evidence enough from him to hang him and tohaul in the others too.

  “But I don’t understand,” said the girl. “What is all this about? Who’sbeen arrested, and who is to be hung? My father has never advised thearrest of anyone.”

  “Tha’s all I know, miss,” said the man. “At least, tha’s all I was totell. I was told to bring him that message, and I guess it’s so, ’causethey’ve got the young fellow shut up in a jail since last night andas drunk as a monkey, and don’t anybody know he’s there—tha’s a goodjoke, ain’t it?—and to-morrow mornin’ they’ll take him to the city andlodge him in the jail there, and ’t ’ll go pretty hard with him. Don’tanybody know he’s there, and they’re huntin’ everywheres for him.” Heappeared to think this a great joke.

  “But I don’t understand at all whom you mean?”

  “The young one. They bagged him, and they’re after the two older onestoo,” he said, confidentially. He was so repulsive that Ruth shrankback.

  “The one they calls Rupert; but they’re after the two head devils—hisbrother and that Allen one. Them’s the ones the colonel and your friendover there want to jug.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of RedRock.

  It all flashed on the girl in a moment.

  “Oh! They have arrested Mr. Rupert Gray, and they want Mr. JacquelinGray and Captain Allen? Who has arrested him?”

  “The d—tectives. But them’s the ones had it done—Major Leech andMist’ Still.” He winked elaborately, in a way that caused Ruth tostiffen with indignation.

  “What was it for?” she asked, coldly.

  “For murder—killin’ them men three or four years back. They’ve got thedead wood on ’em now—since the young one told all about it.”

  “Has he confessed? What did he say?”

  “Enough to hang him and them too, I heard. You see they tanked him upand led him on till he put his head in the noose. Oh! they’re prettyslick ones, them detectives is. They got him to pilot ’em most to thejail door, and then they slipped him in there, to keep him till theytake him to the city to-morrow. He was so drunk—don’t nobody knowwho he was, and he didn’t know himself. And they huntin’ all over thecountry for him!” He laughed till he had to support himself against thedoor.

  The expression on Ruth’s face was such that the man noticed it.

  “Oh! don’t you mind it, miss. I don’t think they’re after the youngone. They’re after the two elder ones, and if he gives it away so theyever get them they’ll be easy on him.”

  Ruth uttered an exclamation of disgust.

  “He’ll never give it away——” She checked herself.

  “Don’t know—a man’ll do a heap to save his own neck.” He made agesture, drawing his hand across his throat significantly.

  “I know that young man, and I say he’ll die before he’d betrayanyone—much less his cousin and brother.”

  “Well, maybe so.”

  Just as the messenger turned away Ruth caught sight of someone standingin the shrubbery, and as the man went out of the gate the person cameforward. It was Virgy Still. She appeared to be in a state of greatagitation, and began to tell Ruth a story in which her father andRupert Gray and Major Leech were all mixed up so incoherently that, butthat Ruth had just heard the facts, she could never have been able tounravel it. At length Ruth was able to calm her and to get her account.She had sent a man over to tell Ruth, but she was so afraid he had notcome that she had followed him. “They want to get rid of Mr. Rupert. Ithas something to do with the case against pa and your father. They areafraid Mr. Rupert will give evidence against them, and they mean to puthim in
jail and keep him from doing it. Do you know what it is?”

  Ruth shook her head.

  “I do not either. I heard them talking about it, but I did notunderstand what it was. They ain’t after Mr. Rupert; they’re after Mr.Jacquelin and Captain Allen.”

  She suddenly burst into tears.

  “Oh, Miss Ruth,” she sobbed, “you don’t know—you don’t know——”

  “I don’t know what?” asked Ruth, gently.

  “He is the only one that was always kind to me.”

  “Who?”

  “Mr. Jacquelin. He was always good to me; when I was a little bit ofgirl he was always kind to me. And now he hates me, and I never wantedthe place!”

  “Oh, I don’t think he does,” said Ruth, consolingly.

  “Yes, he does; I know he does,” sobbed the girl. “And I never wantedthe place. I have been miserable ever since I went there.”

  Ruth looked at her with new sympathy. The idea that the poor girlwas in love with Jacquelin had never crossed her mind. She felt anunspeakable pity for her.

  “And now they want me to marry Mr. Leech,” moaned the girl, “and I hatehim—I hate him! Oh, I wish we never had had the place. I know he wouldnot want to marry me if pa did not have it, and could not help him getthe governorship. And I hate him. I hope we’ll lose the case.”

  “I would not marry anyone I did not want to marry,” said Ruth.

  “Oh, you don’t know,” said Virgy. “You don’t know Wash. And pa wants meto marry him too; he says he’ll be Governor. Pa loves me, but he won’thear to my not marrying. And I’ll have to do it—unless we lose thecase,” she added.

  She rose and went away, leaving Ruth with a new idea in her mind.

  Ruth sat still for a few moments in deep thought. Suddenly she sprangup, and, calling a servant, ordered her horse. While it was being gotshe seized a pencil and scribbled a few lines on a piece of paper,which she put in her pocket.

  She blushed to find what an interest she took in the matter, and howwarmly her feeling was enlisted on the side opposed to that which shefelt she ought to espouse. And she hated herself to recognize thecause. She tried to think that it was on account of the poor wild boy,or on account of Blair Cary and Miss Thomasia; but no, she knew itwas not on their account—at least, not mainly so—but on account ofanother.

  When her horse came, Ruth muttered something to the servant abouttelling her mother that she would be back in a little while; spranginto the saddle and galloped away, leaving the negro gazing after herwith wonderment, and mumbling over the message she had given him.

  Blair Cary was one of the best horsewomen in the State, and it wasfortunate for Ruth Welch’s project that night that, emulating herfriend, she also had become a capital horsewoman, self-possessed andperfectly fearless; else she could not have managed the high-mettled,spirited horse she rode.

  Ruth knew her road well, and as soon as she turned into the highwaythat led to the county seat she let her horse out, and they fairlyflew. She passed a number of men, riding all of them toward thecourt-house, but she dashed by them too rapidly for them to speak toher or to recognize her in the dark. As she came near the village theriders increased in numbers, so she drew in her horse and turned intoa by-lane which skirted the back of the court-green and led near thelawyers’ offices. Jumping her horse over the low fence, she tied himto a swinging limb of a tree where he would be in the shadow, and,with a pat or two to quiet him and keep him from whinnying, she madeher way on foot into the court-green. There were a number of lightsand many men moving about over across the street that ran between thetavern and the court-green; but not a light was visible in any of theoffices. Ruth walked down as far as she dared, keeping close beside thefence, and tried to recognize some of the men who were moving abouton the tavern veranda or in the road before it; but there was not onethat she knew. While she was listening the sound of a horse gallopingrapidly came from the direction of the road that led to the railway,and the next minute the rider dashed up. Ruth’s heart gave a bound asshe recognized Captain Allen. His coming seemed to give her a senseof security and protection. She felt reassured and certain that noweverything would be all right. As Steve sprang from his horse, he wassurrounded by the crowd with eager questions. His first words, however,damped Ruth’s hopes.

  No, no trace had been found of Rupert. Jacquelin and many others werestill searching for him, and would keep it up. No, he felt sure he hadnot been murdered by any negro—that he had not been murdered at all.He would be found in time, etc. All this in answer to questions.

  Suddenly he singled out one man and drew him away from the crowd, andto Ruth’s horror they came across the road straight toward where shestood. She gave herself up for lost. She turned and would have fled,but she could not. Instead, she simply dropped down on the ground andcowered beside the fence. They came and leant against the fence withinten feet of her, on the other side, and began to talk. The other personwas a stranger to Ruth; but his voice was that of an educated man, andSteve Allen called him Helford, which Ruth remembered to have heardsomewhere before.

  “Well, where is he?” the stranger asked Steve, as soon as they were outof earshot of the crowd.

  “Somewhere, shut up—hidden,” said Allen.

  “Drunk?”

  “Yes, and that’s not the worst of it.”

  “What do you mean? He’ll turn up all right.”

  “You think so! He’ll turn up in jail, and you and I shall too, if wedon’t mind. He’s been trapped and spirited away—by detectives, sent uphere on purpose.”

  “What! Oh, nonsense! You’re daft about the boy. Many another youngfellow’s gone off and disappeared, to turn up with nothing worse than asplitting head and somewhat damaged morals. You yourself, for instance,when you were not much older than he——”

  “Never mind about that,” interrupted Steve; “wait until I tell you all,and you’ll see. I’m not given to being scary, I think.”

  He went on to tell of Rupert’s falling in with the men at the station,and of his disappearance, including all that his friends had learnedof him both before and after he left. The man gave a low whistle ofamazement and dismay.

  “The little fool! What makes you think they were detectives?” He wasgroping for a shred of encouragement.

  “I know it,” said Steve; and he gave his reasons.

  Ruth was astonished to see how closely his reasoning followed andunravelled the facts as she knew them.

  “Well, where is he now? Back in the city?”

  “No. They haven’t got him there yet. They have hid him somewhere andare keeping him drunk, and will try taking him off by night.”

  “Well, what are you going to do?”

  “Find him and take him away from them,” said Steve. “If Leech or Stillwere in the County I’d find him in an hour; but they’re both in thecity—been away a fortnight hatching this thing.”

  “All right, I’m with you. But where’ll we look? You say Leech and Stillare both away in the city, and you don’t think he’s at either of theirplaces? Where can he be?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll find out if he’s above ground,” said Steve,“and some day I’ll call Jonadab Leech and Hiram Still to a settling.”

  “I’ll tell you, Allen, where you may find him, or, at any rate, find atrace of him. At that new carpet-bagger’s, Mr. Welch’s.”

  “Nonsense! Why don’t you look in my office?”

  “You may say so; but I’ll tell you you’d better look. You all over herethink he’s different from the rest: but I tell you he isn’t. When itcomes to these questions, they’re all tarred with the same stick, and ad——d black stick it is.”

  Ruth stirred with indignation. She wished she could have sprung up andfaced him.

  “We won’t discuss that,” said Steve, coldly. “Major Welch certainlydiffers widely from you and me on all political questions—perhaps onmany other questions. But he is a gentleman, and I’ll stake my life onhis being ignorant of anything like this.
Gentlemen are the same theworld over in matters of honor.”

  “Well, maybe so—if you think so,” said the other, impressed by Steve’sseriousness. “But I don’t see why you should think he’s so differentfrom all the rest of them. You didn’t use to find one Yankee so muchbetter than another.”

  Steve declared haughtily that he did not wish to discuss that questionfurther, and that he would have his horse fed and go to his office tomake out a few notices and be ready to start off again in an hour.

  “The roads are all picketed, and if they get him to the city it will beby a route they won’t want to take themselves,” he said grimly, as heturned away.

  “Suppose he’s already in jail somewhere?” asked his friend.

  “We’ll take him out,” said Steve, stopping short. “There isn’t a jailin this commonwealth that will hold him, if I discover where he is.”

  “All right, we’ll be with you, old fellow,” said his friend, hisgood-humor restored; “and if we could get a pull at some of yourcarpet-bag friends at the same time so much the better. You are not theonly one who holds a due-bill of McRaffle’s, and has a score againstLeech. He arrested my father and kept him in jail a week.” His voicehad suddenly grown bitter.

  When they moved off, Ruth rose and crept hurriedly away, stealing alongby the fence until she was in the shadow of the offices. She knew shehad not a moment to lose. She went up to the offices and scanned thedoors. Fortunately, by even the faint glimmer of the stars she couldmake out the big names on the signs. She tried the door on which wasthe name of “Allen and Gray,” and, finding it locked, slipped herenvelope under it and crept quickly away.

  She was just in time, for she heard steps behind her and caught sightof a tall figure striding across the green toward the door she had justleft. She found and mounted her horse and rode away, keeping well inthe shadow of the trees. As she turned into the road at a sharp cantershe almost ran over an old negro who was walking rapidly toward thevillage. It was so close that she could not avoid calling out to him;but she was not quite in time, for her horse touched him enough totopple him over. Ruth pulled in instantly and, turning around, wentback to the man, who was scrambling to his feet grumbling and mumblingto himself:

  “Who d’name o’ King dat ridin’ over me?”

  Ruth recognized old Waverley.

  “Oh! Are you hurt, uncle? I hope not. I’m so sorry. It was so dark Icouldn’t see you,” she said, solicitously. The tone removed the oldman’s irritation immediately.

  “Yes’m—’tis mighty dark, sho nough. Nor’m, I ain hut none—jes kind o’skeered, dat’s all. I did’n hut yo’ hoss, did I? Ken you tell me, isdee done heah anything o’ my young marster? I jes hurryin’ down heah togit de lates’ wud ’bout him.”

  Ruth told him that his young master had not been seen yet; but that hewould certainly be found within the next twenty-four hours, and thatshe was sure he would be discovered to be all right.

  “Well, I certney is glad to heah you say dat, mistis,” said the oldfellow, “‘cause my mistis is almost distracted, and so is he mammyand all de fam’ly. I done walked down heah three times to-day to gitde news, an’ I know I ain’ gwine shet my eyes till he found. Hits allde wuck of dat Cun’l Leech an’ dat debble, Hiram Still, an’ he son.I knows ’em,” he broke out, fiercely, “and I’ll git at de bottom ofit yit.” He came near and gazed up at Ruth with a look of such keenscrutiny, that to get away from him Ruth made her horse start. “I shallhave to let him go,” she said, and at a touch of her heel her horsebounded away.

  “I knows your hoss and I knows you too, now,” said the old man, lookingafter her as she dashed away in the darkness. “Well, well!” and he wenton into the village.

  When Ruth reached home, to her relief she found that her mother had notyet returned. A message had come that Miss Bush was ill and she wouldbe detained until very late, but would certainly be back by bedtime.