The Carter Girls' Mysterious Neighbors

  CHAPTER XXI

  THE FLAMING SWORD

  And what a time we have had to keep Helen peeping through the railingsat Dr. Wright as he stood in the brilliant moonlight on the gallery atGrantly, while the crazed mob of darkies advanced jauntily to the frontof the old mansion! It was their intention to enter and claim the spoilsthereof: treasures that they had begun to think belonged to them byreason of their long service and the service of their fathers andfathers' fathers.

  Confident that the mansion was empty, they made no endeavor to be quiet.All the white folks for miles and miles around were feasting at thecount's ball; as for the burning rick,--they had not thought that thefire would do more than warm things up for their deed.

  "Now fur the loot!" cried James Hanks. "An' we mus' hurry up, 'causewhin the ol' tabbies gits home from the ball they mus'n't be hide or harof the house lef' standin'."

  "Bus' open the bar'l er coal ile!" suggested one black brute, "so's wecan pour her on."

  "They keep the coal ile in the woodshed," a little bandy-legged manremarked.

  "Now see hyar! Befo' we enter this here domicyle, they's to be a reg'larunderstandin' 'bout the findin's," continued James Hanks. "The money isto be 'vided ekal an' the silvo and chino an' other little value bowlesis to be portioned out 'cordin' to they valubility."

  "Sho'! Sho'! We's all 'greed to that!" came in a chorus.

  "I goes fust, as the man 'pinted by Gawd as yo' leader."

  As James Hanks started up the broad steps he was dumfounded when Dr.Wright came forward. He retreated down the steps and the crowd ofdarkies behind him surged backward.

  "What is it you want?" asked the young physician quite simply, in avoice as cool and natural as though he were a soda clerk dealing outsoft drinks.

  "We--er--we--we didn't know any of the white folks was in."

  "Exactly!" and Dr. Wright came closer to the nonplussed darky. "PerhapsGod has appointed me to defend this home."

  "We is hyar fur our rights," came from the extreme edge of the crowd ina growling voice.

  "Your rights!"

  "Yessah!" and James Hanks spoke up more bravely, emboldened by thesupport he felt the crowd was able to give him.

  "Aw go on, Jeemes! He ain't even armed," cried the black brute who hadbeen so free in his suggestions about breaking open the barrel ofkerosene. "Gawd wouldn't send nobody 'thout even a razor."

  Helen saw the crowd pushing forward. She felt a choking in her throatand loosened the cord that fastened her evening wrap. The heavy capeand hood fell to the ground. She was over the railing in a twinklingof an eye, dragging her ancient weapons of offense and defense withher. The hood had loosened her hairpins and now her hair fell aroundher shoulders in a heavy shower. She ran along the gallery, draggingthe sword with one hand and with the other clutching the shield andscimiter. Without a word she thrust the great sword in theoutstretched hand of the young man.

  He looked at her in astonishment and terror. Having locked her in thehall he had thought of course she would remain there. At least, he hadso devoutly hoped so that he had made himself believe that was where hewould find her when this wretched affair was over.

  His face blanched and his knees trembled visibly. The fear that he hadnot felt for himself was intense for this girl, but he grasped the swordand waved it over the crowd.

  At sight of Helen the crowd set up a groan. They sank on their kneesor fell prone to the earth. God had sent an angel of vengeance with aflaming sword for their undoing. Indeed less superstitious persons thanthose poor darkies might have been startled by the sudden appearance ofHelen Carter. Her dress, that Nan had described as like the moon, mightwell have been the garb of an angel. Her long light brown hair, usuallyso carefully coiffed but now falling below her waist, added to themake-up, as did also the ancient shield and the crescent scimiter.

  With the shield held forward, as though to guard the doctor, and thescimiter raised aloft, she stood gazing on the trembling crowd.

  "Gawd save this nigger! Gawd save this nigger!" cried the abject onewith the bandy legs.

  "A angel of destruction, carryin' a flamin' sword! Lemme git out'nthis!" wailed another.

  "'Twas Jeemes Hanks set fire to the straw stack! Not me! Not me!" fromone who knelt and rocked himself back and forth.

  "I ain't teched a thing what don't b'long to me!"

  "I jes' come along to see the fun! I ain't nebber had no idee er harmin'Miss Ellanlouise!"

  "Me neither! Me neither!"

  "Jeemes Hanks, He's the one, good Gawd! He's the one!"

  James Hanks, goaded to desperation by the backslidings of his followers,turned on them in fury:

  "You low down sneaks! Can't you see that this ain't no angel of theLawd? This is one of them gals come to live in the ol' tumble-downoverseer's house, jes' a play actin' to scare you. If'n we can't downthem we ain't worth of the name of Loyal Af'cans. Come on, boys, an'let's finish 'em an' thin we can git our loot. I ain't afraid of them. Aflamin' sword ain't in it with a gun." He reached for his hip pocket.

  Dr. Wright grabbed the angel of the Lord most unceremoniously and heldher behind him. The kneeling and groveling mob was divided in itsfeelings as to whether Helen was or was not a celestial visitor, butthey were one and all anxious to be through with the night's workwithout bloodshed. This was an outcome they had not bargained for. Togo to Grantly and get all the money that they ignorantly supposed theold ladies to possess, to steal the silver and whatever else theyfancied and then to set fire to the ancient pile, thereby destroyingall trace of their burglary, so that when the white folks came homefrom the count's fine ball there would be naught to tell the tale, wasa very different matter from this thing of having to get rid of twopersons, perhaps kill them and then be found out.

  "Jeemes, you is foolish in de haid," spoke up Bandy-Legs.

  "Indeed you are!" came in clear ringing tones from Helen as she wavedher scimiter, the moonlight flashing on it. "This minute the wholecounty knows that Grantly is on fire and that all of you are here."

  "Oh, rats! Whatcher tryin' ter give us?" from the scornful, incredulousleader.

  "I am telling you what is so. As soon as I heard you in the yard and sawthe light from the straw stack, I gave a hurry call and got theneighbors on the 'phone."

  "An' what was you an' the young man a-doin' of in Grantly?" sneeredJames, coming up quite close to Helen. "Looks like whin Miss Ellanlouiseis to the ball, it's a strange place----" but James was not allowed tofinish what he had to say. Dr. Wright's powerful fist shot out and thedarky received a scientifically dealt blow square on his jaw bone thatsent him backwards down the steps, where he lay in a huddled heap andlike the Heathen Chinee:

  "Subsequent proceedings interested him no more"--at least, not for awhile.

  Their leader down and out, the crowd began to melt away, but in a tonethat commanded instant obedience George Wright bade them to halt.

  "Listen, you fools! If one of you budges from this spot until I givehim permission I will lick him to within an inch of his life. Miss EllaGrant had a fainting spell and could not go to the ball, and Miss Carterand I came over here from Weston when her sister telephoned us thetrouble she was in. We were just leaving the house when you arrived."

  "Is Miss Ellanlouise in dar now?" asked a trembling old man.

  "Yes!"

  "Praise be ter Gawd fer stayin' our han'! Praise be ter Gawd!"

  "Yes, you had better give praise. I am not going to tell you what Ithink of you for attempting this terrible thing. You know yourselves howwicked and foolish you are."

  Just then a light shot across the yard and in a moment the red carbelonging to the count came whizzing into view.

  "Now you may go, all but you, and you, and you!" indicating the ones whohad been so glib about the kerosene and their rights, and the one whohad known so well that God would not have sent an angel without even arazor.

  The men pointed out tremblingly obeyed, coming up to the steps as thoughdrawn by a magnet. The rest of
the mob simply disappeared, dodgingbehind the box bushes and losing themselves in the convenient labyrinth.

  That little red car had brought over six men: the count and hissecretary, Mr. Carter, Mr. Sutton, Lewis Somerville and Bill Tinsley.Hardly a word had been spoken on that ride. The count had pushed thepowerful engine to its utmost ability and it had taken the car throughheavy mud, up hills and down dales, through mire and ruts with a speedtruly remarkable.

  "Some car!" remarked Lewis.

  "Some!" grunted Bill.

  Mr. Carter's mouth was close set and his eyes looked like steel points.All of his girls were dear to him but Helen had always seemed closer forsome reason; perhaps her very wilfulness was the reason. And now as hethought of her in danger, it seemed as though he could single-handedtackle any number of foes. He prayed continuously as he stood on therunning-board of that speeding car, but his prayer was perhaps not verydevout:

  "Oh, God, let me get at them! Let me get at them!"

  The relief of finding his dear girl alive and unharmed was so greatthat Mr. Carter sobbed. When Helen saw him jump from the car, she flewdown the box-bordered walk and threw herself into his arms.

  "Daddy! Daddy! We saved Miss Ella and Miss Louise!"

  "And who saved you?"

  "Dr. Wright saved me and I saved him."

  Mr. Sutton, who was magistrate for the district, made short order inarresting James Hanks and his companions. As the vehicles arrived withthe other members of the posse there was some whisper of a lynching, butMr. Sutton downed the whisper with contempt.

  "There hasn't been a lynching in Virginia for eighteen years and Ishould hate our county to be the one to break the record. It will have amuch more salutary effect to have these poor fools locked up in jail andbe brought to trial with all of their deviltry exposed and aired in thepapers. After all, the only real harm done is the burning of an oldrotting straw stack that was not fit for bedding, as I remember."

  The count and Herz were most solicitous in their endeavors to help inany possible way. It was decided that Grantly must be patrolled for therest of the night, as it was feared that some of the darkies mightreturn. Dr. Wright smiled at the suggestion. He knew full well that thepoor negroes who had been allowed to depart would not be seen or heardof for many a day. He had seen too great and abject a fear in theirrolling eyes to have any apprehension of danger from them.

  James Hanks showed signs of returning life. The young physician leanedover him and felt his pulse.

  "Umm hum! You had better be glad I didn't break your jaw. You'll be allright in a few days and in the meantime the quiet of the lock-up will bevery good for your nerves."

  "Ah, then that is some work that Herz and I can do," cried the count."These men must be taken to jail, and why should not we attend to it?Eh, Adolph!"

  "Certainly!" Herz had been looking very grim ever since Chloe haddropped the tray of second helpings for Helen.

  "I wish we had handcuffs," said Mr. Sutton.

  "Why, that is hardly necessary. I should think Herz and I with pistolscould take four poor devils, unarmed, to jail. Especially since one ofthose devils has been already put out of business by this skilfulsurgeon," laughed the count.

  "Yes, and I'll go along with you," sighed Mr. Sutton who was accustomedto early retiring. This midnight rioting was not much to his taste, buthe was determined as magistrate of the district to see the matter safelythrough.

  "Why, my dear man, there is not a bit of use in your going. You cantrust Herz and me to land them safely."

  "Well, all right, but I feel responsible for the good of the communityand these black devils must be locked up in the court-house jail beforemany hours."

  "You had better take my car," suggested Dr. Wright. "It will hold thesix of you more comfortably."

  "Oh, not at all! Mine brought six of us over here from Weston and cantake six away. The prisoners can stand on the running-boards, all butthe injured one, and he can sit by me. If any of them attempts to escapewe can wing him quite easily."

  Dr. Wright felt rather relieved that his offer was turned down. No manwould relish his perfectly new car being used to carry four bad darkiesto jail over roads that were quite as vile as the prisoners.

  Everyone felt grateful to the count for his unselfish offer, everyonebut Skeeter Halsey and Frank Maury. They had fondly hoped to have a handin the undertaking. The night had been a thrilling one for the two boys.They bitterly regretted that they had not got there in time to rush inand save Miss Helen.

  "I felt like I could 'a' killed at least six niggers," Skeeter said toLucy and Mag.

  "Humph! Only six? I could have put a dozen out of business," scoffedFrank; and Lucy and Mag were sure they could.

  The boys were allowed to divide the patrol duties with Lewis and Bill,and very proud they were as they stalked up and down in front of themansion and around the barnyard, keeping a sharp lookout for skulkingblacks.

  Almost everything has an amusing side if one can see it. Witness: thejokes that are cracked by the men in the trenches in the midst of thetremendous world tragedy. The amusing thing about that night'shappenings was that Miss Ella and Miss Louise slept right through it.Worn out by their cake making and wrangling, intensely relieved that itwas nothing but hunger and not a stroke that had befallen one of them,they had slept like two children.