A Woman Rice Planter

by Elizabeth W. Allston Pringle

By great meandering around the tops of trees, and jumping others, through people's yards I made my way to the post-office. There I met Mr. B. and Mr. F. who said it was madness to attempt to go down to the plantation on horseback. I said I would tie my horse there and try it on foot; but at that they both agreed it was better for me, if I insisted on going, to ride as far as I could, and then tie my horse and proceed on foot. The road goes two miles due east and then makes a sharp turn and continues two miles due south. About a hundred yards out of the village Mr. R. appeared, looking haggard and weary; he said the storm had been terrific at his place, he had had nothing to eat since yesterday morning, and that the road was absolutely impassable; he had made his way through the woods and it had taken him hours; but he told me there was no hope of getting along the road as the deep ditch on each side and the trees across it made it impossible. I took his advice and struck into the woods, greatly against Rab's judgment, and Ruth fought every step of the way. My hope was to make the other side of the triangle by going in a southeasterly direction, but there was no sign of the whereabouts of the sun and so nothing but instinct to go by. Rab rolled up his little pants as high as he could, the continuous rains having made the woods in many places more than knee-deep in slush and water.

When he reached any specially difficult spot, he would fly ahead and from his vantage ground call to the recalcitrant Ruth, "Cum on, Root, look a' me, I git ober en I sure yu'se bigger den me"; and the mare, who is far too human, and had taken her key-note from my pessimistic advisers at the P.O., would seem greatly encouraged by Rab's optimism.

It seemed to me a perfect miracle when we finally emerged from the woods, just where I had hoped to strike the road, on Cherokee soil. At the gate, standing looking distractedly up the road, I came upon Bonaparte; he looked gaunt and wild, and as soon as he saw me he called out, "Teng God! I look, en I look, en I look, en you ain't come."

"Well," I said, "you may be thankful to see me now, for I have gone through great perils getting here."

The faithful old man walked beside my horse, and told of the terrors of yesterday, how he watched his chance to go from the barn-yard to the house and back again, for trees and rafters and beams were flying in every direction; and how he managed to get the five horses and two colts into the cow stable, and how no sooner had he done it than the horse stable fell, the roof blowing away a hundred yards, and then when he saw the cow stable shake he tried to get them out, but they would not come out, and just then he heard a great noise and behold the big two-story barn packed with hay had fallen and crushed Jackson (an ox) and mashed up all the wagons and other farm vehicles and implements in the shed alongside. And then the shed to the engine room went, and then the screw, for carrying the rice from the thrashing mill to the shipping barn on the river, went. It really was thrilling to hear the old man's graphic narrative, and how he and all the animals escaped, was a wonder.

He led me round through the fields and over ditches, for there were five huge live oaks down on the avenue, some directly across. When I reached the barn-yard I jumped down and turned Ruth loose with the saddle and bridle on her, as I can always catch her and I wanted to walk over the whole scene of destruction with Bonaparte. Every fence was down and the sheep, hogs, cows, and horses were eating up the corn, peas, and potatoes over which we had labored so. We went on to the cotton-field which I had seen on Saturday white with a splendid growth of cotton. I planted a long staple cotton which grew as tall as I am and branched so well that Jim could not give it the last plowing it should have had, because the branches met in the rows. I had it picked twice when some bolls were out, but I was advised to wait until the whole field was out, as the hands picked more and the cotton was better quality; so I waited and the picking was to have begun yesterday. Saturday it looked like a field of snow. Now there was no vestige of white, the stalks all lay prostrate, and the cotton beaten into the earth. It is a terrible blow, as I had counted on this for my money crop.

Before catching Ruth I went to the dairy, skimmed the cream, and put it into a preserve jar and determined to try to take it with me. Hearing me lament over my inability to take the milk with me too, for I have been sending milk regularly to several friends in the village who had none, and I knew they would miss it, Rab said, "I most think I kin carry de milk."

"No, Rab," I said, "not four quart bottles. If we had it in a demijohn I could put it in a sack and you could take it on your shoulder, but not four bottles, they would break."

"Le' me try, Miss Pashuns, I kno' I kin do um."

Of course I was delighted to let Rab try, for if he failed, it would be only the loss of the milk.