And Col. Seybert and Burley had subtly played upon the ignorance and superstition of the lower black element about them, so they had come to look upon Victor as their enemy and the enemy of his people.
He who had all his life long sought only the good of his race, planned through long, wakeful nights for their advancement, and had labored early and late for an education, mainly for the reason that he could help them better—so ignorant wuz they that they could see nothin’ of this, and looked at him through the hate-prejudiced eyes of his enemies.
His preachin’ to his people to be patient under their wrongs and to return good for evil; his warnings to them aginst their habits of lawlessness, and laziness, and theft; his pleadings with them to turn in their evil ways and try to become decent citizens; his admonitions that their future lay in their own hands, and they could become, by the grace of God and by hard work and education, whatever they chose to be, had been mistaken by these more ignorant ones. And subtly wrought upon by Col. Seybert and Burley, they looked upon Victor as one who, while he taught them lessons of patience, and meekness, and unselfishness, wuz himself carryin’ on a secret plan for their humiliation and his own personal wealth and ambition.
Victor knew something of this secret antagonism towards him from the lower black element and his revengeful white enemies, but he hardly knew how strong it wuz.
And so the mills of the gods wuz turnin’ slowly but surely, and slavery, and oppression, and class hatred, and personal spite, and bitterness, and social contempt, and ignorance wuz gettin’ ready to be ground out into the food whereby Vengeance and Horror should be sated.
Very quickly but very surely wuz the preparations goin’ on for Victor’s departure for the colony.
Nearly all of them who wuz goin’ with him had been able to get a little money ahead.
On an average, they had about five hundred dollars each.
Some had more than this, and wuz takin’ out wife, or children, or parents, who had less; so that the actual amount each member of the colony would have would be about five hundred dollars.