A bunch of runaway niggers! Fair sport on a Saturday afternoon. The “insurrection”—the word stumbled off their tongues—had been started by that “Auld boy,” the “smart nigger.”
“A bad un!”
“Ought to be hanged!” They laughed and ordered another drink of burning whiskey. Wish something would happen in this God-forsaken hole!
The procession stopped first at Captain Auld’s. The Captain was loud in his cries of denunciation.
“Done everything for this boy, everything! I promise you he’ll be punished—I’ll take all the hide off him! I’ll break every bone in his body!”
He was reminded that Frederick and the others were already in the hands of the law. Beyond a shadow of doubt they would be punished. At this the Captain calmed down. Here was a horse of another color. Frederick was his property. His slow mind began to revolve. He dared not offend either Mr. Freeland or Mr. Hamilton. He had no stomach for losing a valuable piece of property to anything as vague and unrewarding as “the law.” He fixed a stern eye on Frederick—noting the thick broad shoulders and long legs.
“What have you done, you ungrateful rascal?”
“Nothin’, Massa, nothin’, nothin’, nothin’! The whistle blowed, I come in to eat—an’ they took me! They took me!”
Frederick’s mind also had been working. He was resolved to throw the burden of proof upon his accusers. He could see that the passion of his outcry now had its effect. The Captain grunted with satisfaction. He asked the gentlemen for more details. Just exactly what had the boy done?
Of course, no single pass was found on them. All six of the accused said the same thing—they had been going about their work as usual. They had not the slightest idea why they had been arrested. Handy explained in great detail how he had been sent over to Mr. Hamilton’s place by Aunt Lou. He was returning from that errand. The Hamilton boy had been down on the beach mending a net. Their protestations of innocence were loud and voluble. Too voluble, each master thought to himself. But he did not put his thoughts into words. It would never do to admit that they were being outwitted by a bunch of sniveling darkies.