The black laughed loud and hoarsely. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.
“No,” answered Mr Ferris.
“Den I tell you—I Cudjoe. Some inside de house know me, and know dat I no fool. Listen den. We go away and leave Massa Twigg—he good man—and all de people alone on one ’dition, dat you gib up the oberseer and let us hab him to do wid him as we like. Dat is our ’dition; ’cept it and you safe. If not—listen, massa—you got one lily-white daughter, and Massa Twigg him got wife and piccaninnies. You lub dem. You see what we do dis night; we soon come again wid more faggots and fire and ladders, and we burn de house ober your heads and kill ebery one. Cudjoe no fool—Cudjoe speak de truth. Listen, massa, what I say—gib up de overseer or die.”
“It is useless making such a proposal,” answered Mr Ferris; “no one would consent to it. If you have any other terms to offer we will listen to them. We can hold out against all your attempts to take the house. You have already lost a number of your foolish followers, and many more will be killed if you venture again to attack us.”
While Mr Ferris was speaking, he heard a person coming up the ladder, and glancing round he saw Thompson the overseer standing by his side, and on the point of lifting a musket, which he had placed on the roof. Before Mr Ferris had time to stop him, he had raised it to his shoulder and was taking aim at the insurgent leader. As he pulled the trigger Mr Ferris struck up the weapon, and the bullet whistled over the black’s head.
“Respect a flag of truce, even in the hands of a savage,” he exclaimed indignantly. “If we set such an example, what can we expect in return?”
Cudjoe had observed the act. “I tank you, massa,” he shouted, “but dat man die before de sun go down;” and, rapidly turning, he bounded down the hill.
Several shots, which went whistling after him, were fired by the men on guard in the lower story.
“You have done an ill service to the country, sir, and worse to all within this house,” exclaimed the overseer. “That man is the mainspring of the rebellion. Had I killed him, the blacks in this neighbourhood, without a leader, would have taken to flight, and we should have been safe.”
“I did what was right. A flag of truce should ever be held sacred,” answered Mr Ferris. “I do not regret refusing his request, but your act has prevented us from making other terms, which might have been done.”