with lee in virginia-第18章

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the　sheriff　wished　to　speak　to　Mrs。　Wingfield。



〃I　will　go　out　to　him；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　replied。　　Vincent　followed

her　to　the　door。



〃Mrs。　Wingfield；〃　the　sheriff　said；　〃I　am　the　holder　of　a　warrant；　to

search　your　slave…huts　and　grounds　for　a　run…away　negro　named

Anthony　Moore；　the　property　of　Mr。　Jackson　here。〃



〃Do　you　suppose；　sir；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　asked　angrily；　〃that　I　am　the

sort　of　person　to　give　shelter　to　runaway　slaves？〃



No；　madam；　certainly　not；〃　the　sheriff　replied；　〃no　one　would

suppose　for　a　moment　that　Mrs。　Wingfield　of　the　Orangery　would

have　anything　to　do　with　a　runaway；　but　Mr。　Jackson　here　learned

only　yesterday　that　the　wife　of　this　slave　was　here；　and　every　one

knows　that　where　the　wife　is　the　husband　is　not　likely　to　be　far

off。〃



〃I　suppose；　sir；〃　Mrs。　Wingfleld　said　coldly；　〃that　there　was　no

necessity　for　me　to　acquaint　Mr。　Jackson　formerly　with　the　fact

that　I　had　purchased　through　my　agent　the　woman　he　sold　to

separate　her　from　her　husband。〃



。'By　no　means；　madam；　by　no　means；　though；　had　we　known　it；

before；　it　might　have　been　some　aid　to　us　in　our　search。　　Have　we

your　permission　to　see　this　woman　and　to　question　her？〃



〃Certainly　not；〃　Mrs。　Wingfield　said；　〃but　if　you　have　any　question

to　ask　I　will　ask　her　and　give　you　her　answer。〃



〃We　want　to　know　whether　she　has　seen　her　husband　since　the　day

of　his　flight；　from　the　plantation？〃



〃I　shall　certainly　not　ask　her　that　question；　Mr。　Sheriff。　I　have　no

doubt　that；　as　the　place　from　which　he　has　escaped　is　only　a　few

miles　from　here；　he　did　come　to　see　his　wife。　　It　would　have　been

very　strange　if　he　did　not。　I　hope　that　by　this　time　the　man　is

hundreds　of　miles　away。　　He　was　brutally　treated　by　a　brutal

master；　who；　I　believe；　deliberately　set　to　work　to　make　him　run

away；　so　that　he　could　hunt　him　down　and　punish　him。　　I　presume；

sir；　you　do　not　wish　to　search　this　house；　and　you　do　not　suppose

that　the　man　is　hidden　here。　　As　to　the　slave…huts　and　the

plantation；　you　can；　of　course；　search　them　thoroughly；　but　as　it　is

now　more　than　a　fortnight　since　the　man　escaped；　it　is　not　likely

you　will　find　him　hiding　within　a　few　miles　of　his　master's

plantation。〃



So　saying　she　went　into　the　house　and　shut　the　door　behind　her。



Mr。　Jackson　ground　his　teeth　with　rage；　but　the　sheriff　rode　off

toward　the　slave…huts　without　a　word。　　The　position　of　Mrs。

Wingfield　of　the　Orangery；　connected　as　she　was　with　half　the　old

families　of　Virginia；　and　herself　a　large　slave…owner；　was　beyond

suspicion；　and　no　one　would　venture　to　suggest　that　such　a　lady

could　have　the　smallest　sympathy　for　a　runaway　slave。



〃She　was　down　upon　you　pretty　hot；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　the　sheriff　said

as　they　rode　off。　　〃You　don't　seem　to　be　in　her　good　books。〃

Jackson　muttered　an　imprecation。



〃It　is　certainly　odd；〃　the　sheriff　went　on；　〃after　what　you　were

telling　me　about　her　son　pitching　into　Andrew　over　flogging　this

very　slave；　that　she　should　go　and　buy　his　wife。　　Still；　that's　a　very

different　thing　from　hiding　a　runaway。　　I　dare　say　that；　as　she　says；

the　fellow　came　here　to　see　his　wife　when　he　first　ran　away；　but　I

don't；　think　you　will　find　him　anywhere　about　here　now。　　It's　pretty

certain　from　what　we　hear　that　he　hasn't　made　for　the　North；　and

where　the　fellow　can　be　hiding　I　can't　think。　　Still　the　woods　about

this　country　are　mighty　big；　and　the　fellow　can　go　out　on　to　the

farms　and　pick　corn　and　keep　himself　going　for　a　long　time。　　Still；

he's　sure　to　be　brought；　up　sooner　or　later。〃



A　thorough　search　was　made　of　the　slave…huts；　and　the　slaves　were

closely　questioned；　but　all　denied　any　knowledge　of　the　runaway。　

Dan　escaped　questioning；　as　he　had　taken　up　Vincent's　horse　to　the

house　in　readiness　for　him　to　start　as　soon　as　he　had　finished

breakfast。



All　day　the　searchers　rode　about　the　plantation　examining　every

clump　of　bushes；　and　assuring　themselves　that　none　of　them　had

been　used　as　a　place　of　refuge　for　the　runaway。

；

〃It's　no　good；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　the　sheriff　said　at　last。　〃The　man　may

have　been　here；　he　ain't　here　now。　　The　only　place　we　haven't；

searched　is　the　house；　and　you　may　be　quite　sure　the　slaves　dare

not　conceal　him　there。　　Too　many　would　get　to　know　it。　　No；　sir；

he's　made　a　bolt　of　it；　and　you　will　have　to　wait　now　till　he　is

caught　by　chance；　or　shot；　by　some　farmer　or　other　in　the　act　of

stealing。〃



〃I　would　lay　a　thousand　dollars；〃　Andrew　Jackson　exclaimed

passionately；　〃that　young　Wingfield　knows　something　about；　his

whereabouts；　and　has　lent　him　a　hand！〃



〃Well；　I　should　advise　you　to　keep　your　mouth　shut　about；　it；　till

you　get　some　positive　proof；〃　the　sheriff　said　dryly。　　〃I　tell　you　it's

no　joke　to　accuse　a　member　of　a　family　like　the　Wingfields　of

helping　runaway　slaves　to　escape。〃



〃I　will　bide　my　time；〃　the　planter　said。　　〃You　said　that　some　day

you　would　lay　hands　on　Tony　dead　or　alive。　You　see　if　some　day　I

don't　lay　hands　on　young　Wingfield。〃



Well；　it　seems；　Mr。　Jackson；〃　the　sheriff　remarked　with　a　sneer；　for

he　was　out　of　temper　at　the　ill　success　of　the　day's　work；　〃that；　he

has　already　laid　hands　on　your　son。　　It　seems　to　me　quite　as　likely

that　he　will　lay　hands　on　you　as　you　on　him。〃



Two　days　afterward　as　Vincent　was　riding　through　the　streets　of

Richmond　he　saw　to　his　surprise　Andrew　Jackson　in　close

conversation　with　Jonas　Pearson。



〃I　wonder　what　those　two　fellows　are　talking　about？〃　he　said　to

himself。　　〃I　expect；　Jackson　is　trying　to　pump　Pearson　as　to　the

doings　at　the　Orangery。　　I　don't　like　that；　fellow；　and　never　shall；

and　he　is　just　the　sort　of　man　to　do　one　a　bad　turn　if　he　had　the

chance。　　However；　as　I　have　never　spoken　to　him　about；　that　affair

from　beginning　to　end；　I　don't　see　that　he　can　do　any　mischief　if　he

wants　to。〃



Andrew　Jackson；　however；　had　obtained　information　which　he

considered　valuable。　　He　learned　that　Vincent　had　been　away　in　a

boat　for　five　days；　and　that　his　mother　had　been　very　uneasy　about

him。　　He　also　learned　that　the　boat　was　one　belonging　to　Mr。

Furniss；　and　that　it　was　only　quite　lately　that　Vincent　had　taken　to

going　out　sailing。



After　considerable　trouble　he　succeeded　in　getting　at　one　of　　the

slaves　upon　Mr。　Furniss'　plantation。　　But　he　could　only　learn　from

him　that　Vincent　had　been　unaccompanied　when　he　went　out　in

the　boat　either　by　young　Furniss　or　by　any　of　the　plantation　hands；

that　he　had　taken　with　him　only　his　own　slave；　and　had　come　and

gone　as　he　chose；　taking　out　and　fastening　up　the　boat　himself；　so

that　no　one　could　say　when　he　had　gone　out；；　except；　that　his　horse

was　put　up　at　the　stables。　　The　slave　said　that　certainly　the　horse

bad　only　stood　there　on　two　or　three　occasions；　and　then　only　for　a

few　hours；　and　that　unless　Mr。　Wingfield　had　walked　over　he

could　never　have　had　the　boat　out　all　night；　as　the　horse　certainly

had　not　stood　all　night　in　the　stables。



Andrew　Jackson　talked　the　matter　over　with　his　son；　and　both

agreed　that　Vincent's　conduct；　was　suspicious　His　own　people　said

he　had　been　away　for　five　days　in　the　boat。　　The　people　at　Furniss'

knew　nothing　about　this；　and　therefore　there　must　be　some　mystery

about　it；　and　they　doubted　not　that；　that　mystery　was　connected

with　the　runaway　slave；　and　they　guessed　that　he　had　either　taken

Tony　and　landed　him　near　the　mouth　of　the　York　River　on　the

northern　shore；　or　that　he　had　put　him　on　beard　a　ship。　　They

agreed；　however；　that　whatever　their　suspicious；　they　had　not

sufficient　grounds　for　openly　accusing　Vincent　of　aiding　their

runaway。



CHAPTER　V。　SECESSION。。



WHILE　Vincent　had　been　occupied　with　the　affairs　of　Tony　and

his　wife；　public　events　had　moved　forward　rapidly。　　The　South

Carolina　Convention　met　in　the　third　week　in　December；　and　on

the　20th　of　that　month　the　Ordinance　of　Secession　was　passed。　　On

the　10th　of　Jan…nary；　three　days　after　Vince