with lee in virginia-第66章

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end　of　the　hall；　and　a　black　waiter　supplied　the　wants　of　the　guests

seated　at　the　various　little　tables。　　Vincent　seated　himself　at　one　of

these　and　ordered　something　to　drink。　　As　the　negro　placed　it　on

the　table　he　said：



〃I　will　give　you　a　dollar　if　you　will　answer　a　few　questions。〃



〃Very　good；　sah。　　Dat　am　a　mighty　easy　way　to　earn　a　dollar。〃



〃Do　you　remember；　about　a　month　ago；　a　man　named　Pearson

being　here？〃



The　negro　shook　his　head。



〃Me　not　know　de　names　of　de　gentlemen；　sah。　　What　was　de　man

like？〃



〃He　was　tall　and　thin；　with　short　hair　and　a　gray　goatee　…a　regular

Yankee。〃



〃Me　remember　him；　sah。　　Dar　used　to　he　plenty　ob　dat　sort　here。　

Don't　see　dem　much　now。　　Me　remember　de　man；　sah；　quite　well。　

Used　to　pass　most　of　de　day　here。　Didn't　seem　to　have　nuffin　to

do。〃



〃Was　he　always　alone；　or　did　he　have　many　people　here　to　see

him？〃



〃Once　dar　war　two　men　here　wid　him；　sab；　sitting　at　dat　table　ober

in　do　corner。　　Rough…looking　fellows　dey　war。　　In　old　times　people

like　dat　wouldn't　come　to　a　'spectable　hotel；　but　now　most　ebery

one　got　rough　clothes；　can't　get　no　others；　so　one　don't　tink　nuffin

about　it；　but　dose　fellows　was　rough…looking　besides　dar　clothes。　

Didn't　like　dar　looks　nohow。　　Dey　only　came　here　once。　　Dey　was

do　only　strangers　that　came　to　see　him。　　But　once　Massa

Jackson…me　know　him　by　sight　he　came　here　and　talk　wid　him　for

a　long　time。　　Earnest　sort　of　talk　dat　seemed　to　be。　　Dey　talk　in　low

voice；　and　I　noticed　dey　stopped　talking　when　any　one　sat　down

near　dem。〃



〃You　don't　know　where　he　went　to　from　here；　I　suppose？〃



〃No；　sah；　dat　not　my　compartment。　　Perhaps　de　outside　porter　will

know。　　Like　enough　he　take　his　tings　in　hand…truck　to　station。　　You

like　to　see　him；　sab？〃



〃Yes；　I　should　like　to　have　a　minute's　talk　with　him。　Here　is　your

dollar。〃



The　waiter　rang　a　bell；　and　a　minute　later　the　outdoor　porter

presented　himself。



〃You　recomember　taking　some　tings　to　station　for　a　tall　man　wid

gray　goatee；　Pomp？〃　the　waiter　asked。　　〃It　was　more　dan　tree

weeks　ago。　　I　tink　he　went　before　it　was　light　in　de　morning。　　Me

seem　to　remember　dat。〃



The　negro　nodded。



〃Me　remember　him　bery　well；　sah。　　Tree　heavy　boxes　and　one　bag；

and　he　only　give　me　quarter　dollar　for　taking　dem　to　de　station。　

Mighty　mean　man　dat。〃



〃Do　you　know　what　train　he　went　by？〃



〃Yes；　sah；　it　was　de　six　o'clock　train　for　de　souf。〃



〃You　can't　find　out　wher　his　luggage　was　checked　for？〃



〃I　can　go　down　to　station；　sab；　and　see　if　I　can　find　out。　Some　of　de

men　thar　may　remember。〃



〃Here　is　a　dollar　for　yourself；〃　Vincent　said；　〃and　another　to　give

to　any　of　the　men　who　can　give　you　the　news。　　When　you　have

found　out　come　and　tell　me。　　Here　is　my　card　and　address。〃



〃Bery　well；　sah。　　Next　time　me　go　up　to　station　me　find　about　it；

for　sure；　if　any　one　remember　dat　fellow。〃



In　the　evening　the　negro　called　at　the　house　and　told　Vincent　that

he　had　ascertained　that　a　man　answering　to　his　description　and

having　luggage　similar　to　that　of　Pearson　had　had　it　checked　to

Florence　in　South　Carolina。



Vincent　now　called　Dan　into　his　counsel　and　told　him　what　he　had

discovered。　　The　young　negro　had　already　given　proof　of　such

intelligence　that　he　felt　sure　his　opinion　would　be　of　value。



〃Dat　all　bery　plain；　sah；〃　Dan　said　when　Vincent　finished　his　story。　

〃Me　do　doubt　dat　old　rascal　Jackson　give　money　to　Pearson　to

carry　off　do　gal。　　Oh　course　he　did　it　just　to　take　revenge　upon

Tony。　　Pearson　he　go　into　de　plot；　because；　in　de　fust　place；　it　vex

Missy　Wingfield　and　you　bery　much；　in　do　second　place；　because

Jackson　gib　him　money；　in　do　third　place；　because　he　get　hold　of

negro　slave　worf　a　thousand　dollar。　　Dat　all　quite　clear。　He　notdo　it

himself；　but　arrange　wid　oder　fellows；　and　he　stop　quiet　at　de

hotel　for　two　days　after　she　gone　so　dat　no　one　can　'spect　his

having　hand　in　do　affair。〃



〃That　is　just　how　I　make　it　out；　Dan；　and　now　he　has　gone　off　to

join　them。〃



Dan　thought　for　some　time。



〃Perhaps　dey　join　him　thar；　sab；　perhaps　not；　perhaps　him　send

him　baggage　on　there　and　get　out　somewhere　on　do　road　and　meet

them。〃



〃That　is　likely　enough；　Dan。　　No　doubt　Dinah　was　taken　away　in　a

cart　or　buggy。　　As　she　left　two　days　before　he　did；　they　may　have

gone　from　forty　to　sixty　miles　along　the　road；　to　some　place　where

he　may　have　joined　them。　The　men　who　carried　her　off　may　either

have　come　back　or　gone　on　with　him。　　If　they　wanted　to　go　south

they　would　go　on；　if　they　did　not；　he　would　probably　have　only

hired　them　to　carry　her　off　and　hand　her　over　to　him　when　he

overtook　them。　　I　will　look　at　the　time。table　and　see　where　that

train　stops。　　It　is　a　fast　train；　I　see；〃　he　said；　after　consulting　it；　it

stops　at　Petersburg；　fifteen　miles　on；　and　at　Hicks　Ford；　which　is

about　fifty　miles。　　I　should　think　the　second　place　was　most　likely；

as　the　cart　could　easily　have　got　there　in　two　days。　　Now；　Dan；　you

had　better　start　tomorrow　morning；　and　spend　two　days　there　if

necessary；　find　out　if　you　can　if　on　the　twentieth　of　last　month　any

one　noticed　a　vehicle　of　any　kind；　with　two　rough　men　in　it；　and

with；　perhaps；　a　negro　woman。　　She　might　not　have　been　noticed；

for　she　may　have　been　lying　tied　up　in　the　bottom　of　the　cart；

although　it　is　more　likely　they　frightened　her　by　threats　into　sitting

up　quiet　with　them。　　They　are　sure　not　to　have　stopped　at　any

decout　hotel；　but　will　have　gone　to　some　small　place；　probably　just

outside　the　town。



〃I　will　go　with　you　to　Mr。　Renfrew　the　first　thing　in　the　morning

and　get　him　to　draw　up　a　paper　testifying　that　you　are　engaged　in

lawful　business；　and　are　making　inquiries　with　a　view　to

discovering　a　crime　which　has　been　committed；　and

recommending　you　to　the　assistance　of　the　police　in　any　town　you

may　go　to。　　Then　if　you　go　with　that　to　the　head　constable　at　Hicks

Ford　he　will　tell　you　which　are　the　places　at　which　such　fellows　as

these　would　have　been　likely　to　put　up　for　the　night；　and　perhaps

send　a　policeman　with　you　to　make　inquiries。　　If　you　get　any　news

telegraph　to　me　at　once。　　I　will　start　by　the　six　o'clock　train　on　the

following　morning。　　Do　you　be　on　the　platform　to　meet　me；　and　we

can　then　either　go　straight　on　to　Florence；　or；　should　there　be　any

occasion；　I　will　get　out　there；　but　I　don't　think　that　is　likely。　

Pearson　him　self　will；　to　a　certainty；　sooner　or　later；　go　to

Florence　to　get　his　luggage；　and　the　only　real　advantage　we　shall

get　if　your　inquiries　are　successful　will　be　to　find　out　for　certain

whether　he　is　concerned　in　the　affair。　　We　shall　then　only　have　to

follow　his　traces　from　Florence。〃



Two　days　later　Mr。　Renfrew　received　a　telegram　from　the　head

constable　at　Hicks　Ford：　〃The　two　men　with　cart　spent　day　here；

20th　ult。　　Were　joined　that　morning　by　another　man…negro　says

Pearson。　　One　man　returned　afternoon；　Richmond。　　Pearson　and

the　other　drove　off　in　buggy。　　A　young　negress　and　child　were　with

them。　　Is　there　anything　I　can　do？〃



Mr。　Renfrew　telegraphed　back　to　request　that　the　men；　who　were

kidnaping　the　female　slave；　should　if　possible　be　traced　and　the

direction　they　took　ascertained。　　He　then　sent　the　message　across

to　Vincent；　who　at　once　went　to　his　office。



〃Now；〃　the　lawyer　said；　〃you　must　do　nothing　rashly　in　this

business；　Vincent。　　They　are　at　the　best　of　time　a　pretty　rough　lot

at　the　edge　of　these　Carolina　swamps；　and　at　present　things　are

likely　to　be　worse　than　usual。　　If　you　were　to　go　alone　on　such　an

errand　you　would　almost　certainly　be　shot。　　In　the　first　place；　these

fellows　would　not　give　up　a　valuable　slave　without　a　struggle；　and

in　the　next　place；　they　have　committed　a　very　serious　crime。

Therefore　it　is　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　go　armed　with

legal　powers　and　backed　by　the　force　of　the　law。　　In　the　first　place；

I　will　draw　up　an