The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive/Chapter 10
CHAPTER X.
I learned afterwards, that when Mr Stubbs and his companions, who were waiting for me at Gordon's, had failed to bring me down with their pistols, discovering that I ran too fast for them, they soon gave over the chase and returned to the store. "They sent off immediately for assistance; and were presently joined by two men, and what was of more importance, by a dog, named Jowler, and celebrated throughout the county for his skill in tracking out runaways.
Jowler had no sooner arrived, than they tied a string about his neck, the other end of which, one of the party held in his hand. The dog was then put upon my trail, and trotted slowly forward with his nose to the ground, followed by Mr Stubbs and the rest of the party. All the latter part of the way, I had walked quite slowly, and Jowler, and his company had gained so fast upon me, that they reached the spring almost as soon as I did. Having discovered my retreat, they resolved to make every thing certain; and dividing into two parties, they rushed down both sides of the hollow at the same time, and secured me in the manner I have related.
Poor Cassy was seized at the same instant; and almost before we knew what had happened, we found our hands tied, and ourselves connected by a stout chain, the ends of which were made fast about our necks. This was sad business for Cassy; and the poor girl, when she felt the iron around her neck, wept bitterly. I do not believe the chain was drawn much tighter than was necessary; yet when I saw the tears of my poor wife, I could not help feeling a choking sensation about my throat. What aggravated my distress and my indignation, was the brutal jests of our captors. It was well my hands were fast, for had they been free, I verily believe I should have found the means to finish one or another of the scoundrels. Mr Gordon was one of the party. His head was bound up i na bloody handkerchief; but instead of joining in the jests of his companions, he tried to keep them from vexing and insulting us.
"I'll tell you what Stubbs, you nasty infernal blackguard, let that gal Cassy be. Ain't it I who've taken them? Ain't it I who am to have the reward? Let them be I say; I tell you they are under my protection."
"Indeed! a fine sort of protector they've found in you," answered Stubbs, with a loud laugh, in which he was joined by his companions, — "No question, they're mightily obliged to you. The deuce take your nonsense and yourself into the bargain; I'll say what I please to the gal, and do what I please too. Ain't I the overseer?" — and here he broke out with a fresh string of ribaldry, addressed to poor Cassy.
It was only by a promise to treat his companions to a quart of whiskey, that Mr Gordon could prevail on them to let us alone. The word ‘whiskey' worked like a charm, and by the influence of it, he persuaded the others to drop a little behind, and to give him a chance, as he expressed it, to have some private conversation with me. He had no objection to their hearing what he said to me, but he did not want to be interrupted, I was a good deal surprised at all this. Mr Gordon had betrayed me; — and after doing me so base and irreparable an injury, what could he mean by these little marks of good will? Mr Gordon was, as I have described him, a good natured fellow. He had not been able to resist the temptation of five hundred ‘dollars, and all the other advantages, which he expected to gain by betraying me; — but for all that, he had not forgotten that I had saved his life. He walked up beside me, and stammering and hesitating, he attempted to enter into conversation.
"That was deuced hard blow you struck me, Archy," he began.
"I am sorry it was not harder," was my answer.
"Come, come now, don't be in such a devilish savage humor. Why, boy, I thought I might as well get the five hundred dollars, as to let it slip through my fingers, and all for nothing too. I knew right well, you were sure to be taken, — and for all you pout so about it, we made better terms for you, than any body else would have done. Come, boy, cheer up, and I'll tell you how it all was. You see, when you left me t'other night, I could not sleep a wink for thinking. Says I to myself, that's a damned foolish project of Archy's. He is sure to be caught; and then it will be coming out as how I helped him, and then there will be the devil and all to pay. He'll be whipped, and I'll be fined and sent to jail, and for any thing I know, ridden on a rail out of the county, as colonel Moore and them others threatened me; and then, — to make a bad matter worse, — somebody else will get the reward. Now that boy Archy, said I, saved my life — there's no denying that, any how, — and if I can save him a whipping, and at the same time, put five hundred dollars into my pocket, it will be a mighty pretty business for both of us.
"So the next morning, I got up early and started off for colonel Moore's; and a mighty fluster I found the colonel in, to be sure, — for he could hear no news of you nowhere. So says I, colonel, says I, I hear as how you've offered five hundred dollars reward to any body that'll catch them "ere runaways of yours. Yes, says the colonel, cash down; — and he looked me in the face, as though he thought I knew where to find you. "Just so, colonel, says I; — and perhaps I might, — if you'll promise me something in the first place.
"Promise you something, said the colonel; — haven't I promised five hundred dollars already! — what is it you mean?
"Says I, colonel, it isn't the reward I was thinking about, — the reward is handsome — a very pretty reward surely. Pay me four hundred and fifty dollars, colonel, -and promise me not to whip Archy, when you get him, and I'll not ask for the other fifty.
"Pshaw, nonsense, says the colonel. Pray Mr Gordon, what is it to you how much I whip the scoundrel, provided you get your money?
"Says I, colonel, Jemmy Gordon isn't the chap to forget a favor. That boy Archy, saved my life, it's three years ago, this very month; and if you'll promise me upon your honor, not to punish him for running away, I will undertake to hunt him up for you; — and not otherwise.
"The colonel higgled and haggled a good deal; — but when he found he couldn't get round me no how, — he promised all I had asked him. So I told him how you had been at my house, and how you were coming again; and he sent Stubbs and them other fellows to help me take you, — and that's the long and the short of the whole matter. So don't be sulky Archy, but cheer up and take it kindly. Yousee, I meant to do what was best for us both."
"I wish you much joy, Mr Gordon of your part of the bargain; and may you lose your five hundred dollars, the next time you play cards, and that will be before you are twelve hours older."
"You're in a passion, Archy, or you wouldn't talk in that way. Well, boy, to tell the truth, I don't much wonder at it. But by and by, you'll think better of it. I should think you might be content with having broken my head; my eyes, Archy, but it aches as though it would split." So saying, Mr Gordon broke off the conversation and joined his companions.
Little reason as I have to speak well of him, I am bold ‘ to say there are a great many men in the world, not much better than Jemmy Gordon. Five hundred dollars was a great temptation to him. Besides, he hoped to secure the good graces of colonel Moore, and expected by his assistance, to get into the way of gaining a living respectably; — at least, as respectably as any poor man can, in that country. He not only quieted his conscience with the idea that, if he did not betray me, somebody else would, — but he had made terms with colonel Moore, for my benefit; and actually seemed to have flattered himself into the notion, that he was doing me a favor by betraying me.
There is many a gentleman in slave-holding America, for anti-republican as it may seem, in no part of the world is the distinction between gentlemen and the common people, more distinctly marked, — who would consider it an insult to be compared with Jemmy Gordon, but whose whole life is a continued practice of the very principles upon which that man acted, when he made up his mind to play the traitor. Many is the gentleman in slave-holding America, who knows full well, — and in the secret recesses of his own soul, most unequivocally acknowledges, — that to keep his fellow men in bondage, is a gross, flagrant, highhanded violation of the first and clearest principles of justice and equity, — a practice, abstractly considered, fully more criminal than piracy or highway robbery. Slavery, in the abstract, he acknowledges to himself and to others, to be totally indefensible. But then his slaves are his estate — and he cannot live, like a gentleman, without them. Besides, he treats his servants particularly well, — so very well, that he does not hesitate to argue that they are much happier as slaves, than freedom under any form, could possibly make them!
When men of sense and education, can satisfy themselves with such wretched sophistry as this, let us learn to have some charity for poor Jemmy Gordon.