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%*vi?iMARSE JAKE AND RUNAWAY CAGE.A STORY OF THE DUTCH FORI****%r ** * * * * -5 *BY COL. D. A. DICKERT.*»«««****«■*1l.•1a(Continued from March 25.)During his stay at home from school, Jake Baldwin often met M’ss Caroline at the spring, have Cage to till her pail, earr yit to the top of the hill, while the young lovers sat upon the old wash bench and whispered devotion into eaeh other’s ears. Jake knew he was ‘ ‘persona non grata”at the home of the Purdees, for in those days, it was not considered possible for a wealthy young man to pay attentions seriously to a poor young girl, more especially his overseer’s daughter, and the parents of such young girls, guarded their honor and good name with jealous care. While Miss Caroline was passionately fond of Jake Baldwin, she was wise enough in her day, to see that society and environments, had placed impassable barriers between them, unless some unforeseen circumstances intervened. She feared the ridicule of the neighbore and1 her companions, feared they would 'think her vain and silly, in believing she could cateh Jake Baldwin, lazy and worthless as he was.She urged him to wait until the family became more reconciled to their companionship, and then when they were old enough, why—then perhaps, she would consider seriously the proposition of marriage. Jake had heard some threats and whisperings of being disinherited, should ha persist in the folly of keeping company with that “little upstart of a Caroline Purdee” with a view of ultimate marriage. But Jake’s heart beat in earnest for his boyhood love, and declared, “what do I care for all these negroes and land, if I can’t get the girl I love.” But that is another story. We will for the present follow the footsteps of Jake andCage.The time was approaching perilously .near that which was set apart for Wagoner Mingo to take his young master back to the Institute. Jake •brooded over the matter seriously, while Cage still persisted in the determination of running away whenever Marse Jake left. Jake had1 to think fast. The morning set for the departure, Mingo had the old family barouche hitched up early and was waiting the advent of his young master. The sun rose in crimson splei dor above the Eastern horizon, and the day seemed propitious for the journey. But nowhere within the radius of the horizoa on all sides, could be found a trace of Jake and Cage. They had absconded during the night, to where, none had the least idea. They bad disappeared as completely as if the earth had swallowed them up. It was a mystery none could fathom. However, there was not as much excitement as would ,be supposed in the Baldwin home, as they all attributed Jake’s absence to his reluctance to return to school and all thought he would return at -right. What the old gentleman'and his wife and daughter thought of this conduct, we leave to the reader’s imagination.But Jake and Cage were easy. The lurid tales told by the latter of his exciting and novel life of a runaway, had so fired the mind of his imaginative y-oung master, that he too longed for a like adventure. It had noveltyin it. Something out of the ordinary. It was a “new evangel” of fun and adventure that Cage had preached, and he determined to avail himself of this opportunity, then return in a few days and go to the Institute. Each was to provide himself with as much eatables as he could lay hands on, sufficient to last till they reached Cage’s den on the river, then they were to trust to his experience and activities as a night prowler for the rest. At the river all was waiting, hooks, baskets and old free Joe’s canoe. So long before the first ruddy couriers of the morning had easttheir rays athwart the Eastern sky, the two met behind the ash hopper in rear of the old smoke house and began their pilgrimage as runaways.They jogged along at a lively pace, through meadows and break, till the sun’s yellow beams were some dis-; tanee above the horizon, then they began to see hands from adjoining plantations going to their daily vocations. They began slipping along fence rows, peering through the cracks, eyes and ears alert for imaginary foes. About midday they came to the sunny side of an old sedge field, -Cage proposing to rest awhile and eating some “wittles” as “grub” was called in those days. After a frugal meal, Jake told Cage to keep a sharp watch out, while he slept a little, having tossed all night in his bed, delirious with excitement of the eomng day. Cage assured his master that he would be sure to be very watchful, Jake lay down and was soon in the realms of oblivion. How long he slept, be bad no idea, but was violently aroused' by a loud voice singing;“Over the fence, he did sail Left his coat tail hanging on a rail, Bun, nigger, run, de paterolers ketch you,Run, nigger, run.”Jake sprang to his feet, and was shocked at seeing Cage stretched at full length on his back, snoring away, sleeping the sleep of the innocent. He aroused the sleeping negro with a thud in his side with his foot, “Get up quick, don’t you hear that. What are you doing asleep?” Cage rubbed his eyes, and by degrees came to consciousness and. hearing the singing, said “let’s get away, -dat’s old Stoudenmire’s Tobe and his master ain’t fur away.” They ran, half bent, down the hill side till they were out of hearing. “I told you to stay awake and you lay down alndi sleep like a log,” said Jake. “You are a good one to watch.” “Who, me?” answered Cage with chagrin. “Ho sirree, I waxn’t sleep a bit. I rwas wide awake and heard Tobe singing, but was jest waiting for you to wake up.”When they reached the river late in the day, the boat was gone. “I bet old free Joe done found his bat-teau, the old rascal,” soliloquized Cage. There was a great bluff jutting out to the water’s edge at this point, so Cage proposed climbing a tall sealy-bark tree that stood1 on the bluff and see if he could see any trace of the missing boat. Nothing could he see of it up or down. “I don’t even see a paddle or pole,” said he, “it’s clear gone.” Just then they heard the faint yelping of dogs coming down the river in the direction from whence they had come. Cage listened intently for a moment, the dogs coming near and nearer. “Clam a tree quick, Marse Jake. Clam a tree. Dem is Bill Gonlden’a nigger dogs, and dey is after us‘ sure. Dey’11 tear you up.” Jake shinned up the tree after Cage. Both held their breath as the dogs neared their retreat. As Cage peeped around the tree he espied a “cottontail” coming down the river banks in full speed, and at the bluff, it turned abruptly to the right. Then the dogs came, were here thrown off the trail, and began circling around. “I believe day is rabbit hunters,” as he heard youthful voices urging on the dogs. Soon- a brood of young negroes came up, one with a rabbit in his hand. One old dog began to sniff up the i tree on which the two adventurers j were perched among the topmost •boughs, and began a deep bay. The boy with the rabbit easting his eyes up the tree discovered Jake and Cage, uttered an- unearthly yell, dropped his game and fled like aphantom,screaminghis loudest,
Newspaper Details
The Herald and News
Newberry, South Carolina, US
Fri, Apr 01, 1910
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kevin S.
CA 02 Apr 2023
Other Publications Near Newberry, South Carolina
The Daily Herald Bulletin
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