The Colonel's Dream

by Charles W. Chesnutt

  _Twenty-eight_

  Ben Dudley awoke the morning after the assembly ball, with a violentheadache and a sense of extreme depression, which was not relieved bythe sight of his reflection in the looking-glass of the bureau in thehotel bedroom where he found himself.

  One of his eyes was bloodshot, and surrounded by a wide area ofdiscolouration, and he was conscious of several painful contusions onother portions of his body. His clothing was badly disordered andstained with blood; and, all in all, he was scarcely in a condition toappear in public. He made such a toilet as he could, and, anxious toavoid observation, had his horse brought from the livery around to therear door of the hotel, and left for Mink Run by the back streets. Hedid not return to town for a week, and when he made his nextappearance there, upon strictly a business visit, did not go near theTreadwells', and wore such a repellent look that no one ventured tospeak to him about his encounter with Fetters and McRae. He washumiliated and ashamed, and angry with himself and all the world. Hehad lost Graciella already; any possibility that might have remainedof regaining her affection, was destroyed by his having made her namethe excuse for a barroom broil. His uncle was not well, and with thedecline of his health, his monomania grew more acute and moreabsorbing, and he spent most of his time in the search for thetreasure and in expostulations with Viney to reveal its whereabouts.The supervision of the plantation work occupied Ben most of the time,and during his intervals of leisure he sought to escape unpleasantthoughts by busying himself with the model of his cotton gin.

  His life had run along in this way for about two weeks after theball, when one night Barclay Fetters, while coming to town from hisfather's plantation at Sycamore, in company with Turner, his father'sforeman, was fired upon from ambush, in the neighbourhood of MinkRun, and seriously wounded. Groaning heavily and in a state ofsemi-unconsciousness he was driven by Turner, in the same buggy inwhich he had been shot, to Doctor Price's house, which lay betweenMink Run and the town.

  The doctor examined the wound, which was serious. A charge of buckshothad been fired at close range, from a clump of bushes by the wayside,and the charge had taken effect in the side of the face. The sight ofone eye was destroyed beyond a peradventure, and that of the otherendangered by a possible injury to the optic nerve. A sedative wasadministered, as many as possible of the shot extracted, and thewounds dressed. Meantime a messenger was despatched to Sycamore forFetters, senior, who came before morning post-haste. To his anxiousinquiries the doctor could give no very hopeful answer.

  "He's not out of danger," said Doctor Price, "and won't be for severaldays. I haven't found several of those shot, and until they're locatedI can't tell what will happen. Your son has a good constitution, butit has been abused somewhat and is not in the best condition to throwoff an injury."

  "Do the best you can for him, Doc," said Fetters, "and I'll make itworth your while. And as for the double-damned scoundrel that shot himin the dark, I'll rake this county with a fine-toothed comb till he'sfound. If Bark dies, the murderer shall hang as high as Haman, if itcosts me a million dollars, or, if Bark gets well, he shall have thelimit of the law. No man in this State shall injure me or mine and gounpunished."

  The next day Ben Dudley was arrested at Mink Run, on a warrant swornout by Fetters, senior, charging Dudley with attempted murder. Theaccused was brought to Clarendon, and lodged in Beaver County jail.

  Ben sent for Caxton, from whom he learned that his offense was notsubject to bail until it became certain that Barclay Fetters wouldrecover. For in the event of his death, the charge would be murder; incase of recovery, the offense would be merely attempted murder, orshooting with intent to kill, for which bail was allowable. Meantimehe would have to remain in jail.

  In a day or two young Fetters was pronounced out of danger, so far ashis life was concerned, and Colonel French, through Caxton, offered tosign Ben's bail bond. To Caxton's surprise Dudley refused to acceptbail at the colonel's hands.

  "I don't want any favours from Colonel French," he said decidedly. "Iprefer to stay in jail rather than to be released on his bond."

  So he remained in jail.

  Graciella was not so much surprised at Ben's refusal to accept bail.She had reasoned out, with a fine instinct, the train of emotionswhich had brought her lover to grief, and her own share in stirringthem up. She could not believe that Ben was capable of shooting a manfrom ambush; but even if he had, it would have been for love of her;and if he had not, she had nevertheless been the moving cause of thedisaster. She would not willingly have done young Mr. Fetters aninjury. He had favoured her by his attentions, and, if all storieswere true, he had behaved better than Ben, in the difficulty betweenthem, and had suffered more. But she loved Ben, as she grew torealise, more and more. She wanted to go and see Ben in jail but heraunt did not think it proper. Appearances were all against Ben, and hehad not purged himself by any explanation. So Graciella sat down andwrote him a long letter. She knew very well that the one thing thatwould do him most good would be the announcement of her Aunt Laura'sengagement to Colonel French. There was no way to bring this about,except by first securing her aunt's permission. This would makenecessary a frank confession, to which, after an effort, she nervedherself.

  "Aunt Laura," she said, at a moment when they were alone together, "Iknow why Ben will not accept bail from Colonel French, and why he willnot tell his side of the quarrel between himself and Mr. Fetters. Hewas foolish enough to imagine that Colonel French was coming to thehouse to see me, and that I preferred the colonel to him. And, AuntLaura, I have a confession to make; I have done something for which Iwant to beg your pardon. I listened that night, and overheard thecolonel ask you to be his wife. Please, dear Aunt Laura, forgive me,and let me write and tell Ben--just Ben, in confidence. No one elseneed know it."

  Miss Laura was shocked and pained, and frankly said so, but could notrefuse the permission, on condition that Ben should be pledged to keepher secret, which, for reasons of her own, she was not yet ready tomake public. She, too, was fond of Ben, and hoped that he might clearhimself of the accusation. So Graciella wrote the letter. She was nomore frank in it, however, on one point, than she had been with heraunt, for she carefully avoided saying that she _had_ taken ColonelFrench's attentions seriously, or built any hopes upon them, butchided Ben for putting such a construction upon her innocent actions,and informed him, as proof of his folly, and in the strictestconfidence, that Colonel French was engaged to her Aunt Laura. Sheexpressed her sorrow for his predicament, her profound belief in hisinnocence, and her unhesitating conviction that he would be acquittedof the pending charge.

  To this she expected by way of answer a long letter of apology,explanation, and protestations of undying love.

  She received, instead, a brief note containing a cold acknowledgmentof her letter, thanking her for her interest in his welfare, andassuring her that he would respect Miss Laura's confidence. There wasno note of love or reproachfulness--mere cold courtesy.

  Graciella was cut to the quick, so much so that she did not evennotice Ben's mistakes in spelling. It would have been better had heoverwhelmed her with reproaches--it would have shown at least that hestill loved her. She cried bitterly, and lay awake very late thatnight, wondering what else she could do for Ben that a self-respectingyoung lady might. For the first time, she was more concerned about Benthan about herself. If by marrying him immediately she could havesaved him from danger and disgrace she would have done so without oneselfish thought--unless it were selfish to save one whom she loved.

  * * * * *

  The preliminary hearing in the case of the State _vs._ Benjamin Dudleywas held as soon as Doctor Price pronounced Barclay Fetters out ofdanger. The proceedings took place before Squire Reddick, the samejustice from whom the colonel had bought Peter's services, and fromwhom he had vainly sought to secure Bud Johnson's release.

  In spite of Dudley's curt refusal of his assistance, the colonel, towhom Miss Laura had conveyed a hint of the yo
ung man's frame of mind,had instructed Caxton to spare no trouble or expense in the prisoner'sinterest. There was little doubt, considering Fetters's influence andvindictiveness, that Dudley would be remanded, though the evidenceagainst him was purely circumstantial; but it was important that theevidence should be carefully scrutinised, and every legal safeguardput to use.

  The case looked bad for the prisoner. Barclay Fetters was not present,nor did the prosecution need him; his testimony could only have beencumulative.

  Turner described the circumstances of the shooting from the trees bythe roadside near Mink Run, and the driving of the wounded man toDoctor Price's.

  Doctor Price swore to the nature of the wound, its present andprobable consequences, which involved the loss of one eye and perhapsthe other, and produced the shot he had extracted.

  McRae testified that he and Barclay Fetters had gone down betweendances, from the Opera Ball, to the hotel bar, to get a glass ofseltzer. They had no sooner entered the bar than the prisoner, who hadevidently been drinking heavily and showed all the signs ofintoxication, had picked a quarrel with them and assaulted Mr.Fetters. Fetters, with the aid of the witness, had defended himself.In the course of the altercation, the prisoner had used violent andprofane language, threatening, among other things, to kill Fetters.All this testimony was objected to, but was admitted as tending toshow a motive for the crime. This closed the State's case.

  Caxton held a hurried consultation with his client. Should they put inany evidence, which would be merely to show their hand, since theprisoner would in any event undoubtedly be bound over? Ben was unableto deny what had taken place at the hotel, for he had no distinctrecollection of it--merely a blurred impression, like the memory of abad dream. He could not swear that he had not threatened Fetters. TheState's witnesses had refrained from mentioning the lady's name; hecould do no less. So far as the shooting was concerned, he had had noweapon with which to shoot. His gun had been stolen that very day, andhad not been recovered.

  "The defense will offer no testimony," declared Caxton, at the resultof the conference.

  The justice held the prisoner to the grand jury, and fixed the bond atten thousand dollars. Graciella's information had not been without itseffect, and when Caxton suggested that he could still secure bail, hehad little difficulty in inducing Ben to accept Colonel French'sfriendly offices. The bail bond was made out and signed, and theprisoner released.

  Caxton took Ben to his office after the hearing. There Ben met thecolonel, thanked him for his aid and friendship, and apologised forhis former rudeness.

  "I was in a bad way, sir," he said, "and hardly knew what I was doing.But I know I didn't shoot Bark Fetters, and never thought of such athing."

  "I'm sure you didn't, my boy," said the colonel, laying his hand, infamiliar fashion, upon the young fellow's shoulder, "and we'll proveit before we quit. There are some ladies who believe the same thing,and would like to hear you say it."

  "Thank you, sir," said Ben. "I should like to tell them, but Ishouldn't want to enter their house until I am cleared of this charge.I think too much of them to expose them to any remarks aboutharbouring a man out on bail for a penitentiary offense. I'll write tothem, sir, and thank them for their trust and friendship, and you cantell them for me, if you will, that I'll come to see them when notonly I, but everybody else, can say that I am fit to go."

  "Your feelings do you credit," returned the colonel warmly, "andhowever much they would like to see you, I'm sure the ladies willappreciate your delicacy. As your friend and theirs, you must permitme to serve you further, whenever the opportunity offers, until thisaffair is finished."

  Ben thanked the colonel from a full heart, and went back to Mink Run,where, in the effort to catch up the plantation work, which hadfallen behind in his absence, he sought to forget the prisonatmosphere and lose the prison pallor. The disgrace of having been injail was indelible, and the danger was by no means over. The sympathyof his friends would have been priceless to him, but to remain awayfrom them would be not only the honourable course to pursue, but ajust punishment for his own folly. For Graciella, after all, was onlya girl--a young girl, and scarcely yet to be judged harshly for heractions; while he was a man grown, who knew better, and had not actedaccording to his lights.

  Three days after Ben Dudley's release on bail, Clarendon was treatedto another sensation. Former constable Haines, now employed as anoverseer at Fetters's convict farm, while driving in a buggy toClarendon, where he spent his off-duty spells, was shot from ambushnear Mink Run, and his right arm shattered in such a manner as torequire amputation.