The Sins of the Father: A Romance of the South

by Thomas Dixon

  CHAPTER XXVI

  BETWEEN TWO FIRES

  So intent was Andy's watch on the lawn, so rapt his wonder and terror atthe sudden assault, he failed to hear Cleo's step as she entered the room,walked to his side and laid her hand on his shoulder:

  "Andy----"

  With a loud groan he dropped to his knees:

  "De Lawd save me!"

  Cleo drew back with amazement at the prostrate figure:

  "What on earth's the matter?"

  "Oh--oh, Lawd," he shivered, scrambling to his feet and mopping his brow."Lordy, I thought de major got me dat time sho!"

  "You thought the major had you?" Cleo cried incredulously.

  Andy ran back to the window and looked out again:

  "Yassam--yassam! De major try ter kill me--he's er regular maniacker--gonewild----"

  "What about?"

  The black hands went to his throat:

  "Bout my windpipes, 'pears like!"

  "What did he do?"

  "Got me in de _gills_!"

  "Why?"

  "Dunno," was the whispered answer as he peered out the window. "He asked meif Mr. Tom been back here in de past fo' weeks----"

  "Asked if Tom had been back here?"

  "Yassam!"

  "What a fool question, when he's had the boy with him every day! He musthave gone crazy."

  "Yassam!" Andy agreed with unction as he turned back into the room andthrew both hands high above his head in wild gestures. "He say we wuz allin it! Dat what he say--we wuz all in it! _All_ in it!"

  "In what?"

  "Gawd knows!" he cried, as his hands again went to his neck to feel ifanything were broken, "Gawd knows, but he sho wuz gittin' inside er me!"

  Cleo spoke with stern appeal:

  "Well, you're a man; you'll know how to defend yourself next time, won'tyou?"

  "Yassam!--yas, m'am!" Andy answered boldly. "Oh, I fit 'im! Don't you thinkI didn't fight him! I fit des lak er wild-cat--yassam!"

  The woman's eyes narrowed and her voice purred:

  "You're going to stand by me now?"

  "Dat I is!" was the brave response.

  "You'll do anything for me?"

  "Yassam!"

  "Defend me with your life if the major attacks me to-night?"

  "Dat I will!"

  Cleo leaned close:

  "You'll die for me?"

  "Yassam! yassam--I'll _die_ fer you--I'll die fer ye; of cose I'll _die_for ye! B-b-but fer Gawd's sake what ye want wid er dead nigger?"

  Andy leaped back in terror as Norton's tall figure suddenly appeared in thedoor, his rumpled iron-gray hair gleaming in the shadows, his eyes flashingwith an unnatural light. He quickly crossed the room and lifted his indexfinger toward Cleo:

  "Just a word with you----"

  The woman's hands met nervously, and she glanced at Andy:

  "Very well, but I want a witness. Andy can stay."

  Norton merely glanced at the negro:

  "Get out!"

  "Yassah!"

  "Stay where you are!" Cleo commanded.

  "Y--yassam"--Andy stammered, halting.

  "Get out!" Norton growled.

  Andy jumped into the doorway at a single bound:

  "Done out, sah!"

  The major lifted his hand and the negro stopped:

  "Tell Minerva I want to see her."

  Andy hastened toward the hall, the whites of his eyes shining:

  "Yassah, but she ain't in de kitchen, sah!"

  "Find her and bring her here!" Norton thundered. His words rang like thesudden peal of a gun at close quarters:

  Andy jumped:

  "Yassah, yassah, I fetch her! I fetch her!" As he flew through the door herepeated humbly:

  "I fetch her, right away, sah--right away, sah!"

  Cleo watched his cowardly desertion with lips curled in scorn.