DEATH OF JACK.

  NEAR sunset, Toadvine left the "Head-quarters," and rode toward the jail. He was exceedingly intoxicated, which always made him savage; but, in addition to this, he had been literally swindled out of a considerable sum of money at cards,—and this fact goaded him to fury.

  The jail was situated on the suburbs of the town, and was reached by going over a ravine, or, as similar obstructions are termed, "a wash." In ordinarily dry weather, there was no difficulty in crossing the ravine, but heavy and continuous rains had made it saddle-girth deep in mud; and as Toadvine attempted to rush his horse through the conglomerated mass, the poor animal stuck fast,—when being assailed by blows and oaths, in struggling to extricate himself, he fell upon his side, and tumbled his rider "heels-over-head" in the slough. Toadvine was now furious, and as he pulled away at his horse's bridle, he loaded the very air with his fearful imprecations. The animal, released of his rider's weight, recovered his feet, and by repeated plunges, reached the solid earth.

  The negroes confined in the jail, hearing the noise, huddled about the heavy iron-grated window, and were highly amused at what they saw. They made many rough jokes at Toadvine's expense, any one of which if it had reached his ears, in his then humor, would have make him stark, staring mad. Meanwhile, the dogs within the picketed inclosure of the jail commenced furiously barking, and gnashing their teeth through the openings of the fence,—thereby giving additional spirit to the scene.

  Toadvine hitched his horse to an old whipping-post near by; and as soon as he could reach the entrance of the jail, the keeper anticipated his coming by opening the door. Toadvine and the jailer saluted after the manner of old friends, and then disappeared within the precincts of the old building.

  It was with great deal of difficulty that Toadvine could be reconciled to his disagreeable accident; while scolding about it to the jailer, he picked up a piece of cypress shingle from the floor, and pettishly scraped the mud from his clothes,—every moment becoming more excited in his indignation. He abused the road inspectors,—abused the jail,—and the world generally, and Jack in particular and especially.

  The jailer finally, however, reduced him to quiet, by producing an old stone jug from a cleft in the heavy timber walls; and giving Toadvine a broken tumbler, and taking a gourd himself, he poured a liberal allowance of whiskey, and giving the highly original toast, "Better luck next time," the twain touched "glasses" with due solemnity, and drank of the contents.

  The jailer, still bent on mollifying his guest, now produced an immense plug of tobacco, and handing it to Toadvine, told him to take a piece, remarking, in a half playful way, that "that tobacker was sent him 'way from Old Virginny, by a gentleman that had two runaways in jail with him for near about a year."

  "And what the hell did he send that to you for, after keeping his niggers so long?" growled Toadvine, twisting off a large piece of the weed.

  "Because," said the jailer, with a professional smile, "I sent him a paper marked with ink, so he could tell whar was his property."

  "And he was from Virginny, was he?" inquired Toadvine, giving his clothes a rub down with the shingle.

  "He was," said the jailer, emphatically.

  "And a F.F.V.," snarled Toadvine, as he discovered a large "splotch" of mud, heretofore unperceived, over the calf of his leg.

  "I don't know whether he was or not," said the jailer, producing an old greasy playing-card. "Here," he continued, without paying further attention to Toadvine, "is the charges agin Mr. Mildmay, for 'resting Jack;" and he read off the back of a playing-card as follows:

  "To Mr. Stubbs, who tuck him up,—two forty-five.

  "Justasses feez, for committin,—a 'V.'

  "Bored fore daze,—wun twenty; makin a sum total of ait dollars and seventy sents: and not much neither as the times goze."

  "Not much," said Toadvine, taking out his clasp-knife, and picking a bit of tobacco leaf from between his

  And the sincerity with which he made this protestation can be appreciated, when it is known that it closed with Toadvine's climacteric figure of speech, if he wished to be considered particularly in earnest.

  Toadvine now pulled out a ten dollar gold-piece, and giving it to the jailer, told the functionary to take his change.

  The jailer found some difficulty in accomplishing his object, as he had nothing but three half dollar pieces in his pocket. After considerable discussion, and another drink of whiskey, it was decided that Toadvine should throw "heads and tails" for the piece of money in dispute—whereupon the gentleman took the coin, and resting it on the side of the fore finger of the right hand, and placing his thumb underneath it, he emphatically observed:

  "Now mark—head I win, tails you lose," and then sent the silver whirling in the air.

  The coin struck the floor with a ringing noise, and Toadvine bent over to see the result, for it was not getting dark in the jail; rising up suddenly from his stooping attitude, he gave the innocent cause of offence a kick with his foot that sent it spinning across the floor, and then with a great oath he swore that he had "lost all day," and pulling a revolver out of his pocket and examining

  Now Jack, who had been, with his fellow-prisoners, very much amused, as we have already stated, at the floundering of Toadvine in the mire, was perfectly unconscious that it was the overseer, and it was not until some time after, when he recognized the horse hitched in front of the jail, that the whole truth flashed upon him.

  In an instant he seemed to comprehend his situation, and uttering the exclamation, "Oh Master! what will become of poor Jack now?" he sunk down upon the floor the very picture of despair.

  "And what's de matter wid you, Jack?" inquired his humble friends in bondage.

  "Oh Lord! oh Lord!" said the poor fellow, wringing his hands, "it's Mr. Toadvine dats come for me. He's de man as druv me home,—he's de man dat got my wife away,—he's de man as will kill me yet;" and again Jack buried his head between his knees, and the tears rained upon the floor.

  The sympathy for Jack, expressed by his fellow-prisoners, was deeply touching. Helpless themselves, yet feeling the full force of their companion's situation, and too ignorant to express the emotions of their hearts, they stood around him in silent agony, in which position they remained until they heard the huge key rattling the lock, and the chain unfastened from the door.

  "Here's Jack," said the jailer, without noticing the boy's expression of face, "gather up your duds, and get down stairs, you scoundrel." The boy silently obeyed and left

  Jack, meantime, stood in the presence of his worst enemy. Toadvine glared upon him with his bloodshot eyes, until the knees of the boy gave way from fear, and he sank upon the floor.

  "None of your skulking," fairly roared Toadvine; "none of your gammoning me, you infernal black sop. So you run away, did you, 'cause you couldn't bear to have me whip you? That's for treating you like a lamb." "But," he continued, growing white with anger, "I'll cure you of your tricks to-night 'fore I get you home, and if your whining, half Yankee master don't like it, he can settle next day, and get somebody else to whip his niggers for him;" and Toadvine fairly spun about like a top, with the violence of his passion.

  The jailer, as if it were a customary thing, now opened a box, sitting in one corner of the room, on which was marked in great plainness the magical letters "U.S." It

  "What are you going to do?" inquired the jailer, with some little surprise.

  "Take this feller home, any thing to say agin it?" said Toadvine, the very act of touching Jack's neck inflaming still more his tiger passions.

  "Nothing more," said the jailer, placing his hand on the large bowie-knife he carried in his breast, and eyeing Toadvine with hostile meaning; "Nothing more—only 'civil tongues is best for health,' and I think you'd better tie that boy with his elbers behind him, instead of 'round the neck."

  Toadvine was cowed, but again feeling disposed to give way to his passion, which, suppressed against the jailer, burst with increased fury upon the head of the victim now so completely in his power.

  "I think," said Toadvine, leading the boy away and measuring the effect of his words, "I think I understand my business with niggers."

  "Well, I 'spect you do," replied the jailer, closing the door on Toadvine and Jack, and then locking it on the inside, he proceeded with due deliberation to shut up his establishment for the night.

  Toadvine once out of doors, drove Jack ahead of him while still holding him fast by the rope, and thus the two proceeded until the boy reached the overseer's horse, which he respectfully held until the man mounted. Toadvine then fastened the end of the rope in his hand to the pommel of the Spanish saddle, and with the quickness of thought gave his horse the spurs.

  The animal jumped, and had it not been that Jack was still at his head, would in that spring probably broken the boy's neck; as it was it nearly threw him to the ground, but he recovered himself, and leaping forward kept by the side of the rider. In another moment, Toadvine was again floundering in the 'wash.' Jack instantly seized the horse's head, and by main strength pulled him through. The moment that Toadvine felt the solid earth, he again spurred on the animal, and in the haze of the evening he was recognized as he passed through the streets of Beechland, going at a killing pace, with a negro boy almost undistinguishable in the gloom, following close in his rear.