"That sounds right, Captain--we'd have a country and a flag of
our own--and I look at those free niggers as just so much boot!"
"I shall take only picked men with me--I can't give ship room to
any other--but I want you. You'll join me in New Orleans?" said
Murrell.
"When do you start south?" asked Hues quickly.
"Inside of two days. I've got some private business to settle
before I leave. I'll hang round here until that's attended to."
CHAPTER XXV
THE JUDGE EXTENDS HIS CREDIT
That afternoon Judge Price walked out to Belle Plain. Solomon
Mahaffy had known that this was a civility Betty Malroy could by
no means escape. He had been conscious of the judge's purpose
from the moment it existed in the germ state, and he had striven
to divert him, but his striving had been in vain, for though the
judge valued Mr. Mahaffy because of certain sterling qualities
which he professed to discern beneath the hard crust that made up
the external man, he was not disposed to accept him as his mentor
in nice matters of taste and gentlemanly feeling. He owed it to
himself personally to tender his sympathy. Miss Malroy must have
heard something of the honorable part he had played; surely she
could not be in ignorance of the fact that the lawless element,
dreading his further activities, had threatened him. She must
know, too, about that reward of five thousand dollars. Certainly
her grief could not blind her to the fact that he had met the
situation with a largeness of public spirit that was an
impressive lesson to the entire community.
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