The Gold Brick. Ann S. Stephens

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      "But when will they come after us, Jube? I do so want to see them. Mamma was so tired she couldn't say good-night, and papa—I feel very, very unhappy about papa; he never left me so long before."

       "But he couldn't help it, little master; sure he couldn't."

      "I know that. Of course he couldn't; but, oh! when will he come? Jube, Jube, my heart aches so!"

      "Jube's heart aches, too."

      "Does it, Jube, like mine—heavy, heavy; and when I ask you about them, it aches worse? Dear old Jube, I won't do it. You shall see how bravely I can wait."

      The child took one of Jube's hard hands in his, as he spoke, and led the negro away.

      "Why, how you shake, Jube! What for? I never felt you shake so before!" he said, laying his other delicate hand caressingly over that of the black man's.

      "Jube helped row the boat, little master, and it is hard work."

      "But you are so strong, Jube; strong as a lion, and as brave; papa said so."

      "Did he say that, little master; did he?"

      "There, you are shaking again! Sit down, Jube. Don't be afraid; I won't ask any thing. There, lean your head against the mast; I will watch for them while you rest."

      "No, don't watch. They won't come yet—not yet."

      "Not before night, perhaps."

      Jube closed his eyes heavily, and groaned.

      It was mournful—the sight of that strange child, sitting upon Jube's knee and watching the shore with a trusting, earnest hope that his father and mother would seek him over the water where she had fallen asleep and floated away, but would be sure to come back when papa was found. The child said this a hundred times, as he patted the hard palm of the slave with his little hand, while Jube answered bravely, each time, "Oh, yes, Master Paul, sometime they shall see us again. That's what the captain was saying to me just now. I hope it's true, little master; for your sake I hope he knows."

      When he had done speaking, Jube would turn his head quite away, and shake the tears from his eyes, while the boy fell to his patient watch again.

CHAPTER V.

       THE SEARCH FOR GOLD.

       Table of Contents

      Paul saw that questions wounded his black friend, and fell into silence, thinking of his parents with mournful yearning, but not mentioning them again.

      It was a long, dreary day; but the sunset came at last, flooding the harbor with crimson, which made the water look ensanguined like the land. One by one the lights of the town began to flame out again, and hoarse sounds mingled with the surf of the tide. Now the boy became restless, and his eyes began to gleam impatiently.

      "Jube, dear Jube, let us go ashore with a big boat, and bring them away! don't you hear the noise—don't you see how the fire flashes. They'll be hurt, Jube, and we shan't be there to help them."

      Thrasher, the mate, was passing as the boy said this; he paused, and patted the little fellow's head.

      "Who is it you want to help, my little man?" he said.

      The child shrunk against his black guardian, and looked up with such gentle earnestness that Thrasher's eyes fell under the glance.

      "We want to go after them, monsieur. My papa and mamma; she couldn't wait for me, because papa wanted her, and so rowed away after him. But she sent dear old Jube to stay with me, didn't she Jube?"

      He lifted both hands, and pressed the palms lovingly against the black cheeks of the slave, with a childishness which was the more touching because of its mournful trust.

      "So you think your mother has gone back to the shore again?" said Thrasher, whose attention to this child was singular, for he was in no way a man of fine sensibilities, and had received the boy, and, afterward, the slave, rather grudgingly.

      "Yes," answered Paul; "after papa lay down to rest, you know, mamma wanted to go back there, and struggled, and cried; but they wouldn't let her. You might know she'd be off the minute she woke up and found the captain had left her with a boat all to herself; but she's a long time. Don't you think it's a long time. I'm so tired of waiting."

      "And who was your mamma, my little man?"

      "My mamma! she was a beautiful lady, oh! so beautiful! I know that's true, because papa told her so every day, when she put the red roses in her hair that Jube brought. You remember, Jube?"

      "Yes, little master, I remember; but turn your eyes away, I can't bear 'em just now."

      "And where did your father live?" persisted the mate, feeling his way adroitly, as a pointer scents his game.

      The child pointed toward the town.

      "In a large house?" said Thrasher.

       "The biggest house on the island," answered Jube, true to the instincts of his class.

      "And they drove your master away like the rest?"

      "Like the meanest of them all. It was his own slaves began. They knew of his gold, and that he wanted to send it off to some other country."

      "He was rich, then?"

      "Rich—no man like him in all Domingo! It was a great family—six brothers; they all gathered up their gold and brought it to my master's, ready to be put on board some ship—this one it may be. I had care of the gold, but the boxes were heavy, and the other slaves guessed what was in them, and told about it. But they did not know where it was hid, for my master and his brothers only went with me to the cellar. It was a heavy lift for gentlemen like them, but we got it all into the vault, and heaped stones and rubbish against the door. They meant to move it that very night. A boat was ready to carry it to White's Island. The day before, masters and I went there, and dug a pit to bury it in."

      "And did you take it there?" asked the mate, with suppressed eagerness.

      "No, surely—no!" answered the slave, with a sudden gleam of caution. "The patriots fell upon us—they began to burn and kill without warning. My master sent me to the boat, and told me to wait till he came with the mistress; but they fired the wharves, which made the water one blaze of light; and I could not come near the shore, try as I would. So at last I went to the island, and waited; but instead of my master—oh! you know what came there!"

      "But the gold—did any one find the gold?"

      "How do I know?"

       "And the house—was it burned?"

      "No; little master says they were dancing, and shouting, and drinking wine from the cellars when the family was driven out."

      "And your master, where is he—his brothers, what became of them?" questioned СКАЧАТЬ