thought Joe had been sent on ahead to open the house, but he
says, 'General Quintard's at the Barony now,' and then he says,
'The general's compliments, sir, and will you see that this order
is filled?' Well, Mr. Bladen, I and my father had factored the
Barony fo' fifteen years and upward, but that was the first time
the supplies fo' the general's table had ever been toted here in
a meal sack!

"I rode out that very afternoon, but Joe, who was one of your
mannerly niggers, met me at the door and says, 'Mr. Crenshaw, the
general appreciates this courtesy, but regrets that he is unable
to see you, sir.' After that it wa'n't long in getting about
that the general was a changed man. Other folks came here to
welcome him back and he refused to see them, but the reason of it
we never learned. Joe, who probably knew, was one of your close
niggers; there was, no getting anything out of him; you could
talk with that darky by the hour, sir, and he left you feeling
emptier than if he'd kept his mouth shut."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Crenshaw, a trifle impatiently, and in response
to his bidding the door opened and a small boy entered the room
dragging after him a long rifle. Suddenly overcome by a
speechless shyness, he paused on the threshold to stare with
round, wondering eyes at the two men. "Well, sonny, what do you
want?" asked Mr. Crenshaw indulgently.

The boy opened his mouth, but his courage failed him, and with
his courage went the words he would have spoken.