summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/60425-h/60425-h.htm
blob: 8d6f51b513aad8da00de570bbab70774024eaedd (plain) 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064
1065
1066
1067
1068
1069
1070
1071
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076
1077
1078
1079
1080
1081
1082
1083
1084
1085
1086
1087
1088
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093
1094
1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106
1107
1108
1109
1110
1111
1112
1113
1114
1115
1116
1117
1118
1119
1120
1121
1122
1123
1124
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
1147
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197
1198
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240
1241
1242
1243
1244
1245
1246
1247
1248
1249
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
1255
1256
1257
1258
1259
1260
1261
1262
1263
1264
1265
1266
1267
1268
1269
1270
1271
1272
1273
1274
1275
1276
1277
1278
1279
1280
1281
1282
1283
1284
1285
1286
1287
1288
1289
1290
1291
1292
1293
1294
1295
1296
1297
1298
1299
1300
1301
1302
1303
1304
1305
1306
1307
1308
1309
1310
1311
1312
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343
1344
1345
1346
1347
1348
1349
1350
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374
1375
1376
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382
1383
1384
1385
1386
1387
1388
1389
1390
1391
1392
1393
1394
1395
1396
1397
1398
1399
1400
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429
1430
1431
1432
1433
1434
1435
1436
1437
1438
1439
1440
1441
1442
1443
1444
1445
1446
1447
1448
1449
1450
1451
1452
1453
1454
1455
1456
1457
1458
1459
1460
1461
1462
1463
1464
1465
1466
1467
1468
1469
1470
1471
1472
1473
1474
1475
1476
1477
1478
1479
1480
1481
1482
1483
1484
1485
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493
1494
1495
1496
1497
1498
1499
1500
1501
1502
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512
1513
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525
1526
1527
1528
1529
1530
1531
1532
1533
1534
1535
1536
1537
1538
1539
1540
1541
1542
1543
1544
1545
1546
1547
1548
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554
1555
1556
1557
1558
1559
1560
1561
1562
1563
1564
1565
1566
1567
1568
1569
1570
1571
1572
1573
1574
1575
1576
1577
1578
1579
1580
1581
1582
1583
1584
1585
1586
1587
1588
1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1596
1597
1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613
1614
1615
1616
1617
1618
1619
1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701
1702
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
1742
1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040
2041
2042
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047
2048
2049
2050
2051
2052
2053
2054
2055
2056
2057
2058
2059
2060
2061
2062
2063
2064
2065
2066
2067
2068
2069
2070
2071
2072
2073
2074
2075
2076
2077
2078
2079
2080
2081
2082
2083
2084
2085
2086
2087
2088
2089
2090
2091
2092
2093
2094
2095
2096
2097
2098
2099
2100
2101
2102
2103
2104
2105
2106
2107
2108
2109
2110
2111
2112
2113
2114
2115
2116
2117
2118
2119
2120
2121
2122
2123
2124
2125
2126
2127
2128
2129
2130
2131
2132
2133
2134
2135
2136
2137
2138
2139
2140
2141
2142
2143
2144
2145
2146
2147
2148
2149
2150
2151
2152
2153
2154
2155
2156
2157
2158
2159
2160
2161
2162
2163
2164
2165
2166
2167
2168
2169
2170
2171
2172
2173
2174
2175
2176
2177
2178
2179
2180
2181
2182
2183
2184
2185
2186
2187
2188
2189
2190
2191
2192
2193
2194
2195
2196
2197
2198
2199
2200
2201
2202
2203
2204
2205
2206
2207
2208
2209
2210
2211
2212
2213
2214
2215
2216
2217
2218
2219
2220
2221
2222
2223
2224
2225
2226
2227
2228
2229
2230
2231
2232
2233
2234
2235
2236
2237
2238
2239
2240
2241
2242
2243
2244
2245
2246
2247
2248
2249
2250
2251
2252
2253
2254
2255
2256
2257
2258
2259
2260
2261
2262
2263
2264
2265
2266
2267
2268
2269
2270
2271
2272
2273
2274
2275
2276
2277
2278
2279
2280
2281
2282
2283
2284
2285
2286
2287
2288
2289
2290
2291
2292
2293
2294
2295
2296
2297
2298
2299
2300
2301
2302
2303
2304
2305
2306
2307
2308
2309
2310
2311
2312
2313
2314
2315
2316
2317
2318
2319
2320
2321
2322
2323
2324
2325
2326
2327
2328
2329
2330
2331
2332
2333
2334
2335
2336
2337
2338
2339
2340
2341
2342
2343
2344
2345
2346
2347
2348
2349
2350
2351
2352
2353
2354
2355
2356
2357
2358
2359
2360
2361
2362
2363
2364
2365
2366
2367
2368
2369
2370
2371
2372
2373
2374
2375
2376
2377
2378
2379
2380
2381
2382
2383
2384
2385
2386
2387
2388
2389
2390
2391
2392
2393
2394
2395
2396
2397
2398
2399
2400
2401
2402
2403
2404
2405
2406
2407
2408
2409
2410
2411
2412
2413
2414
2415
2416
2417
2418
2419
2420
2421
2422
2423
2424
2425
2426
2427
2428
2429
2430
2431
2432
2433
2434
2435
2436
2437
2438
2439
2440
2441
2442
2443
2444
2445
2446
2447
2448
2449
2450
2451
2452
2453
2454
2455
2456
2457
2458
2459
2460
2461
2462
2463
2464
2465
2466
2467
2468
2469
2470
2471
2472
2473
2474
2475
2476
2477
2478
2479
2480
2481
2482
2483
2484
2485
2486
2487
2488
2489
2490
2491
2492
2493
2494
2495
2496
2497
2498
2499
2500
2501
2502
2503
2504
2505
2506
2507
2508
2509
2510
2511
2512
2513
2514
2515
2516
2517
2518
2519
2520
2521
2522
2523
2524
2525
2526
2527
2528
2529
2530
2531
2532
2533
2534
2535
2536
2537
2538
2539
2540
2541
2542
2543
2544
2545
2546
2547
2548
2549
2550
2551
2552
2553
2554
2555
2556
2557
2558
2559
2560
2561
2562
2563
2564
2565
2566
2567
2568
2569
2570
2571
2572
2573
2574
2575
2576
2577
2578
2579
2580
2581
2582
2583
2584
2585
2586
2587
2588
2589
2590
2591
2592
2593
2594
2595
2596
2597
2598
2599
2600
2601
2602
2603
2604
2605
2606
2607
2608
2609
2610
2611
2612
2613
2614
2615
2616
2617
2618
2619
2620
2621
2622
2623
2624
2625
2626
2627
2628
2629
2630
2631
2632
2633
2634
2635
2636
2637
2638
2639
2640
2641
2642
2643
2644
2645
2646
2647
2648
2649
2650
2651
2652
2653
2654
2655
2656
2657
2658
2659
2660
2661
2662
2663
2664
2665
2666
2667
2668
2669
2670
2671
2672
2673
2674
2675
2676
2677
2678
2679
2680
2681
2682
2683
2684
2685
2686
2687
2688
2689
2690
2691
2692
2693
2694
2695
2696
2697
2698
2699
2700
2701
2702
2703
2704
2705
2706
2707
2708
2709
2710
2711
2712
2713
2714
2715
2716
2717
2718
2719
2720
2721
2722
2723
2724
2725
2726
2727
2728
2729
2730
2731
2732
2733
2734
2735
2736
2737
2738
2739
2740
2741
2742
2743
2744
2745
2746
2747
2748
2749
2750
2751
2752
2753
2754
2755
2756
2757
2758
2759
2760
2761
2762
2763
2764
2765
2766
2767
2768
2769
2770
2771
2772
2773
2774
2775
2776
2777
2778
2779
2780
2781
2782
2783
2784
2785
2786
2787
2788
2789
2790
2791
2792
2793
2794
2795
2796
2797
2798
2799
2800
2801
2802
2803
2804
2805
2806
2807
2808
2809
2810
2811
2812
2813
2814
2815
2816
2817
2818
2819
2820
2821
2822
2823
2824
2825
2826
2827
2828
2829
2830
2831
2832
2833
2834
2835
2836
2837
2838
2839
2840
2841
2842
2843
2844
2845
2846
2847
2848
2849
2850
2851
2852
2853
2854
2855
2856
2857
2858
2859
2860
2861
2862
2863
2864
2865
2866
2867
2868
2869
2870
2871
2872
2873
2874
2875
2876
2877
2878
2879
2880
2881
2882
2883
2884
2885
2886
2887
2888
2889
2890
2891
2892
2893
2894
2895
2896
2897
2898
2899
2900
2901
2902
2903
2904
2905
2906
2907
2908
2909
2910
2911
2912
2913
2914
2915
2916
2917
2918
2919
2920
2921
2922
2923
2924
2925
2926
2927
2928
2929
2930
2931
2932
2933
2934
2935
2936
2937
2938
2939
2940
2941
2942
2943
2944
2945
2946
2947
2948
2949
2950
2951
2952
2953
2954
2955
2956
2957
2958
2959
2960
2961
2962
2963
2964
2965
2966
2967
2968
2969
2970
2971
2972
2973
2974
2975
2976
2977
2978
2979
2980
2981
2982
2983
2984
2985
2986
2987
2988
2989
2990
2991
2992
2993
2994
2995
2996
2997
2998
2999
3000
3001
3002
3003
3004
3005
3006
3007
3008
3009
3010
3011
3012
3013
3014
3015
3016
3017
3018
3019
3020
3021
3022
3023
3024
3025
3026
3027
3028
3029
3030
3031
3032
3033
3034
3035
3036
3037
3038
3039
3040
3041
3042
3043
3044
3045
3046
3047
3048
3049
3050
3051
3052
3053
3054
3055
3056
3057
3058
3059
3060
3061
3062
3063
3064
3065
3066
3067
3068
3069
3070
3071
3072
3073
3074
3075
3076
3077
3078
3079
3080
3081
3082
3083
3084
3085
3086
3087
3088
3089
3090
3091
3092
3093
3094
3095
3096
3097
3098
3099
3100
3101
3102
3103
3104
3105
3106
3107
3108
3109
3110
3111
3112
3113
3114
3115
3116
3117
3118
3119
3120
3121
3122
3123
3124
3125
3126
3127
3128
3129
3130
3131
3132
3133
3134
3135
3136
3137
3138
3139
3140
3141
3142
3143
3144
3145
3146
3147
3148
3149
3150
3151
3152
3153
3154
3155
3156
3157
3158
3159
3160
3161
3162
3163
3164
3165
3166
3167
3168
3169
3170
3171
3172
3173
3174
3175
3176
3177
3178
3179
3180
3181
3182
3183
3184
3185
3186
3187
3188
3189
3190
3191
3192
3193
3194
3195
3196
3197
3198
3199
3200
3201
3202
3203
3204
3205
3206
3207
3208
3209
3210
3211
3212
3213
3214
3215
3216
3217
3218
3219
3220
3221
3222
3223
3224
3225
3226
3227
3228
3229
3230
3231
3232
3233
3234
3235
3236
3237
3238
3239
3240
3241
3242
3243
3244
3245
3246
3247
3248
3249
3250
3251
3252
3253
3254
3255
3256
3257
3258
3259
3260
3261
3262
3263
3264
3265
3266
3267
3268
3269
3270
3271
3272
3273
3274
3275
3276
3277
3278
3279
3280
3281
3282
3283
3284
3285
3286
3287
3288
3289
3290
3291
3292
3293
3294
3295
3296
3297
3298
3299
3300
3301
3302
3303
3304
3305
3306
3307
3308
3309
3310
3311
3312
3313
3314
3315
3316
3317
3318
3319
3320
3321
3322
3323
3324
3325
3326
3327
3328
3329
3330
3331
3332
3333
3334
3335
3336
3337
3338
3339
3340
3341
3342
3343
3344
3345
3346
3347
3348
3349
3350
3351
3352
3353
3354
3355
3356
3357
3358
3359
3360
3361
3362
3363
3364
3365
3366
3367
3368
3369
3370
3371
3372
3373
3374
3375
3376
3377
3378
3379
3380
3381
3382
3383
3384
3385
3386
3387
3388
3389
3390
3391
3392
3393
3394
3395
3396
3397
3398
3399
3400
3401
3402
3403
3404
3405
3406
3407
3408
3409
3410
3411
3412
3413
3414
3415
3416
3417
3418
3419
3420
3421
3422
3423
3424
3425
3426
3427
3428
3429
3430
3431
3432
3433
3434
3435
3436
3437
3438
3439
3440
3441
3442
3443
3444
3445
3446
3447
3448
3449
3450
3451
3452
3453
3454
3455
3456
3457
3458
3459
3460
3461
3462
3463
3464
3465
3466
3467
3468
3469
3470
3471
3472
3473
3474
3475
3476
3477
3478
3479
3480
3481
3482
3483
3484
3485
3486
3487
3488
3489
3490
3491
3492
3493
3494
3495
3496
3497
3498
3499
3500
3501
3502
3503
3504
3505
3506
3507
3508
3509
3510
3511
3512
3513
3514
3515
3516
3517
3518
3519
3520
3521
3522
3523
3524
3525
3526
3527
3528
3529
3530
3531
3532
3533
3534
3535
3536
3537
3538
3539
3540
3541
3542
3543
3544
3545
3546
3547
3548
3549
3550
3551
3552
3553
3554
3555
3556
3557
3558
3559
3560
3561
3562
3563
3564
3565
3566
3567
3568
3569
3570
3571
3572
3573
3574
3575
3576
3577
3578
3579
3580
3581
3582
3583
3584
3585
3586
3587
3588
3589
3590
3591
3592
3593
3594
3595
3596
3597
3598
3599
3600
3601
3602
3603
3604
3605
3606
3607
3608
3609
3610
3611
3612
3613
3614
3615
3616
3617
3618
3619
3620
3621
3622
3623
3624
3625
3626
3627
3628
3629
3630
3631
3632
3633
3634
3635
3636
3637
3638
3639
3640
3641
3642
3643
3644
3645
3646
3647
3648
3649
3650
3651
3652
3653
3654
3655
3656
3657
3658
3659
3660
3661
3662
3663
3664
3665
3666
3667
3668
3669
3670
3671
3672
3673
3674
3675
3676
3677
3678
3679
3680
3681
3682
3683
3684
3685
3686
3687
3688
3689
3690
3691
3692
3693
3694

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" />
    <title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Zina: the Slave Girl, by Dr. A. Thompson</title>
    <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" />
    <style type="text/css">
       body { margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 10%; }
       h1 { text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large; }
       h2 { text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; }
       h3 { text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-size: large; }
       .pageno { right: 1%; font-size: x-small; background-color: inherit; color: silver;
               text-indent: 0em; text-align: right; position: absolute;
               border: thin solid silver; padding: .1em .2em; font-style: normal;
               font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; }
       p { text-indent: 0; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: justify; }
       .fss { font-size: 75%; }
       .sc { font-variant: small-caps; }
       .xlarge { font-size: x-large; }
       .small { font-size: small; }
       .index li {text-indent: -1em; padding-left: 1em; }
       .index ul {list-style-type: none;  padding-left: 0; }
       ul.index  {list-style-type: none;  padding-left: 0; }
       .ol_1 li {padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; }
       ol.ol_1 {padding-left: 0; margin-left: 2.78%; margin-top: .5em;
               margin-bottom: .5em; list-style-type: decimal; }
       div.pbb { page-break-before: always; }
       hr.pb { border: none; border-bottom: thin solid; margin-bottom: 1em; }
       @media handheld { hr.pb { display: none; } }
       .chapter { clear: both; page-break-before: always; }
       .nf-center { text-align: center; }
       .nf-center-c0 { text-align: left; margin: 0.5em 0; }
       .c000 { margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; }
       .c001 { page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em; }
       .c002 { font-size: medium; }
       .c003 { margin-top: 2em; }
       .c004 { margin-top: 2em; text-indent: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; }
       .c005 { margin-top: 1em; }
       .c006 { margin-top: 4em; }
       .c007 { page-break-before:auto; margin-top: 4em; }
       .c008 { margin-top: .5em; }
       .c009 { text-align: left; page-break-before: auto; margin-top: 2em; }
       .c010 { margin-top: 1em; text-indent: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; }
       .c011 { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; }
       .c012 { text-align: left; page-break-before: always; margin-top: 2em; }
       div.tnotes { padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;background-color:#E3E4FA;
              border:1px solid silver; margin:2em 10% 0 10%; font-family: Georgia, serif;
               }
       .covernote { visibility: hidden; display: none; }
       div.tnotes p { text-align:left; }
       @media handheld { .covernote { visibility: visible; display: block;} }
       h3 { text-align: justify; font-weight: 500;  font-size: medium; text-indent: 1em; }
       .section { clear: both; page-break-before: always; }
       .ol_1 li {font-size: .9em; }
       @media handheld {.ol_1 li {padding-left: 1em; text-indent: 0em; } }
       body {font-family: Georgia, serif;  text-align: justify; }
       div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always;
               page-break-after: always; }
       div.titlepage p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold;
               line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 3em; }
       .ph1 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large;
               margin: .67em auto; page-break-before: always; }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 60425 ***</div>

<div class='tnotes covernote'>

<p class='c000'><b>Transcriber’s Note:</b></p>

<p class='c000'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</p>

</div>

<div class='titlepage'>

<div>
  <h1 class='c001'>ZINA: THE SLAVE GIRL<br /> <span class='c002'>OR</span><br /> <span class='xlarge'>WHICH THE TRAITOR?</span></h1>
</div>

<div class='nf-center-c0'>
<div class='nf-center c003'>
    <div><i>A DRAMA IN FOUR ACTS.</i></div>
    <div class='c003'><span class='sc'>By Dr. A. THOMPSON, of Lowell, Mass.</span></div>
  </div>
</div>

<p class='c004'>[Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by <span class='sc'>Augustin
Thompson</span>, of Lowell, Mass., in the office of the Librarian of Congress,
at Washington, D. C.]</p>

<div class='nf-center-c0'>
<div class='nf-center c003'>
    <div>LOWELL, MASS.:</div>
    <div>COURIER PRESS: MARDEN AND ROWELL.</div>
    <div>1882.</div>
  </div>
</div>

</div>
<div class='pbb'>
 <hr class='pb c005' />
</div>
<div class='section ph1'>

<div class='nf-center-c0'>
<div class='nf-center c006'>
    <div>ZINA: THE SLAVE GIRL.</div>
  </div>
</div>

</div>

<div>
  <h2 class='c007'>CAST OF CHARACTERS.</h2>
</div>
<ul class='index c003'>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Gen. Francis Halcom.</span> An exile.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Keele Brightly.</span> Slavetrader, gambler, and guerilla chief.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Martelle d’Arneaux.</span> A true type of the old Southern chivalry.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Merald Myers.</span> A gambler, duellist, and slavetrader.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Gen. W. T. Sherman.</span> Commanding the Union Army of the Cumberland.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Gen. J. B. Hood.</span> Commanding Rebel Army of the Tennessee.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah Goferum.</span> A striking illustration of what the back towns can produce in a case of emergency.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Barney O’Flanagan.</span> An adopted citizen, who sticks by his friends.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Col. J. H. Gilday.</span> Of the Rebel Army.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Orderlies</span>, <span class='sc'>Soldiers</span>, <span class='fss'>ETC.</span></li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Zina: The Slave Girl.</span> Property of Keele Brightly.</li>
  <li class='c008'><span class='sc'>Sally Rideout.</span> The girl with a farm of her own, who dotes on Hezekiah, and sings to keep her disposition level.</li>
</ul>

<div class='section ph1'>

<div class='nf-center-c0'>
<div class='nf-center c006'>
    <div>ZINA:</div>
    <div class='c005'><span class='xlarge'>THE SLAVE GIRL.</span></div>
  </div>
</div>

</div>

<div>
  <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span>
  <h2 class='c007'>ACT I.</h2>
</div>

<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Scene 1.</span>—<i>Streets of Mobile.</i> <span class='sc'>D’Arneaux</span> <i>discovered looking over some papers R. Enter</i> <span class='sc'>Zina</span> <i>L, carrying a heavy carpet-bag</i>. D’A. <i>recognizes her</i>.</h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>D’Arneaux.</span> Ah! your master and myself seem to be of
one mind today. I did not see you on the train. When do
you return?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> When master has drank enough and played his money
away.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, you have been weeping. Some more abuse?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, please don’t ask me anything, master.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, do you like your master?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please don’t ask me to say.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Now, my little one, do you think you would be happier
if you should come to live at our cottage?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I should be so glad, Master D’Arneaux; but I
can not think of that, it is so impossible!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. My mother seems so happy when you come over to
sing to her.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I pity her so much; she is so helpless and lonely since
Nelly died.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, you could be a daughter to my mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> She seems to stop mourning for Nelly when I sing to
her, and her face lights up with the old smile as it used to do,
when I used to come over to learn to read and sing.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. If I should buy you off your master, how would you
like it?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, please, Master D’Arneaux, don’t give me a hope
like that! When disappointment comes it makes me feel so bad.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Now, why would you be glad to come with us?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> You have been so kind to me. Oh, if you will buy
me, I will work so hard for you!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Are you not happy in your old home?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina</span> (<i>looking about</i>). Please don’t tell master! but I get
so tired—My life is so hopeless, and the driver beats me so
hard—</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Why do they do that? I always see you at work.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Because I hid in the swamp when he was trying to sell
me to some brutal traders from the coast. Oh, please buy me,
Master D’Arneaux! I will work for you day and night and eat
the poor food after the other hands.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. But you have seemed to be so much attached to your
master, I had hardly dared to broach the matter of adding your
pretty face and good heart to the family of my mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, please do not say what I tell you! they would
whip me so. I force myself to appear happy and contented, to
please master. He is so cross when he finds me crying. Oh,
he drinks so much! You will not tell him what I have said?
(<i>Falls on her knees, sobbing.</i>) I am so fearful of a worse fate
than that.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Have they dared to insult you while you are but a
child?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, please buy me, Master D’Arneaux, I am so <i>miserable</i>
now.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, your honor is more sacred than your life, and you
have the right to defend it to the death, even against your master
(<i>handing stiletto</i>). Take this knife and kill the miscreant
who would insult you.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina</span> (<i>kissing and hugging it to her bosom</i>). Oh, I am so
helpless alone with them.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, you were not born to be a slave. God has not
put the stamp of that race in your angel face. Your brain is
sharper than your master’s. Think! at fourteen you read as
well as the best at the plantation. In music you are a prodigy.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, Master D’Arneaux, you are always so kind to me.
Heaven is good to your help when it gives so good a master.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. It is Heaven, too, that gives <i>you</i> so much of sympathy
and goddness.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I have thought I was so bad, Master D’Arneaux.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>D’A. Why did you think that, my little one?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> The driver says, only the wicked are unhappy. Oh,
it is so hard for me to be good.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You make a very grave mistake, Zina. The best people
that have lived have been full of tears.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I feel so much better when I can cry.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. So did you cry when our Nelly died, yet you had done
no wrong.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina</span> (<i>hesitatingly</i>). She was such a sister to me, when I was
only a miserable slave. She learned me to sing and your mother
learned me to read—</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. And you have repaid my poor, helpless old mother
with so many beautiful songs—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> How else can I pay her for all that makes sunshine
for my miserable life?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, you are a noble girl. Too good and pure for
labor among the coarse field hands. Heaven never made you
for this. Your brain and voice came from Him who gives such
gifts for a nobler purpose. To scatter happiness as He scatters
beautiful wild flowers in the uninviting nooks of the earth.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I do not know what to say, Master D’Arneaux,
you are so good to me. (<i>Zina rises.</i>) If you buy me, may I
have a little bed of flowers? I will take care of them when
there is no work to do.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. All the flowers you please, little one, where you like,
and your own time to work in them.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I am so glad! I forget all my misery and unhappiness
when I am doing that.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. It is an evidence of a pure and noble heart to love
the beautiful.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please don’t tell master, but he stamps on my flowers
and tells me to waste my time in the cotton field. Oh! I try so
hard to please him, that he won’t order the driver to beat me!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. He is a brutal dog!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please don’t say so to him. He will know I have
been saying something to you (<i>taking bag and goes to R</i>). Oh,
I must go now! He is so angry when I am gone too long.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. But he knows you are after the baggage?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> And he knows I have had time to go and get back
(<i>dropping on knees</i>). Oh, please buy me, Master D’Arneaux,
I am so unhappy now! I will work so hard to get your money
back.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>D’A. (<i>Brushing hair from forehead.</i>) Dry the tears, little
one, I will see what I can do for you.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, you will try, won’t you, Master D’Arneaux? I
am so fearful that I shall be sold to some traders tomorrow.
(<i>Seizes and passionately kisses D’A.’s hand, Zina rises slowly,
covering face, then hurries out R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I <i>will</i> try (<i>looking after her</i>)! That was a rash
promise. What if he shall demand more than I have? That
would sweep my mother’s comforts away (<i>overcome</i>). My God!
Can it be right that such innocence should be given to the mercy
of such brutes? If this system is divine, it is <i>not</i> divine that
devils should own or handle it. If in the coming conflict I shall
fall, what next? Poor Cora, when I told her my duty was at the
front, and I trusted my mother to her care, that look of agony
I shall never forget, as she gathered her babies to her heart and
said: “Master, I could always be a slave for you, but if you
are killed, what will become of my baby boys?” It has rung in
my ears like the knell of hope, <i>forever</i> since. Poor woman!
They shall never send your children to the auction block to pay
a debt for me. If from shame I left her then without an answer,
she shall have it today from the best of my manhood. I will
free my people before I go. The land and cottage will keep my
mother—Ah, I had forgotten Brightly’s mortgage! My
death may send my mother to the poor-house (<i>thinking</i>). The
proceeds of my last crop will clear this, or buy the girl. Heaven
help me to do right! (<i>Exit R.</i>)</p>

<h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 2.</span> <i>Cafe in Hotel Leon, Mobile.</i> <span class='sc'>Myers</span> <i>and</i> <span class='sc'>Brightly</span> <i>are discovered seated at a card table L. Bar rear centre.</i></h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> A fact, as said old Bob, “Cotton is king,” and
a truer boast never was made.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Some idle slush that happens to suit the vanity of
the cotton growers. Our roosters always strut the loudest.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Why not? If two hundred millions’ worth of
cotton never crossed the sea, how long would you have to hunt
for a gold coin on the Atlantic seaboard?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> What of your gold mines?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> A drop, only. Shut off the cotton production
and how would we carry on a foreign trade?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Exchange your cereals. Again,—if you had nothing
to buy with, you wouldn’t buy. No matter how much you
produce here, you are forced to part with it to feed your always
famished vanity. Before California, your cotton, cereals
and meat went. Now it is California as well! Mark this: If
thrown on your own resources, without a particle of foreign importation,
you would be infinitely better off, because it would
give an impetus to the development of your natural resources,
so unparalleled.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Come to natural resources, how came New
York and New England with their wealth, and how would your
pauper labor obtain their cheap clothing?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Egypt can raise cotton enough for the world. Thrift,
hard labor and plenty of brains will make anybody what he
needs.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Of course, even if the business was basswood,
hams and Peter Funk jewelry.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> It is not to your credit that they find a susceptible
market here.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Why, Myers, we run the rest of this country
as middlemen. We have tolerated the leeches a hundred years.
Now we propose to shut down.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> When you will spoil the whole. (<i>Enter Hood R.</i>)
It takes brains to run a country like this, and the south haven’t
got the material.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Indeed!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Yes, sir; indeed. It is one thing to raise cotton
and another thing to make it valuable. You never had sense
enough in the south to utilize it. If you have, where are
your mills? The south is loaded with water-power. The
brains of the country are in New England and the middle states.
Kick those friends in the face and where are you? England,
you say? They would hold the same relation to you at once.
What do you gain? An enemy on the border. I owe allegiance
to the British crown, but I like your country. It will be
my future home.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I was going to say—that I was afraid this country
couldn’t do without ye.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Sum the south and its institutions, and what is it?
Planters who know nothing but to buy and work a nigger. A
large element whose highest ambition is hog, hominy, a horse
race and whiskey enough for the present. Politicians, who discover
<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>nothing but that the north is leeching its living from the
south and stealing its niggers.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> How much would it cost to get two or three
Johnny Bulls like you to come over and run this machine?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Sarcasm don’t answer argument. It takes a variety
of people and interests to make a country like this. I have
travelled it all over. It’s a big thing. Believe me, gentlemen,
when I say that you require New England for its manufacturing
push, the west for its bread and meat, the south for its cotton
and sugar. Kick out one and you spoil the whole.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Myers, you should have chosen the law instead
of Faro and speckelatin in niggers.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Why?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You got so much cheek, and you can twist a lie
so it will look like a fact.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Now don’t insult me!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Oh, get out! You are as sensitive as a Yankee
nigger stealer. (<i>Enter D’Arneaux R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Good morning, gentlemen. Brightly, please say to
my mother, pressing business calls me to Charleston, at once.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> The devil! What is up now?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. The last dispatches announce that the bombardment
of Sumter has commenced.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Jest as I expected.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I enter the army tonight, Capt. Hood, may I expect
to enter under your command?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Sorry, but my company is full. Everything is full.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Why not stick to the Regulators? You got a
commission there?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Then I will return to Creelsboro tonight, take leave
of my mother in the morning, then hie for the frontier.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> What’s your rush? I can’t get ready as soon as
that!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. The state owns the right to my head and arm now.
A quick blow, and an honorable, bloodless peace.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Well said, my boy. We fight our own countrymen,
whose ancestors stood shoulder to shoulder with ours for the
first independence. The first shot makes me shudder, for I
cannot see the end.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. War is cruel, and I have hoped against hope that
it would not come.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I like your sentiments, my boy. May I hope a bullet
<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>may never find you. But the north will fight. It is the exasperation
wrought by cruel pictures of the wrong we have
carried as best we could, through the first century of the Republic.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Now, gentlemen, don’t get melancholy. Yankees
won’t fight. They are by instinct thieves and shopkeepers. I
will bet you my best nigger you can’t hire one to cross the line.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I have travelled in that country some, and I will
meet your wager and go you one better, that you smell as much
Yankee gunpowder the next year as you can take care of.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Pointing to Myers, laughing.</i>) It’s chronic,
Johnny Bull!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Did I understand you that you are an Englishman?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> An Australian, sir, on a spec, plying between Mobile
and Havana. Got anything to sell?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Your line of trade?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I prefer handsome women.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. And when he is tired of them, they are turned over to
another master in the auction yards of Havana.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Exactly. I made $700 on the last one.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> It remains for Old and New England to furnish the
men, that have loaded the south with its most ignominious
reputation. (<i>Myers springs to his feet.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Do you insult the legitimate business of your country?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> The absolute freedom the Republic confers upon
you has never legalized a crime against humanity.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> What say you, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> When this country opens its doors to the citizens of
another state, it expects no insults to its hospitality!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Do you fight, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I do, sir, most assuredly.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You can take your choice, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers</span> (<i>to D’Arneaux</i>). I have no quarrel with you, sir.
(<i>To Hood.</i>) You will hear from me in the morning. Your
profession, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> It is honorable, sir. Be assured that I feel the
degradation of the match as much as yourself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> This squabble with the free states has seemed to
convey the idea to every scrub in the south that he must carry
the honor of his own section on his own little back.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Squabble?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Well, what else? Neither section has an army, or
a respectable ship of war. There are not ten thousand men in
the country that know a right-shoulder shift from a present.
This is a fanatical mob broke loose.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Myers, it is cruelty to a lunatic to fight you.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Nothing collapses the vanity of a ponderous presumption
so quick as a ridiculous fact.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly</span> (<i>to Hood and D’Arneaux</i>). Oh, he knows it all.
(<i>To Myers.</i>) Look here. I knew of a Johnny Bull once that
had the conceit taken out of him by a little nation that made a
navy out of its little coasting schooners. It lays hard on Johnny’s
stomach to this day.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Whatever the merits of this quarrel may be, John
Bull will soon observe that it don’t take three years to make a
soldier on this side of the water.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Come, Brightly, as you and I have not quarrelled, let
us have a whack at the national game. (<i>Deals cards—they play.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Myers, you are the sauciest devil in Mobile.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Why?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Because you are the best shot, I suppose.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Then Mobile tolerates me, does it?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> It does.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Then suppose it should choose to do otherwise?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Some citizen would wring your nose and kick you out.
(<i>Myers springs to his feet, Brightly between.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Hold on, gentlemen. There’s time enough to
settle this hash in the morning. (<i>Pushes Myers to his chair.</i>)
Deal the cards.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> These gentlemen insist on being insultingly snappish.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> This is a slave state, sir, but not an auction room.
I desire you to understand the strength of my contempt for yourself
and the business that gives you a dishonorable living.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> If you should ever cross the water, do you think
anything in the line of Royalty would be able to obtain any condescension
from you?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I associate with nothing but gentlemen, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> And I suppose you fight nothing but gentlemen, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I sometimes kick a ruffian!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers</span> (<i>suppressed rage</i>). Indeed! We will see how hard
you kick, in the morning. Say, Brightly. Now you are off for
the army, sell me that little red-cheeked jade I saw carrying
your baggage to the depot.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span><span class='sc'>Brightly</span> (<i>catching a look from D’A.</i>). No siree! That girl
is the smartest piece of meat in the whole of Tennessee! I
brought her up from a baby. Why, she can sing like an Opera,
and read—wal, she does all the readin’ and letter writin’ on the
plantation. (<i>Hood and D’A. converse—R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I s’pose that all goes for talk!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Why, bless your heart, there ain’t a nigger or
white woman in Creelsboro’ that wouldn’t die for her! She’s
one er the institutions of that place.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Worth about a thousand more, I suppose, on account
of that! Never saw a Tennessee trader that didn’t have sixteen
or seventeen hundred dollars’ worth of extra virtues in his
particular nigger!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> On er bright, and no blowin’!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Oh the south is full of them!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Then go and buy ’em.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Brightly, I don’t know why, but I have just taken a
liking to that little romp. She is pretty and fresh as a new picture.
Say, she hasn’t been married?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Not a bit of it. She’s only jest sixteen.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Say, I will give twelve hundred for her, because you
and I are old friends.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> No, yer don’t!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Fifteen?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> It’s no use talkin’! If I should sell that little
brat, there would be hell to pay in Creelsboro’ for two years.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Now look here, Brightly; when I take a liking I am
willing to pay for it. I am going to make you an offer you won’t
refuse—twenty-five hundred!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You had better wait and see if you get by Hood
in the morning.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I shall kill him at the first shot.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> But he fires once, himself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> He will die too soon for that. I have never found
it necessary to fire twice. The other man always forgets to finish
his business.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Why, Myers, you hain’t no more idea of what
there is in that gal, than you have of kingdom come. (<i>Blows a
whistle, and Zina dashes in R, looking inquiringly.</i>) Ain’t that
jest the handsomest piece of furnicher ye ever looked at?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Beautiful!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Now I jest want you to hear her sing. Now, little
<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>one, hoe in. Do yer handsomest, and I’ll give yer four days
off.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh please, master, I feel so bad today. (<i>Falling on
her knees and covering her face.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly</span> (<i>Rising and drawing a whip from under his coat.</i>)
Ah ha! Sulks again? Niggers don’t say won’t to me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please don’t make me sing, master, today. (<i>Falls on
face sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly</span> (<i>interrupting</i>). Ah, you won’t, hey? Then I will
give you something to sulk for. (<i>Advances towards her, and
D’Arneaux steps between. They look each other in the face a
moment. Brightly goes to seat again.</i>) The young one ain’t
well today.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Well, three thousand.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Catching a look from D’Arneaux.</i>) I’ll tell ye
tomorrow.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I’ll bet ye five hundred on this hand without lookin’.
(<i>D’A. raises Zina up to knees. She clings to D’A.’s hands—face
hid.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> All right. My chance is as good as your’n, then.
Show!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers</span> (<i>as both show</i>). Got ye! This is a matter of pure
luck, and may as well be done blindfolded. Do you know I lost
fifteen thousand dollars once in Havana at one sitting?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Enough to make me rich! (<i>Rests face on hands.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I was teetotally cleaned out. I put up my breastpin
and won. When I got up, I was five thousand dollars better
off than I was when I commenced. Try it again?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I have just about enough left to get me home
again. (<i>Turns away.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Borrow?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To D’A.</i>) D’Arneaux, lend me a thousand dollars.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I shall be obliged to use all I have tomorrow. I would
play no more.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I want him to win back part of this, so we can part
with good feeling.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Then give it to him, and have done with it!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I refuse a gift from any one!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Any gentleman would say that.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Then return what you have won dishonestly.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers</span> (<i>springing to his feet</i>). This is the second time you
have insulted me tonight, without provocation.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>D’A. <i>Gentlemen</i> resent the first insult!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Can I expect to see you at “Bayou Sara” with your
friend in the morning?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You can, sir! I prefer to meet you first myself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> It is immaterial to me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Now, gentlemen, this quarrel is for nothing.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. He has insulted the hospitality of my country. He
must carry his life in his hands for that!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Do your boasting after the fight. Brightly, I lend
you five hundred to continue the game. I want to go out from
here with one friend.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Jest as you say (<i>they seat at table</i>). I am going
to get ye this time. You dealt last (<i>deals cards</i>).</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Will bet you the even $500, and show as before.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Playin’ is all luck, anyway.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Do you go it?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Yes. What have ye got (<i>both show</i>)?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Sorry, Brightly. I was hoping you would win this.
Nevertheless, luck will come somewhere. Say, I will bet you
thirty-five hundred against the girl?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> No, I won’t! (<i>D’A. and Zina, excited, gather
nearer.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> That would give you a chance to win 2000 more
than you had when you commenced. Try it again.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Hesitating, finally brings his fist down on the
table.</i>) Done!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, master. (<i>Zina drops on her knees and bows her
head on Brightly, sobbing. Brightly throws her off.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. (<i>Dashing forward and flinging his pocket-book on the
table.</i>) No, by heaven, you shall not! There are eighteen
hundred dollars. It is all I have. Take it and say the girl is
free. Then <i>waste</i> the money if you like.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> (<i>To Brightly.</i>) Do you take this scoundrel through
the country as guardian for your property, because you are unfit
to handle it yourself?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> What I own I control. Deal the cards! It is
$3500 or the girl!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Thirty-five hundred dollars or the girl. Show (<i>both
show</i>.) You have lost again!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. And you have won dishonestly!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> You lie! (<i>Zina half rises in terror.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Take that money and let the girl go free.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Who are you (<i>rises and confronts</i>)?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. What are you?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Well, say it.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A gambler with the honor of a thief.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> In the morning you shall swallow that.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A libertine without an honorable thought!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> This shall be your last croak!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A ruffian, whose business it is to send—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> Have done—</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Beauty and virtue to the auction block for prostitution!
(<i>Myers strikes D’Arneaux and is struck in return.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Myers.</span> I will not wait for morning to settle this. (<i>Flings
off hat, draws knife. Zina rises in terror.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. It shall be as you choose (<i>dashing to bar and seizing a
knife</i>). And the freedom of this helpless girl shall be the issue!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Dashing between.</i>) Hold on, gentlemen!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Stand aside, sir! This is a question of manhood you
are unfit to decide. (<i>Myers dashes by Brightly and attacks D’A.
They fight. Myers is killed L.  at once. D’A. drops his
knife and stands aghast at his work. Turning suddenly to R.</i>)
It is a poltroon who would not fight from such a provocation.
(<i>Zina drops on her knees sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. (<i>To Brightly.</i>) The result of this duel ends your
control as master here. (<i>Zina falls on face sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> When did I give papers to convey her?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I sought the quarrel that has ended that miscreant’s
life, because he has lived in vandalism on the ruins of helpless
innocence!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> What is that to me?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. By every sense of even a gambler’s honor, this child is
free. If you deny that, it shall be the last time the law shall
protect your infamy. Peril her liberty and honor again if you
dare, and you shall answer to me. (<i>Curtain.</i>)</p>

<div class='chapter'>
  <h2 class='c007'>ACT II.</h2>
</div>

<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Scene 1.</span> <i>Landscape. Whole stage. Gen. Halcom discovered, R, looking away with field-glass. Soldiers “en picket,” rear.</i></h3>

<p class='c010'><i>Enter Barney L. U. E., looking badly as if from a drunken
debauch.</i></p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>1st <span class='sc'>Soldier</span> and <span class='sc'>Soldiers</span>. Guardhouse! Guardhouse!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Stopping, &amp;c.</i>) Close up them holes in your face;
the flies may get inside and blow you.</p>

<p class='c011'>1st <span class='sc'>Sol.</span>, &amp;c. Pull up yer trowsers, they are wearing out your
heels. (<i>Soldiers laugh. Barney enraged.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I will have that thafe killed that got so many idiots
down here.</p>

<p class='c011'>1st <span class='sc'>Sol.</span> Turn off the gas or your head will collapse.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Throwing off hat and coat, L.</i>) Come out here
with them idiots. Come out! Come out! (<i>Spanks his hand
on floor.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>1st <span class='sc'>Sol.</span> Ah-r, Barney, get out, we were only in fun.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Go away wid you for a thafe and blackguard ye are.</p>

<p class='c011'>1st <span class='sc'>Sol.</span> Come, Barney, let’s have a drink and make up.
(<i>Soldier produces bottle. Barney looks incredulous, as if expecting
some imposition. He approaches very slowly.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> And you have no sickness in it?</p>

<p class='c011'>1st <span class='sc'>Sol.</span> Ah-r, what do you take us for? (<i>Barney takes
bottle and attempts to drink. Finds it empty. Flings it out L.
Spanks his hand on the floor. Soldiers laugh very loud.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Come out! Come out, you thafe er the worruld!
I’ll bat your dam head off you. Come out! (<i>Gen. Halcom turns,
looks at them a moment. Barney subsides, and as he puts on
coat and hat, turns often to see if Hal. is looking at him. Enter
Orderly L. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Orderly.</span> (<i>To Gen. Hal.</i>) A note, sir, from the commander-in-chief.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> One moment (<i>reads note</i>). Say to the commander-in-chief
that the enemy are massing on our immediate front.
(<i>Orderly salutes and retires L. U. E.</i>) The picket will report
to chief of brigade guard. (<i>Pickets retire. L. U. E. Halcom
follows slowly. Soon a squad of rebel soldiers enter R. with
Keele. Brightly peering cautiously. D’A. shows R. U. E. A
picket fires out L. U. E. A return shot and he falls. Three
other shots and rebels retire R., but soon come slowly back.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Some of those Yankees have learned to shoot
since this fight began. (<i>To men.</i>) Take that body behind the
hill and bury it. (<i>Rebel soldiers drag the body out R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. (<i>Approaching, handing Brightly a note.</i>) An order
from the commander.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Reads and throws it down.</i>) I take no orders
from any one.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>D’A. Are you a soldier or brigand?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Either you please.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. The laws of every nation compel allegiance to the
country that gives its protection.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Protection, did you say?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Aye, protection!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> When this confederacy finds itself able to stand
alone, it may assume impudence enough to ask my allegiance
on account of the protection it can give.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. As did the colonies in the first insurrection, this government
holds the inhabitants of its territory subject to the
military conscription.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Its object, an asylum for broken down political
beats.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A separation from the free states!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Which I oppose.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Then, sir, you are a traitor.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Be careful, young man; you are not robust
enough to use such talk with a man. I fight to repel Yankee
intrusion upon our domestic affairs.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A patriotism that simply asks protection for your
pocket.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Whose reaches farther?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Who has no pride in a magnificent nationality, would
simply root his way through the world like a hog, for the benefit
of his stomach.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Well, who gets, or cares for more?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. He whose ambition leaps the instinct of the animal, to
achieve honor, magnificence and power.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You had that before and the north paid the bills.
This is simply a domestic fight.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. For the liberty and honor of the south.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Liberty and honor? The world very properly
forgot both when the crusade ended. A country hampered with
slavery and the arrogance of wealth, prating of liberty and
honor!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Well, you have graduated at a school that can say even
more.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Honor is a bag of gas for the mouth. A presumptuous
idea manufactured for the occasion.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> While driving a sharp bargain for a soul and body
<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>in a black hide, or speculating on deceptive conclusions, did
you ever feel it?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I have done neither.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I spoke of the custom of the country you defend.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> What is liberty? An unwanted, useless thing,
stamped upon in every prosperous part of the country. Even
the old cradle of our fabled liberty rocks for the benefit of the
capitalist, who starves his brainless neighbor for the benefit of
his vanity. I do not disagree with him. From the beginning,
custom, law and tradition have said, it is to him that can. In
nature, the large fish eat the smaller. The same of the birds
and beasts. The <i>world</i> is a slave pen. Statutes never made a
man free. Take in the boasted freedom and civilization of New
England, are her working people more free than ours? Does
the working man dare assert the rights of a freeman there?
The hypocrisy of this presumption is manifest everywhere. The
rich demand the servile submission of the poor, and they give it
or starve! Be frank. Say that you fight to control for your
pocket and stomach. Unite with the slaveholders of the north
and shed no more aristocratic blood. Say he that works for
another is a slave, and I am with you.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Are you done?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> For the present.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. For the last three years the regulators have lived a life
of brigandage for your benefit. They now demand that you
shall receive your orders from the department commander.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Ah, indeed! Then they propose that the tail
shall wag the dog.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. The last trap to which you led cost half the command.
Take your orders from the proper source, or they refuse to follow
you farther.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> This is treason!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. In this instance, it is to him that can.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Then they would command?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Or be commanded for a less purposeless object.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> How long since these brainless brutes set themselves
up to direct the intellectual part of this campaign?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Since they have learned that they are without a competent
leader.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Are they not thieves and drunkards by instinct?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I will convey the insult to the troops.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> And as much to yourself!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. When the country has used my life to its satisfaction,
I will resent that in a proper manner. For the present it shall
help to make the nation.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> A nation? What are nations? The synonym of
two neighbors who fight across a fence over the scratch of a hen.
Their dogs assume the dangerous roles. If the leaders of this
breakup were compelled to shoulder a rifle and take themselves
to the front, there would be no war. Instead, that Christian
concession they call the “Peace Congress,” would come to the
front so quick, it would excite your admiration, and its present
auxiliaries would still live to swallow insults, instead of sneaking
behind the servile hounds they push to the front.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. And the brave and honorable Brigand Chief, whose
chivalrous ilk forbids such dishonor, would still steal on his
helpless enemy at night, though it wore a petticoat, in sightless
slumber, and compel the knife and torch to hide his cowardice!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Drawing knife.</i>) I will not wait for the birth of
a nation to settle that insult!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. (<i>Drawing.</i>) This result is your own seeking! (<i>As
they attempt to fight, Hood dashes in L. U. E. and intercepts.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Hold! Is there not blood enough wasted already?
(<i>Both attempt to speak.</i>) Not a word, gentlemen! There is a
chance for your sanguinary extravagance at the front. D’Arneaux,
an hour since you volunteered for the enemy’s lines. Do
you serve the army by quarrels with ruffians? Attend to your
business, or leave it with better hands. Now, too! (<i>Neither
move.</i>) I command here! (<i>Both leave slowly. Brightly L.,
D’A. R.</i>) So do the ruffianly elements divide my strength, and
ruin the efficiency of the army. Half the pickets are drunk or
asleep. I am not surprised that the federals push their advance
to our very camp fires. (<i>Hez. creeps on very cautiously at L.
U. E., cocking gun at port.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> How de dew? (<i>Hood starts and turns. Both
eye each other a moment in silence.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I s’pose your my meat.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Can you direct me to the federal headquarters, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Looking at Hood a moment.</i>) I’ll be darned if
ye hain’t got me. Old Tecump keeps his office on top of his old
white horse most of the time.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>Pointing R.</i>) I think, sir, in this direction.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Don’t you go there! Johnnies are thicker in
them woods than lunatics in a crazy house. Jest popped one
on ’em, less ’n half an hour ago.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I have some valuable information for the federal commander.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out! Is old Hood got shot?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Not to my knowledge.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I bin wantin’ to light on that old critter’s kerrin
for over a month. If I get a bead on him, Old Secesh is goin’
ter have a fewneral.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I am very anxious, sir, and no time to lose.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I bin whoopin’ on that line since daylight. I’m
hungrier than a Floridy allagater.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>Turning to leave.</i>) I must be moving. Good day,
sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say! Ye hain’t got nothin’ in yer pocket ter
scald a feller’s in’ards, have ye?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I regret, sir, that I cannot accommodate you. Good
day, sir. (<i>Attempts to leave R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> If ye stick to me, I’ll get ye there when the relief
comes. When the old general sees you with me, he’ll do the
square thing by ye. I know old Tecump just as well as I do
you. He and I have spilt some fluid since we come down on
this racket. He’s five trumps and four aces in a lone hand every
time you hit him.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> You observe I am in the disguise of a rebel general,
to avoid their pickets.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I wonder if I don’t know skim milk when I
see it?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> If I should be seen in the company of a Yankee, I
should be shot at sight.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Wal, I guess yer head is level on that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>About to leave—R.</i>) Good day, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, I don’t s’pose you’ve got any tobacker in yer
trowsis, have ye?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>Producing it.</i>) Certainly, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Jest give us a chaw. (<i>Hood complies.</i>) My
stomach is as holler as a collapsed balloon. (<i>Bites off a chew,
and returns plug.</i>) ’Bliged at ye.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>Turning to go.</i>) Good day, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say? You jest keep your eye peeled, or them
Johnnies will get your hair. (<i>Exit Hood—R.</i>) That’s a darn
<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>nice old critter. But I don’t think he’s so bright as some folks,
or else he wouldn’t be caterwaulin’ round here on the picket line
alone. He don’t know nothin’ about war! I’ll be darned if I
don’t think I’ve got stuck some myself. Down east, you can
foller the tellegraff poles. They hain’t got scarcely any on ’em
in this heathen country. This is about the meanest place I ever
travelled in. If I hain’t eat my peck of dirt 250 times since I
hit this land er snakes, you can chaw my ear. I hain’t had a
good square wash for over two years. My hide would raise pertaters
stouter than a down-east cut-down. (<i>Shot from R., and
his hat flies into L. wings.</i>) Gosh all Jewpiter, if that critter
hasn’t spil’t my best hat. (<i>Chasing it out L. Other shots, and
two rebel soldiers creep on R. A shot from L.; one falls, and
the other retreats. Hez. comes on L.</i>) There ain’t no two
Johnnies can drive me. (<i>Feels of the dead rebel.</i>) Bet ye tew
dollars and a half that critter won’t get well. (<i>Exit L. slowly,
looking back often. Brightly creeps on from R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Those Yankee pickets will shoot the rear guard
through the camp yet. (<i>Looking out, R.</i>) Come here. (<i>Enter
Zina, hatless and ragged.</i>) I have spotted you. If you attempt
to escape again, I will shoot you at sight! What are you skulking
around here for?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I was lost; I did not know where I was going.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You lie! Why do you follow my lieutenant’s
footsteps so much like a cur? You are my property. Not a dog.
What do you hope for? That he will buy you? He can never
do that. Not if his house was solid gold, and he offered me all
he had. White niggers are hard to manage, but I am the man
that never failed on one yet. Look at me! (<i>Zina looks at him
in terror.</i>) If you speak to him again, I will flog your hide off.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, he is all the friend I have in the wide world.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Who feeds your hungry maw and rags your lousy hide?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> When my heart is almost breaking, and I beg for God
to let me die, the kind words he speaks make me hope again so
much—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> In love, hey? A nigger, a field hand, in love with
a gentleman! At least, he passes himself off for one. Within
twelve hours, I will take the pimp out of his proud strut.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I am such a miserable slave to love so good a master
as he. He is too noble to do a wrong to any one.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> While he has dogged my footsteps when I leave
the camp with you, and has twice incited you to escape?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Heaven is my witness, he <i>did</i> not do that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I will have an end of this! Today he volunteered
to enter the enemy’s camp as a spy—ostensibly as a deserter.
He will be betrayed!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Do with me as you will, and I will never complain;
but he is innocent.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> When he attempts to return, he will be arrested
by the enemy, with the proofs of his business on his person! A
court-martial, an execution, and the end! (<i>Zina in agony.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> My God, what shall I do?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Nothing. (<i>Zina drops on her knees.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, what will you ask of me, and I will never cause
you trouble again?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I make no conditions when I control!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> If I have ever loved anything, it has been lost to me.
(<i>Sinking down, sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Of what use are you to me now? I have taken
insult after insult from <i>him</i>, until I have reached the last. If
this fails, I will kill him!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Springing up.</i>) Then I will tell him the infamous
traitor that you are.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Dashing forward to strike her.</i>) You will?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Defending with stiletto.</i>) Stand off, you cowardly
cur!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Springing back and drawing bowie knife.</i>) Ah
ha, revolt?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Aye, revolt!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Before this, I had determined to kill you. (<i>Rolling
up cuffs, &amp;c.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Who strikes a woman is a coward!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You have earned your right to the knife now, and
you shall have it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I have worked for you since I could walk, and never
played. You have beat and starved me in return, after I had
done the best I could.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Rant, for this shall be your last time!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Your brutal strength loves best to beat the helpless.
But while I live I will defend myself!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Before my arm—like a breath of heedless air.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> This shall be the last with me. My hands have earned
the right to be free, and now I will be, or you shall kill me!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> This knife shall answer that!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Aye, it shall be to the death for one. But you shall
see how a puny girl shall fight a brutal coward, in defence of her
life and honor!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Your snarling lout shall not protect you this time.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Despair.</i>) God help me and save Master D’Arneaux!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Quickly.</i>) He has already passed the guard!
(<i>Zina starts, chokes, staggers, drops her stiletto and faints. B.
rushes towards her.</i>) I will end these insults here. (<i>A shot
from the L. strikes his arm. He whirls round and dashes out
at R., as Hez. rushes in at L., saying:</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Gosh all hemlock! That’s twice we missed that
critter in the same place. Here I been catawaulin’ round here
for four days, and I hain’t took but thirteen scalps. But I wonder
if we didn’t wade inter them critters yesterday. There is
more cannon balls wasted down in that ar’ medder than you can
stow inter our meetin’ house. Hannah Doolittle! Wan’t there
some glory got loose in that fite! There was more halleluyer
in four minnits than you could twist out er two hundred and fifty
comeouter camp meetings. Jewlyus Jehosafat! I jest as lives
died as not! When we scooted that rebel meat, I felt prouder’n
Sal Screwton when she got her fust bussel. (<i>Meantime, enter
Gen. Halcom, L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Turning, surprised, cocking his gun.</i>) Gosh all
Jewpiter! I thought it was Jeff Davis!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> What have you found?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Guess them critters have gone a fishin’. Hain’t
had a houter of a pop for half an hour, except one, as I hope ter
holler. (<i>Halcom discovers Zina.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> What is this, Hezekiah?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Wall, I’ll be darned if ye hain’t got me. Do ye
s’pose they lay out round here nights?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>Looking closely.</i>) She sleeps. (<i>Tries to wake
her and fails.</i>) She is unconscious. (<i>Turns her face towards
himself, starts.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Hain’t she handsome?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She is indeed beautiful! The child is sick, and
perhaps starving. Give me your canteen. (<i>Bathes her face.</i>)
Call some of the pickets. (<i>Bathes still. Hez. goes out L. U.
E., and soon returns with Barney and a stretcher.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Indade now. Do thim blackguards murder beautiful
little girruls like that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The child is seriously sick. Take her to my surgeon,
and say it is my desire that every effort shall be made in
her behalf. Handle her carefully. (<i>Hez. and Bar. put her on
the stretcher, raise her tenderly, and bear her out at L. U. E.</i>)
Poor child! She is the victim of brutality, or the hardships of
the front have nearly killed her. (<i>Hesitates.</i>) So much like
my mother’s face! (<i>Bows head. Enter Sherman R. U. E., in
heavy military cloak.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Well, Halcom, have the blues got you again?
(<i>Darken stage gradually.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> General, you must not remain here! We are
within rifle range of the enemy’s pickets. It is exceedingly
dangerous.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> It is growing too dark for sharpshooters to operate.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The country cannot afford to have you exposed.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Pray, why not?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> We are engaged in a desperate march to the sea.
The army is too far from its base to exist without a competent
leader. If you should fall, what next?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Half my men, sir, are fit to command.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> General, you are too sanguine of the capabilities
of others. I repeat again, you <i>must</i> be careful. The safety of
the army demands it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Halcom, you are too anxious for the safety of every
one but yourself. The army has a common impression that
you are the most daring, reckless officer at the front.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> It matters but little if I fall.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Why, my dear sir, your life—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Is worth nothing for myself. If it please heaven
that I live to see a full and earnest liberty here, with all the
stars of the old flag still lingering there, it matters little what
becomes of me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Halcom, I never see you smile! There is some
terrible misfortune hidden behind your sad, melancholy face, you
have never yet revealed. Desperate; rash; impetuous; you
have won your double stars at twenty-eight. A brilliant military
dash that thrills the army; and you fell back so quietly to
the seclusion of your quarters, and never seem to hope or look
for reward. But for this, your life has been a blank to me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> There is nothing in the history of my family I
could wish to conceal.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I have looked in vain for its justification, while I
<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>have observed in you a seeming too sanguinary hate of our misguided
countrymen.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I have sometimes thought that I may be insane
from the wrongs I have suffered from the men who lead this revolt.
Not thirty leagues from here I first saw the light. My
family came of the Huguenot emigrants that settled in the Carolinas.
As the rush of population swept towards the west
my ancestors found a home in the wilds of Tennessee. My father
inherited twenty thousand acres in the Cumberland Valley.
Our home was happy. My angel mother was a friend to the
helpless and wronged. At twelve years of age I kissed her the
last good bye (<i>hesitating</i>), and left to educate myself in the free
schools of New England. My father was no traitor to the
principles of right and justice. Accused of no overt act, he
had the right to advocate his convictions, and these were so
born and educated in right, infamy had no manly response.
The knife and torch of the assassin met his appeal to the honor
of his adversaries. One day a dispatch came to me. I hurriedly
broke the seal. They had all perished by the hand of the
assassin. Five weeks later I awoke from the delirium of a fever
that has never left my brain. (<i>Shows Sherman a picture.</i>)
My mother. She was so good and beautiful.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> She was, indeed, beautiful (<i>returns it</i>).</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Kneeling in my New England home, with her sweet
face looking from that picture into my own, I swore that my
hand should never stay, until it should find the life of her assassin.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Such revenge is honorable.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> An infant sister was born during my absence—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> She still lives?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Her ashes mingle with the others in the ruins of
our old home.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Only the class that can buy and sell human hearts
and affections can produce such villains.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Fifteen years since I have made my annual pilgrimage
to the desolate spot where I was born. A tablet to
their memory survives until I leave. Often in disguise I have entered
the councils of my enemies. Seven of the fiends I have
looked in the face, while my hands clutched their throats till
the last gurgle of life had been gone an hour. The chief still
survives. I have tracked him through the gambling hells and
slave yards of the southern cities, till I have found him in command
<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>of a guerilla force in this department. Twice I have
seemed to annihilate them, but he has never appeared among
the slain.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Be careful, Halcom. You must not peril your
life for so worthless an object. Your military fame is the
property of the country. You peril this for a chance at a dog.
When your division assaults the works of the enemy tomorrow,
I urge it as a claim of your country, that you shall not needlessly
expose yourself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> So much will I as becomes a soldier who would
defend his country from such assassins. If I fall, let me sleep
in my old home in the soil of Tennessee, whose honor I have
tried to defend against the cowards who have dragged her into
this infamous revolt.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>Taking his hand.</i>) Well said, my boy. You
will not fall. God will protect the brave hearts that are to save
the home he has made for the poor. I have gazed in wonder
and surprise so many times on the brave fellows that sprang so
wildly to the front, before the echoes of Sumter’s cannon had
hardly died away among the free hills of the north. Half of
them fit to be governors or presidents! What a people have
sprung from the little squad that first planted civil liberty on old
Plymouth Rock. Brave old New England! How quickly her
sword leaped from the scabbard when slavery struck at this.
How the offshoots of her brain throb and flash across the prairies
of the great west. How her freedom and little church spires
cling to the hills as her civilization marches for the western sea!
It is God’s advance guard leading the way to a larger and freer
home for the poor. Think, Halcom, of the glory that is coming.
The star is in the west now. Fifty years hence a hundred millions
of free and prosperous people will offer thanksgiving to
heaven for this, your sword shall help so much to win.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> It is indeed beautiful to contemplate. But there
are bitter cups for many to drain before that glory comes. I
hope for nothing. My family are gone. When my heart reaches
out for my kindred, it remembers only that the assassin has
left nothing to love but the ashes of the old home.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Let us pursue this painful subject no longer. Go
and sleep now. Howard tells me you are watching forever.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> You will expect us to carry the left redoubts at
daybreak?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> If heaven wills.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The men will do all you may expect. Listen for
my cannon at daybreak.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> At daybreak?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> At daybreak. (<i>Hal. salutes and retires R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> The bravest and most honorable man I ever saw! So
young to command. (<i>Turns to leave L.U.E., meets Hez. entering.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Hold on there, you old gunpowder guzzler, you
come here and give me the password or I’ll blow you out er
water. I will, by jingo!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>To rear centre slowly.</i>) Atlanta.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Scratching head and thinking.</i>) I’ll be darned
ter Moses ef I don’t think that is the password arter all. My
memory wants joggin, wuss ’n Ike Acorn’s cabbages that was
planted in a sandbank coz ’twas easy hoin’.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Are you on the regular picket tonight?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I’ll be darned if ye hain’t got me. I bin catawaulin
round here all day ter get a pop at some er them Johnnies,
and Barney brings out the provender.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Do you know the general-in-chief, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Well, I should think I ought ter. He and I
have drinked over a barrel together since this rumpus come up.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> How do you like the service, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now you’ve hit me where I bile over. When the
fightin’ fust commenced, I thought I wan’t no great shakes er
gettin’ shot for thirteen dollars a month, till one day one er them
bumbshells come along and peeled the whole hind eend of my
trowsers off. That made me madder than a kicked hornet. I
just got a bead on my old shooter, and I let her sliver right into
um. I shouldn’t wonder if I killed thirty or forty er them darn
skunks. I had four fingers and a half in that gun.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Quite a good beginning, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Ye see when I get my dander up something has
got to come, or bust. How long do you suppose the old general
is goin’ ter keep us out here killin’ them critters? I’d jest
like ter give him a piece er my brains on that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Well, sir, what would you do to make the machine
work faster?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Well, I should pizen their grub. You tell him
that and I shouldn’t wonder ef he’d dew it. They say he’s a
dam rough old critter; but he can spile more Jersey pizen
than any other critter this side er sundown. Say, how long
have you been in this machine?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> About thirty years, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out! Why you must be chock full er
bullets by this time. I spose you’d feel kinder lonesome if ye
didn’t have two or three pounds on ’em in ye all the time. I
like ter had the daylights knocked out er me yesterday. One er
them bumbshells struck a tree jest over my head, when I was
fodderin’ up, and it sp’ilt forty cents’ worth er vittles for me in
less than two minnits. If that bumbshell had hit jest seventeen
inches lower, Sal. Rideout would er bin out jest my figger exactly.
I quit eatin’ then, and went inter my tent to fix up my
shirt collar, so if I got shot, I would lay out handsome, and who
do you s’pose I see crawlin’ under the back er the general’s tent,
when the guard wan’t lookin’?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I have not the least idea, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> A dam sneakin’ skunk of a rebel, with a knife
in his mouth. When I got in there, he tried ter hide under the
general’s bunk. The way I placed that old hob-nailed cowhide
under the lower eend er his jacket, would er upset a meetin’-house.
I’ll be darned if that critter didn’t up and snap a pistol
right in my face. I jest laid down my gun, and if I didn’t plow
and harrer his anatomy, you can dig me out for a hog’s trough,
and kiss me for his mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> What became of the man, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I jist wasted him all over half an acre, fore he
got away. (<i>Hez. suddenly stops and presses his hand on his
belly, doubling up.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> What is the matter, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> It’s my old colic comin’ agin. I got ter go and
git a gin sling. (<i>Dashes his gun in Sherman’s hands, knocking
him half down.</i>) Jest hold my old shooter. (<i>Dashes out
at L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Hold on, sir. Here! Halt, you scoundrel! (<i>Recovering
his feet.</i>) Gone? Confound that idiot. I will have
him court-martialed for leaving his post. (<i>Thinking.</i>) Then I
should be shown up for allowing the fool to impose upon me.
The general of the army on guard! I shall be the laughing
stock of the whole army. I’ll wage my commission that he made
that to get off for a drink. I’ll scare the idiot out of his senses
when he returns. Here he comes. Halt, sir! Stand there till
I call the officer of the guard. Move if you dare, sir, and you
are a dead man! (<i>Hez. walks up and takes the gun away, saying—</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out. If you don’t know me, you’re the
biggest puddin’ head in the country!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> You are the most impudent scoundrel I ever met.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Handing money.</i>) Here’s a quarter for ye. Now
you go home and put that knowledge box er your’n under a gardeen,
or somebody’ll shoot you for a stray mule.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> You are an idiot, sir!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Throwing hat, coat and gun down, L.</i>) I don’t
take that from nobody.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Hold on, sir! What are you going to do?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Goin’ ter trample on your constitushun about
four minnits. (<i>Turns to attack, and meets Sherman’s revolver.</i>)
Lay down that shooter, I’ll give ye four dollars.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I am a gentleman, sir, no ruffian.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Glad ye told me, I shouldn’t er known it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> You want to fight, sir, do you? You shall have
all you desire, sir!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Then peel and prong round here.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I will meet you here at sunset, tomorrow, sir, for
a duel. Arms, broadaxes! Then I will kill you, sir, like a dog.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> How much do you weigh when you’re all bloated
up?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I am known as the worst man in the west, sir!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Nobody would look at ye and dispute it. If I
looked as bad as you do, I’d hold my breath till I died. I chawed
up twenty-seven men once, with a common axe. When I wade
in with a broadaxe—wall, you get your friends to come down
and hunt up the corpse in about fourteen seconds after they say
time.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Do you stop to bury your dead, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now you git out. (<i>Picking up coat.</i>) If the old
general should come along and find me talkin’ to you, he’d raise
all possess about it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>Turning to R. to leave.</i>) Remember, sir, tomorrow
at sunset. I trust that you are no coward that will
waste my time, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Don’t you fret. Fore I get through with ye,
you’ll think a meetin’-house has fell down on ye. (<i>Exit Sherman,
R. Hez. puts on his clothes.</i>) Spose that critter will
come, or was he blowin’? I don’t think I’m healthy! I ain’t
no ’count with a broadaxe! (<i>Enter Sally, R. U. E., in male attire,
face covered by a wide-rimmed hat.</i>) Hello, there, you
<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>padded up young scallawag! What are you catawaulin’ after,
out here?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Aside.</i>) He won’t know me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Come putty near shootin’ you for a stray calf.
Bin more corpses carried off er this beat since I bin on, than a
hoss can haul.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Approaching sideways, with hat over her eyes.</i>)
Come putty near shootin’, did ye? You gaunt, hamstrung old
spavin!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You’d er bin a corpse now, if I hadn’t took you
for a mule.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> I would, hey? You old collapse, you!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> If you should strain hard, do you spose you could
tell whose fool has broke loose?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> That is an insult I won’t swallow!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Who told ye too?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Bristling up.</i>) I will have blood for that! Blood,
sir! R. R. (<i>As Hez. turns to L. she dashes out R. and hides.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> If I don’t (<i>turns to L. to throw off hat and coat.</i>)
collapse your constertushun, I hope I may rot. (<i>Turning, he
finds she has disappeared.</i>) There’ll be two or three fewnerals
round here bime by. (<i>Looks out L. U. E.</i>) There comes a
Johnny! (<i>Hides, L. Brightly enters cautiously, L. U. E. As
he works along towards R. U. E., Hez. creeps up behind, and
pounces on him, throwing him down. They tussle all about the
rear of the stage. Enter Barney, L. and dances about to get
in the fight, as scene closes.</i>)</p>

<h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 2.</span> <i>Landscape and Wood. Centre.</i></h3>

<p class='c010'>(<i>Enter Sherman and Halcom, at L. U. E., and go to R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I am about to attempt the capture of Atlanta by
a flank movement. I wish you to throw your Division forward
and occupy that ridge on the right of the railway. I have ordered
twelve batteries to protect you from an enfilade. The position,
you see, covers the line of his communications. The successful
accomplishment of this will probably compel Hood to
evacuate his strong positions and fall back. I give you the position
of honor because you do not fail.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Thank you!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Once clear of this line of entrenchments, we have
them in the open country before us. (<i>Enter Hez. L. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, General. We have just took the darndest,
rantankerest piece er rebel meat you ever put your eyes on.
He’s got more red pepper in his constertewshun than a Boston
wholesale grocery store. He’s wus’n them hyennys in Barnum’s
circus! Had ter tie the darn critter ter keep him from chawin’
up everybody. Don’t ye know, that critter had cheek enough
ter walk right over my beat, jest as if I want there. I jest laid
down my gun, and if I didn’t hop onter his kerrin, you can
chaw my ear.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Did you notice his rank, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Wal, I did think he was a little rank when I got
through with him.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I mean, sir, did you notice if he was an officer?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I never thought ter ask him ’bout that. He tumbled
so fast. I had ter hump ter keep up. Why, he’s the same
feller I see trying ter crawl under Frank’s tent.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Who is Frank, sir?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Jehosafat! Don’t you know Frank?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I think not, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Pulling Halcom to the front.</i>) There is jest
the handsomest piece er furnicher this side er sundown.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Why, you rascal, that is General Halcom.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out! That’s our Frank.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Look here, sir, you were on guard last night.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Looking at Sherman, and then aside.</i>) Jewrusalem!
That was the old Gineral I run into last night. Now
I’ve gone and spilt the apple sass all over the best table cloth.
(<i>Turns and grasps Sherman’s hands.</i>) How de dew? I know’d
that was you last night, all the time. Ain’t I the wust blackguard
you ever run into?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Bring in that prisoner, sir. I will deal with you
when there is less business on hand.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Attempting to leave.</i>) Jess you say. I spose
you boss this cahoot. (<i>Turns back.</i>) Say, you keep your eye
peeled. He’s a darn pizen critter. He may try to get your
guzzle. (<i>Exit Hez. L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Is that man insane or a fool?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Neither. He is one of the rough diamonds of the
army: the very first man I enlisted in the old Bay State. Brave
as a lion, and keen as a razor.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Why, the rascal would have thrashed me blind
last night, but for my revolver.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Indeed! His patriotism drifts only in the rudeness
of its native channel. I put up with his familiarities, because
he cannot understand the necessity for military etiquette.
(<i>Crosses to L. front. Enter Hez. and Barney, L. U. E., driving
Brightly ahead of them, hands bound behind him.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To Sherman.</i>) Name it and you can have it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>To Hez.</i>) Untie his hands. (<i>Hez. unties, &amp;c.</i>)
Sir, I hear that you have been arrested as a spy.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I am a prisoner of war.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Now I remember—you have once before been
convicted of spying, and escaped. (<i>Halcom crosses to R. turns,
when both start from recognition.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The assassin of my family!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Of whom do you speak?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Yourself, coward!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Then you may consider yourself a liar!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>To Sherman.</i>) During the last fifteen years, I
have hunted this brute through the slave yards and gambling
hells of the south. Now he shall answer to me. You shall meet
me with the favorite weapon of your cowardice.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I am unarmed.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>Throwing his knife at Brightly’s feet.</i>) So am I.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To Sherman.</i>) Am I to be murdered while a
helpless prisoner?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Take the knife, coward!  (<i>Holding up his empty
hands.</i>) My mother was helpless!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>Stepping between and taking hold of Halcom’s
arm.</i>) Not now, Halcom. The military law shall accomplish
all you desire. (<i>Brightly seizes the knife from the floor, and
dashes like lightning forward to stab Sherman in the back. Hez.
seizes him instantly, wrests the knife from him, and flings him to L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You darn sneakin’ dog, you!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Your own life!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>To Hez.</i>) Remove the prisoner! See to it that
he is well ironed. I will deal with him tomorrow!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To Sherman.</i>) Say, General, if it don’t make
no difference to you, I’d like ter make this critter inter a stuffed
pirate for Barnum’s circus.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> I said remove him, and I hold you responsible if
he escapes!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Jess you say. It’s your fewneral! (<i>To Brightly.</i>)
Now you travil, or I’ll let daylight through them rotten
ribs er yourn so quick, you’ll think your struck with all the litenin’
the Lord’s got the use on. Git! (<i>Exit Brightly L. Turns
at entrance to give H. and S. a look of contempt.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> If he escapes my bullet this time, it will be from
the intervention of heaven! (<i>Enter Orderly, front, and salutes.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Orderly.</span> Gen. Howard orders me to report that Hood has
withdrawn behind the river.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Our opportunity is lost! There are other spies
in the camp! Tell Howard to move to the bank of the river,
and await orders. (<i>To Halcom.</i>) Cross a heavy reconnoisance
at Herrick’s ford, and report as soon as possible. (<i>Halcom salutes
and retires R. Sherman L. U. E. Enter Barney R. U. E.
passing along.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Bad luck to this haythen country. I’m killed from
every stone and stump in it. I don’t like rebellyions! If yer
killed with nobody to get a pension for it, where’s the luck in
it? (<i>Enter Hez. behind, cautiously.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>In a stentorian voice.</i>) Move, and I kill you!
(<i>Barney motionless.</i>) Drop that gun! (<i>Drops it.</i>) Hands
up! (<i>Holds up hands.</i>) Right about! (<i>As Barney turns,
Hez. breaks down in loud laughter.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Don’t you do that again; I might kill you sometime.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Scartest man I ever looked at!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> No sir—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I see the bristles risin’ up the whole length er
your back!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> No sir. I was playin’ wid yer.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, Barney, wasn’t ye scart?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I might be narvous a little.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Pulling bottle.</i>) S’pose we have a little nerve
powder. (<i>Hands bottle to Barney.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I was always a friend to that! Here’s to George
Washington and Danny O’Connell. The two boys ye can’t make
afraid or ashamed of the country that giv em their first pertaties.
(<i>Drinks, and hands bottle to Hez.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Here’s tew Pardunk and the gal that’s waitin’
for me, and a chain litenin’ diet to the darn sneakin’ skunk of a
rebel that would spit on the bird that’s goin’ to roost with impewnity
all over North and South Ameriky. (<i>Drinks; Barney
looks about cautiously. Set guns against tree, R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I would like it if there was no corporals.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> How much guard-house do ye s’pose you’ve had
Barney, since we left Pardunk?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I should guess fifteen months. And thim blackguards
are the spalpeens that bother me like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> What did ye come out here for, Barney?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> For a pinsion!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Gittin’ rich, wasn’t ye?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> To be sure I was. Wasn’t I ingaged to Biddy
Maloney? Didn’t she have a peanut store on the sidewalk and
a suit of rooms in Tim Sullivan’s cellar? Didn’t she fail four
times in one summer and pay ten cints? Ah’r, the smart girl
she is! With a gal like that, what is the need er workin’?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, Barney, how would you like to be a Jigadier
Brindle?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> What, one er them fellers with brass things on ’em?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Yes.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I have ambishun like that. Then I could go to the
hospittle when the whiskey makes me sick, and be kapin’ out
of the fight. (<i>Trying to see something on Barney’s back, when
Barney turns back to the audience. As he does, Hez. says—</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Ye know how to protect yer rear. (<i>Lifts Barney’s
coat tail, and exhibits a black patch as large as a chair bottom,
sewed on Barney’s seat.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Swelling with rage.</i>) I do that! I’m a jintleman!
No blackguard! I poke no fun to make a laugh on a jintleman!
Whin a blackguard attacks me reputation, I don’t care what he
says! When he puts his dirty hands on my karrackter, I will
resint it like a man! I’m an Irishman, and me honor’s me own!
I have no cheap words with a blackguard without the iddication
of a jintleman! I am no thafe to be spit upon! Come out!
Come out! (<i>Motioning towards R. U. E.</i>) Come out! (<i>Hez.
hands a bottle towards him. Barney catches sight of it as he
says—</i>) Come—(<i>Breaks down in a broad grin.</i>) What kind er
wather is that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Medicine for fits. (<i>Barney drinks.</i>) Old Deacon
Jones took about a quart er that once, by mistake. Said
he thought the whole neighborhood was a jewsharp, and he was
playin’ on it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> ’Pon my word!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Know’d of a feller in Shadagy, that was brought
up on that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> That same?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Yes sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> How long was he doin’ that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> He grow’d so long they couldn’t tax him when
he was twenty-one.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> How was the blackguard gettin’ by that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> They considered the most of him was out er the
county. (<i>Sally enters R. in male attire. Steps between them
and their guns. Draws pistol.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Cowards! (<i>Both turn in dismay and take in situation.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The blackguard!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Prisoners of war, only to die!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Throwing off coat.</i>) Not if this piece er meat
knows itself! (<i>Turns and meets Sally’s revolver.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Halt! (<i>Hez. stops.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Darn your picter!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> I prefer to take you alive, that you may have the
honor to die under the majesty of the law, for connivance with
the spies of the enemy!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Looking at Hez.</i>) The thafe!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Who said that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> The angels were lookin’!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You tell him he’s a liar!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>To Hez.</i>) It’s some poor thing that’s crazy from
bein’ insane.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Yes, we know’ you’re a big ingin. (<i>Offers her a
bottle.</i>) Have some firewater? (<i>Sally takes and pockets bottle.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> So has the dignity of my mission been insulted: you
shall die now! Cowards, you have two minutes to live! Take
off your hats and coats. (<i>Both comply.</i>) It were unworthy
for you to die in the Union blue! One minute more! (<i>Holds
her watch in her hand.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Stop! Will you take two months pay?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> How long shall I be insulted thus?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Have you ever bin a father or mother?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Yes sir. Have you bin that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> I’ll hear no more! (<i>Looking at watch.</i>) Five seconds
more! Now your hour has come! (<i>Points pistol. Both
duck and dodge.</i>) Die, cowards, die! (<i>Both dash up in L.
U. E. Sally follows as if to shoot. Both put up their legs and
hands as if to ward off. Sally breaks down laughing, and throws
off her hat.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Recognizing.</i>) Jewniper hallelewyer!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The blackguard?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Jerewserlim swipes! Where did you bile up
from?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Seizing his gun.</i>) I shall bust with contimpt!
(<i>Goes out L. U. E. in a rage.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Gosh all Jewpiter! I thought you was old Hood.
Come here and let me see if you hain’t a ghost! (<i>Dashes into
Hez. arms.</i>) All here, by beeswax! (<i>Kisses her.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Pulling out note book.</i>) Look er that! I’m war
correspondent of the Pordunk Cultivater.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out! Where ye get them close?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Hez., after you went away, I couldn’t eat nor sleep
for fourteen weeks.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You don’t?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Fact! Then my best hen and the old cat died, and
I jest thought I should go crazy. Then Bill Larkins ’listed for
a sutler, and I was mad all over. After you left, that scallawag
was preachin’ treason all the time, till he found he could be a
sutler. He’s bin <i>ravin’</i> for rebel blood ever since. A man jest
told me that Bill bought a bad barrel er vinnegar for half a dollar—made
it into eighteen barrels er cider, and sold it all out to
the regiment for ten cents a glass!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I thought I smelt vinegar awful strong when I
was over there t’other day!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> You jest wait for the next Pordunk Cultivater! If
I don’t chaw him up!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You jest wait till I get home and light on him
again!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Ye see when Bill Larkins done that, I said I would
get some men’s clothes and ’list myself! When it come round
ter bein’ examined by the doctor, I had ter back out. Then I
jest went and hired out on the Perdunk Cultivater.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Sal, I never’s so proud on ye ’fore in my life.
Yer jest handsum!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Now you get out, Hez. You’re soapin?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> On’er bright?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Oh, yer ought ter see me in my new dress, Hez. I
had it made after you left. Oh, my! It’s got a tail to it more’n
four feet long! Pashe Milliken made it. She got the pattern
of Butrick in Boston. It’s a stunner! Got a flummux all over
the hind part of it. But Pashe beat me on one thing, though.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> How’d she do that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Ye see they have to put in somethin’ behind here, to
make ’em swell. Pashe told me it was stuffin’. One day I heard
a crumplin’, and I ripped open the linen to see what it was.
Don’t yer think, that hump was swell’d up with old Pordunk
Cultivators!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> When I get home, I’m jest goin’ ter lay fer her.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, Sal. I s’pose ye got that dress ter git married
in, didn’t ye?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Ye don’t s’pose I’d spread like that jest for a go-ter-meetin’
dress, do ye?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Cost six dollars?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Six dollars! It cost eight, beside the pattern; that
was one er the best ones Butrick had.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You get out!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Oh, wan’t Hannah Doolittle jealous! Such a tail
draggin’ in the street. She said she wouldn’t have one if it was
give to her. Her pink caliker cost ninety cents.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, Sal. I bin lonesomer than a stray ghost,
I ain’t seen you for so long. Tell us all about what’s goin’ on
ter home. Has Ike Spaulding shingled his woodshed yet?
What’s come of Preposterous Perkins and Mercy Ann Stubbs?
S’pose they’ve got a whole family by this time.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Covering her face.</i>) Now, Hez., ain’t you ’shamed
er yourself!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Has Suke Peabody and old Inkhorn tied up yet?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Course they have.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Suke don’t care any more for that old mummy,
than she does for our old farrer cow. She jest wants ter get her
fingers in on his money, then she’ll pizen him ter death in less’n
a week. If she don’t she’s got more endurance than a mule.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Ain’t he soft on her, though?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Soft? You can stab him with a cat’s tail, and
not ruffle a feather. (<i>A shot from R.</i>) Jehosafat! Them Johnnies
are comin’. Let’s get out. (<i>Attempts to push her out, L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Drawing knife and revolver.</i>) Hold on, Hez. Let
me get a lick at them fellers.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Pushing her out L.</i>) You get out! You do
no nothin’ about war. (<i>Disappears L. Enter rebel soldiers R,
and cross to L. Exit all L.</i>)</p>

<div>
  <span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>
  <h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 3.</span> <i>Night. Ordinary room, back. Window L, rear.</i> <span class='sc'>Keele Brightly</span> <i>disc. chained rear centre, covered with a large blanket that reaches to the floor</i>. <span class='sc'>Barney</span> <i>R, on guard. Stage dark.</i></h3>
</div>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> It’s the devil will pick your bones for you in the
mornin’. Shoot him at daylight, sez the gineral, and he’ll be
doin’ it too. Do you mind that! (<i>Brightly hangs his head in
silence.</i>) Now don’t be blubberin’ about it. It won’t do ye
any good. They’ are goin’ ter make y’er bones inter rattles for
them nagurs, and that’s the most good that could come of ye.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Fool!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>Laying down hat and gun.</i>) Don’t you talk back
to me, or I’ll bat you! You thafe er the wurruld! (<i>Enter Gen.
Halcom, R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Keele Brightly, your last hour is close at hand. I
have not intruded myself to torture you with recriminations. I
yield my right to the law of military necessity. I come because
I have been moved to pity by that heart-broken child lying at
the outer guard, begging so piteously to see the last man she
ought to love or respect. I have at last obtained permission for
her to see you, immediately preceding your execution. I have
come to ask you to forget the brute, and give her one kind word
before you die. All night long and yesterday, through the rain
and cold, shelterless, and refusing food, she sat by the door,
waiting for your coming. Her piteous pleadings for your worthless
life, when the General returned from the front, would have
melted a heart of stone. How have you repaid her life of devotion?
She has never known father or mother. A generous
heart must love something! Within an hour she will be out in
the world, worse than an orphan. Who is she? She was not
born a slave. You sought a groundless revenge. Are you not
satisfied? My mother’s face lives in hers! (<i>Breaks down.</i>) If
any one of my family live—looking God in the face—speak!
Have you nothing to say?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Nothing!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> May God have mercy on you who never had any,
when it was so easy to give. (<i>Exit Halcom, R, looking back
twice, as if expecting B. to relent.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>To Brightly.</i>) Did you mind that talkin’? (<i>B.
silent.</i>) Hey? Jist one hour, says the Gineral, and you will
be an orfin. If you make yourself a dam fool like that, you may
be two orfins! (<i>Zina dashes in at R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Master D’Arneaux! (<i>Drops on her knee.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Turned away.</i>) Sh—do not recognize me. (<i>Giving
his hand behind, as Barney paces to R.</i>) Are there any
means of escape?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Shying key into Brightly’s hands.</i>) This will unfasten
your irons. I have removed the outer fastening on the
window. It will open at your touch. When the back of the
guard is turned, unlock your irons. The river runs close by.
You are safe if you reach the other side. When I seize the
guard, spring through the window and make for the river. (<i>B.
drops on his knees as if in meditation. Zina kneels and leans
her head on his shoulder. As Barney turns to R, she springs
on his back like a tiger, locking her arm across his throat,
strangles him. Meantime she and Barney speak simultaneously.
Brightly unlocks fetters.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Lave hold er there, ye whilp! Lave go, or by me
mother—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> The river! The river! (<i>Barney and Zina struggle,
while Brightly is unfastening his fetters. During the struggle,
Barney’s gun goes off, as Brightly disappears through the window.
When the gun goes off, and Zina sees Brightly clear, she
falls on her face sobbing, and Barney dashes out L. U. E., in
pursuit. Curtain.</i>)</p>

<div class='chapter'>
  <h2 class='c007'>ACT III.</h2>
</div>

<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Scene 1.</span> <i>Landscape or wood back.</i> (<i>Enter Barney, L. U. E., peering cautiously.</i>)</h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> It’s to the river he would! The blackguard! ’Pon
my word, I’ll bat that thafe! Now didn’t that little girrul be
doing that well! The illegant little baste! And it’s so decavin
where the little darlin’ found the kay! It was killed she was
intirely, whin she found out it was me she was chokin’. ’Pon
my word, it is a thafe of a clown that wouldn’t be proud to be
choked by a pretty little girrul like that. She jist cried as if
she was killed. I told her she should choke me to death, and I
would find no fault. (<i>A sudden start as if a noise. Looking
about.</i>) Ah’r, so ye would do that. (<i>Looking out L. U. E.</i>)
’Pon my word, that cow! (<i>Turning to look cautiously out R.</i>)
Let me see, (<i>cogitating</i>), it was meself that would surround the
blackguard, when Hezekiah would bat the thafe when he would
<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>come round by them cook-houses. (<i>Enter Brightly, L. U. E.,
stealthily. Dis. Barney; halts; draws a knife from his bootleg.
Creeps stealthily towards Barney, as Hez. enters behind
him; throws off hat, coat, gun, seizes a stone, and follows
Brightly, with the evident intention of knocking his head off.
Meantime Barney is saying</i>)—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Let me say that agin, and I won’t be forgetin’ it.
It is I, meself, that will surround thim cook-houses, while the
blackguard will bat Hezekiah, and its to the river says he—(<i>Arriving
close up to Barney, Brightly prepares to stab him. As
he is about to do so, Hez. flings the stone at his head with all
his might. It grazes the top of Brightly’s head, knocks his hat
off, strikes Barney in the back, and knocks him on his knees.
Brightly dashes out R. U. E. Hez. kicks at him, misses, then
pursues. Barney springs up and with shut eyes, strikes wildly
towards his supposed assailant with both hands. He stops, looks
about and sees nothing. Supposing his assailant to be concealed
very near, he drops on one knee, spanks his hand on the floor.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Come out wid yer! Come out, come out! I’ll bat
your dam head off you! Come out! (<i>Gets no response; gets
gun and hat hastily, and hurrying out L. U. E., saying,</i>) I will
hunt two years for that thafe! (<i>Enter Halcom, R. saying</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> A most marvelous escape! The poor child is excused
in supposing she was saving her friend. (<i>Enter Zina, L,
trembling with fear. Drops on her knees sobbing.</i>) Your offence
is forgotten.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, sir, I did not mean to do wrong. Please say you
do not hate me for that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I do not. Your heroic impulsiveness for one you
believed to be your friend, excites only my admiration, though
so disastrous to you, as well as myself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I try so hard to do right. (<i>Sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Do not feel so bad; the past can never be helped.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Though he is so bad, I ought to love my master. Perhaps,
when the war is over, I can do something to make him a
better man. Oh, you will not think bad of me, I have so little
to love. (<i>Sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Zina, why do you try to love the man who holds
your life in a bondage more hateful than death? Who has returned
your devotion with nothing but misery, destitution, and
the most servile submission. Who would sell your soul and
body to dishonor, without one pang of regret. An assassin,
<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>thief, coward, ruffian; who blights virtue and crushes the honest
aspirations and civil rights of all he touches.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh please, master, do not speak like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> You have no master but God.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I do not know what to do.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> There is some dark mystery covers your early life.
You are not of the race whose brain and life have been crushed
in the ignorance of slavery since this Republic began. Something
tells me your life was born in wrong. The brain of the
Anglo-Saxon—the white skin of another nation—the quick intelligence
and sublime conceptions of the northern blood, betray
the lie that binds you to a life like this.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I do not know what I am.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> But God says through your angel face, and the
heavenly music in your soul, that your life was not born for this.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, my life is so hopeless—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Do you remember your mother?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I had no mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> No mother?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I grew up among the hands; I know nothing more.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> You had but one master?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Master Brightly is all I have ever known.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> They have told you nothing of your origin?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Nothing.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> You have no little keepsake in memory of the past!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Nothing.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>Breaking down.</i>) My God! There is a history
here the earth must have. Give it to me, and I will be content.
(<i>Drops head.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Rising and looking at him earnestly.</i>) Mistress
D’Arneaux has told me of a good God in heaven who gave us
the beautiful earth and flowers, who loves even the broken hearts
of the poor and helpless, whose hand leads always to happiness
and truth, whose justice is as the rocks and mountain cliffs of
our old home, that are never moved. But this is not for the
slave, for master beats his hands so cruelly when they have tried
to do the best they could.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> It is not the fault of heaven that men are bad. As
justice lives for all, so is there a counterpoise of wrong.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, my master has told me nothing of what you say.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Away back in the almost hidden past, there lived
a man whose mission was to substitute love for brutality. He
<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>laid down his life for this. The same wrong that renders your
life hopeless, crushed his. Almost 1900 years have passed since
then, but the silent hand of the dead still lives in the better civilization
of the north.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, I have thought so much, and looked in hope for
better days to come, but it has been so hopeless. (<i>Halcom
looks earnestly at her.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> How would you like to come with me?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh, you have been so good to me—but—but Master
D’Arneaux will buy me when the war is done. Oh, his hands
are so happy—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> You are right, my little one. Master D’Arneaux
is a better man than I.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh no, I did not mean that. But—but I know Master
D’Arneaux so well. If it wasn’t that I know Master D’Arneaux
so well, I—I would go with you.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Right, right.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Did—did you have a mother?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> A long time ago. (<i>Turns away.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Master D’Arneaux had a mother, and he is so good to
his help. Do you feel bad because I said that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Why, my little one?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> You always look at me so strangely. Oh, I do not
know what to say to you then.</p>

<p class='c011'>H. Your face brings back to me so many memories of the past.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I am so sorry I made you feel so bad. Does your
mother live in the north?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She is dead!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh I am so sorry she is dead. She must have been
such a good mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She was indeed good, and beautiful as yourself.
(<i>Advances, kisses her forehead and turns away. Enter Sherman,
L. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> What, that little rebel owl again?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Prattling of the incongruous things of life, like the
child she is.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> The jade! I suppose she would assist that scoundrel
she calls her master, if she could.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She asks me to intercede with you, that she may
go back to her old home again.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> And concoct some scheme of assassination with
that brute who has escaped.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please let me go to my home. (<i>Drops on knee.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>Sharply.</i>) You will remain.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She is an innocent, artless child, General.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Artless? She is a devil! During her master’s
escape, she held the guard with the ferocity of a tiger, while he
took his leisure to leave. Had she been a man, I would
have had her shot at once. Orderly, here! (<i>Enter Orderly,
L. U. E.</i>) Take this girl to the care of the guard again. Say
to the officer in charge, it shall go bad if she is allowed to stray
again. (<i>Orderly seizes her arm roughly and leads her away, L. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>To Orderly.</i>) Tenderly my boy.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> In war, women are devils, and you can’t strike
back. I can confine all but their tongues. They shall rant the
empty air with them.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hal.</span> Certainly, General, her childish years must be harmless.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Do you shut your eyes to the fact that she is only
here as a spy?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Why, she is a mere child, General.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> A very old child, with fifty years of a woman’s
cunning in her head.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Certainly you jest.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Female spies may remain in this camp without
harm. If they leave it, I am to blame for it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Why General, you see an enemy everywhere.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Young man, you seem to have an unusual interest
in that girl. Remember, this is war. No time for love and
moonshine.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Why, she is scarcely fifteen.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Old enough to absorb this love looney that distresses
incipient womanhood so much. (<i>Rapid firing at R.
Both bring their field glasses to bear, and look out.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> A sortie in front of my division. (<i>Springs out R.
Enter man with field telegraph, L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Order five batteries from the Chief of Artillery
to the ridge on the right of the attack. Open at once. Tell
Schofield to shift his reserves to Howard’s support at once.
(<i>Firing gradually increases.</i>) Here comes the Artillery! Halcom
can never stop that charge! Tell McClernard to double-quick.
They will be overpowered. My God! The whole rebel
army is upon him! This is a surprise! What have the advance
guard been doing? A splendid charge, McClernard, on
my honor. (<i>Enter Orderly excitedly, R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span><span class='sc'>Orderly.</span> Gen. Halcom is wounded and a prisoner!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Orderly, my horse! (<i>To Operator.</i>) Order a
double-quick advance all along the line. Order Kilpatrick to
attack their right with all the cavalry. Tell Schofield the double
stars to the first Brigadier inside the enemy’s works.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Orderly.</span> (<i>Entering L. U. E.</i>) Your horse, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Operator.</span> Orders all right, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>To Operator.</i>) Now move to the hill on the
right of the attack. (<i>Sherman springs into the saddle and gallops
off, R. Ord. and Operator leave R. U. E. Firing recedes.
Enter Barney, R. U. E., with three old muskets strapped to his
back, driving three rebel prisoners ahead of him.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Hip now, or I blow thim heads off ye. (<i>Arriving
in centre.</i>) Stop now. (<i>All halt.</i>) Look at me. (<i>All turn
their heads only.</i>) Look round with the whole of ye or I break
thim necks off ye. (<i>All front.</i>) You don’t know much, do ye?
I guess not. You don’t know any educashun, do ye? Hey?
I have heard about that. You don’t know’ any readin’ or writin’,
do you? Hey? I have heard about that. When Abe Linken
tells you, go home and behave yourself, you would fight about
that, would ye? You don’t know Abe Linken, I guess. He
would bat the divil out of ye. He told me to shoot any blackguards
lookin’ as bad as ye. Do you mind that? Have you got
any bottles in your pockets? You h’aint? (<i>Prepares to shoot,
when all rush up, and each gives him a bottle.</i>) Don’t you stop
like that again, or I bat you. You don’t know Bin Butler? I
guess you don’t. You better give four dollars you don’t. He
would break your damn heads off ye. (<i>Pointing L.</i>) Walk that
way now, or I blows the hell’s blazes out of ye. (<i>Exit all, L.,
to Yankee Doodle. Enter Sally, R. U. E., a big horse pistol
in one hand, and a gigantic bowie knife in the other, her male
attire covered with a water-proof cloak.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Feeling of her arms, &amp;c.</i>) I wonder if I’m broke
anywhere. Jints all workin’! Now hain’t I got a lounder for
the Pordunk Cultivater! Never got so excited in my life. Hez.
is just inflated. He’s struttin’ about the picket line askin’ ’em
to send along somethin’ bigger. (<i>A shot, R. Sally dashes to
R. wings and listens.</i>) Gorry! I thought that was another
fight. (<i>Sings.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>Now that Zina don’t know which side she is on. But she’s a
sharp sprout though. Ye never know what she’s doin’ till she
does it. Tried ter interview her about her feller. She was the
<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>most surprised thing I ever looked at. She don’t know nothin’
about courtin’. I wonder where her fun comes in? She is the
bluest thing out of a grave yard. By gorry, I ain’t goin’ ter die
till the time comes. I went over ter see her yesterday, and she
was down on the floor cryin’, and she didn’t know what for. The
old General thinks she’s got the devil in her. If she has, he’s
an awful mild one. Sometimes you could knock her down with
a feather. The old General don’t like women. He’s the first
man er that kind I ever see. Poor little Zina, she’s always in
trouble. When she heard General Halcom was took, she was
jist crazy. In less’n two hours she was missing, and the guard
don’t know how. I’ll bet ye tew dollars that girl is off for a fuss,
or else things is deceivin’. If I was going ter give any advice,
I should say, that anything that weighs less than a ton, had better
get off the track. (<i>Firing away to R.</i>) By gorry, there’s
another fight. (<i>Dashes off, R. U. E.</i>)</p>

<h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 2.</span> <i>Night.</i> Thunder storm rising. Flashes of lightning in the distance. Heavy forest back. A river running through at rear, half hidden among the trees. A flat-roofed log hut in rear centre. A hole cut in the roof 2½ feet square, near front, and covered with short boards nailed at one end, and so weakened by hewing that a woman’s strength might be able to break them. A rope fastened overhead, where it would dangle over rear of hut, then guyed to hang over the hole, and drawn up out of sight. A door at R. end of hut, and bar behind it. (<i>Gen. Halcom disc. asleep on the floor of the hut, wounded in the head. A rebel sentry pacing outside the door.</i>)</h3>

<p class='c010'>(<i>Enter Gen. Hood, Keele Brightly, D’Arneaux, and others, R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> General, I have called your attention to this matter
at midnight, because the circumstances admit of no delay.
In yonder cabin a Major General of the union army is confined
as a prisoner of war. He owes allegiance, and is a native of
the state of Tennessee. As a traitor to his native state, I would
suggest that he be tried at once by a drum-head court-martial,
and shot as he deserves.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Why so urgent?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> The federals are rapidly forcing our positions.
He might be recaptured. It would be a direful calamity if he
should escape.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> He is but one man against us.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> A hundred men, sir. A devil, without restraint.
It was his division that first broke our lines at Lookout Mountain.
That robbed us of our victory at Chickamauga. His men
are goaded to fight like devils, while he plunges into the thickest
of the fight, hewing his way through the men as if they were
dummies.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Such bravery merits our consideration.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> For a traitor?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Yes, sir, for a traitor. Though he wears the traitor’s
garb, he is still one of the iron hearts of Tennessee.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> It is this deference to treason that disheartens
the army. The south swarms with men who opposed secession.
The coast clear, and they will fight against us. To keep these
traitors where they belong, the patriotic men of the army demand
an example. Refuse, and the foot of the northern tyrant
will be on our necks within the next year. As the commander
of the finest army in the south, I do not believe you will disappoint
them.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Let the prisoner be brought forth.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Sentinel, the Commander-in-Chief would speak
with the prisoner at once. (<i>Sentinel unlocks the door, and
kicks Halcom to wake him. He springs to his feet.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Well, what next? (<i>Sentinel points to the door,
and Halcom passes out, &amp;c.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> You are a native of Tennessee?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> What do you mean by well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Interpret to suit yourself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> It has been represented that you are a traitor to your
native state.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Undoubtedly.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Do you deny it?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Who is my accuser?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> An assassin and ravisher of defenceless women!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Liar!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> A coward, who covers his tracks with the knife
and torch!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> A traitor accuses me!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> A blatant ruffian, who fights only when no danger
steps in his way. (<i>Brightly draws to attack him. Hood steps
between.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Enough of this.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Leave him to his way.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> You were captured yesterday—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> While insensible from wounds.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> While fighting against your native state.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> To save her honor.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> By virtue of treason.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Who are you that speaks of treason?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> A soldier who never forgets his obligations to the soil
that gave him heritage.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Whose sword is dishonored with blighted virtue
and broken hearts, bartered for gold in the shambles of the auction
yards.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Keep your foul tongue civil, or I may forget myself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> It is honorable to be a traitor, when allegiance
would strangle liberty—outrage virtue—rob the poor of the right
to their miserable earnings, and trample on the most sacred affections
of the heart.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> The defence of a hypocrite.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Only cowards defend dishonor. (<i>Brightly draws,
and attempts to rush on him. D’A. dashes between.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. The man is unarmed.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Which leaves him no right to convey an insult.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Call a court-martial at once. The military law shall
settle this. (<i>Brightly hurries out, R.</i>) D’Arneaux, search his
person for arms. (<i>D’A. makes a fruitless search. Enter Brightly
with a drum and camp-stool, followed by a rebel officer.</i>)
Col. Gilday, you will act as judge advocate. (<i>Gilday prepares
for business.</i>) Capt. Brightly, take the stand. (<i>Sworn.</i>) State
to the court what you know of this man.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> The prisoner’s name is Francis Halcom. He is a
native of Creelsboro’, Tennessee, on the Cumberland river. I
have known the family since my childhood. With the exception
of three years in Massachusetts for education, Creelsboro’
has always been his home. When Tennessee withdrew from the
confederation, he immediately went north, raised troops, and has
since led them on to pillage and murder in his native state. Yesterday,
he was captured with arms in his hands, fighting as becomes
a traitor. (<i>Steps aside.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> D’Arneaux, take the stand. (<i>Sworn.</i>) Tell the
court what you know of this case.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I am acquainted with all the facts related by Captain
<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>Brightly. In addition, while the prisoner was absent in Massachusetts,
his family was assassinated, and home burned, on account
of political differences. When the war broke out, he was
exiled for the same reason.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> You would defend this murderer?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Justice demands <i>all</i> the facts.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Which palliate nothing.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Had the assassin destroyed my family, and deprived
me of my civil rights in the name of the state, <i>I too would have
been a traitor!</i></p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Leave your sword at my headquarters, and consider
yourself under arrest. Step aside.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. I wash my hands of this murder about to be consummated.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Go to your quarters, sir. I command here. (<i>D’A.
leaves slowly. To Halcom.</i>) You have heard the evidence
against you—what have you to say?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Of what use is a defence in such a court as this?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> The court will hear an excuse, even.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The principal evidence is guilty of the murder of
my family.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I demand that he shall be made to prove that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The closing of my life saves his.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I demand an end of this cant.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> I will hold him responsible for every word he speaks.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Who speaks of responsibility? The history of today
is yet to be written. When it is, a page will be given to
the infamy of the leaders of this revolt. Two thousand years
of the world’s best civilization tramples with disdain on the barbarisms
for which you contend. Justice, Christianity and manhood
alike repudiate the dishonor your sword sustains. What
is treason? (<i>Pointing to B.</i>) To defend my country against
such reptiles as that!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Will the court listen to this croaking liar longer?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Leave him to his falsehoods. They but invite the
bullet still more.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Most wise judge! How evenly are the scales of
justice balanced in your court! How commendable are the tales
that suit the judge! How villainously disgusting are the defensive
presumptions of the prisoner, that might so basely impugn
the intentions of the court!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Who hatches crime, will defend a lie!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Who subverts justice, is a traitor to God!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Let the bullet settle this at once.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>To the court.</i>) Gentlemen of the court, you have
heard the evidence. Is the prisoner guilty?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>All.</span> Aye, guilty!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Captain Brightly, return the prisoner to the cabin.
He will be allowed fifteen minutes to prepare. You will then
call a squad of men, and see to it that he is shot to the death.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Gen. Hood, I request that I may die by the hand
of a brave and honorable man.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> So I have decreed!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> His hands are tainted with the murder of defenceless
women.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> ’Tis false!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> So is he a coward! Twice I have thrown my knife
at his feet to defend himself against my empty hands, and he
has refused!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To Hood.</i>) Do you believe the falsehoods of a
traitor?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Then be it so now!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>To Brightly.</i>) Well?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I will not risk a life that may be of use to my
country, in a duel with a man who has been condemned to death
for treason.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Well said, sir! Sentinel, remand the prisoner. (<i>Exit
Hood, R. Sentinel points to the cabin. Halcom goes slowly,
as if to enter. Halts at door and turns.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Keele Brightly, the chances of war have favored
you. I am the last of my family. My mother’s ashes are still
unavenged. I have had faith in God. Justice may come at
last from other hands than mine. (<i>Turns and enters the cabin,
and falls on one knee. Sentinel locks the door. Brightly leaves
R. As he disappears, Sentinel resumes his beat, and Zina shows
around L. end of cabin, and taps lightly to attract Halcom’s attention.
He hastens to listen.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Peering between the logs.</i>) It is I, Zina, come to
save you. There is a bar behind the door. Bar the door on
the inside, and make no noise. Then return quickly.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> God bless your brave little heart! (<i>Bars the door,
and returns to listen.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> This cabin is close to the river. Your friends are on
the other side. The walls are too strong to be broken. I will
<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>climb to the roof, tear off some boards, throw a rope over a
limb, and drop it through the opening. On this, ascend to the
roof quickly. The river is too deep to ford. A log is lodged
on the shore in rear of the cabin. With the rope, swing yourself
astride this. Pull a rope fastened to the other shore, and
it will soon land you with your friends on the other side. If you
are fired upon from this side, throw yourself into the water and
cling to the log.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> But what chance of escape is there for yourself?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Don’t fear for me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I will not accept my life, even, at the slightest risk
to your own.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Do not hesitate. If you do, you are lost.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Tell me, on honor, is there any danger for yourself?
(<i>Enter Brightly, with squad of men, for execution, R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> On my honor, I shall be safe. Watch for the rope.
I join you at your own camp. (<i>Zina springs to rear of cabin,
and ascends to roof, while Brightly is saying</i>)—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Sentinel, bring out the prisoner. (<i>Meantime Zina
is tugging to get off a board. Sentinel finds door fast.</i>) Break
down the door; there is an attempt to escape! (<i>Rebs rush at door,
one with an axe. Zina gets off first board at word “escape.”
Heavy firing, long roll, L.</i>) Some to the roof! Smash the
door! (<i>Zina gets off second board at word “door;” then fires
at rebs climbing up sides, when they retreat. Brightly to rebs
retreating, sword drawn. Gets off third board.</i>) Back to the
roof, cowards, or I will spit you like dogs. Get a log and crush
it! (<i>Meantime, she fires again, drives them back, and gets off
fourth board.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Soldier.</span> (<i>Entering L. in haste.</i>) The Yanks are bridging
the river.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Fight them like hell! (<i>Fourth board drops; rebs
crash in the door. Zina screams, flings rope into tree, and drops
it through hole. Meantime shots inside cabin, and rebs tumble
out door. Halcom climbs up a rope to roof. Rebs climb cabin
to catch him on roof. As H. arrives on roof, Zina pushes him
off rear into the water, and turns on the rebs.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Drawing knife.</i>) Back, you cowards, or I kill you
this time! (<i>Brightly dashes to R. rear. Curtain. Encore.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>(<i>Curtain rises on last tableau, except Zina has seized the
rope. Suddenly she places her knife in her teeth, springs off
rear, and swings into the water. Brightly dashes off building to L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span><span class='sc'>Soldiers on Roof.</span> (<i>Rising.</i>) She is swimming the river!
(<i>Brightly seizes a rifle from a soldier, dashes round L., and, during
a flash of lightning, fires at her. D’Arneaux dashing in L.,
knocks the rifle aside, too late. Brightly springs to R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You have murdered that heroic girl! Take your knife,
coward, for, by heaven, one of us shall follow!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To soldiers.</i>) Arrest that man for treason!
(<i>Soldiers surround D’A. with a cordon of bayonets, when he
drops his knife and hangs his head.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I have waited for this! A court-martial and the
bullet shall end it! (<i>Curtain.</i>)</p>

<div class='chapter'>
  <h2 class='c007'>ACT IV.</h2>
</div>

<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Scene 1.</span> <i>Night.</i> Heavy forest. Gen. Sherman disc. looking away to R. Occasional flashes of lightning, and thunder in the distance. Occasional picket firing, R. Staff, L.</h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> A terrible storm! The men must be wet and hungry.
Orderly! (<i>Enter Ord. L. U. E.</i>) Tell the commissary
to hurry the hot coffee and fresh food to the front at once. (<i>Ex.
Ord. L. U. E.</i>) I must cross the river before daylight, or my
opportunity is lost. Martel! (<i>Enter Telegraph Operator, L.
U. E.</i>) Tell Schofield and Howard they must force a passage
of the river at four o’clock, at all hazards. (<i>Op. works machine
and waits.</i>) Do they understand?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Operator.</span> They do. (<i>Enter Halcom, R. U. E., coatless,
hair dishevelled, wounded.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> (<i>Rushing to grasp his hand.</i>) In heaven’s name,
Halcom, from where do you come?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The rebel camp.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> How did you escape? (<i>Men offer clothing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Ask God, and the angel sent to my relief. (<i>Declining
clothes.</i>) Thank you, gentlemen, I need nothing now
but a coat.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Ah! A woman at the bottom of it. (<i>Halcom
watches out R.</i>) I sent word to Hood that if any harm came
to you, I would retaliate on every rebel officer in my charge.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Thank you, General. But your communication
would, doubtless, have come too late. But for my escape, I
should have been executed two hours ago.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Your escapes are marvelous. By the way, I have
orders from Washington to advance you to the first vacancy
among the corps commanders.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>Dropping his head.</i>) I had not expected that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Why not? In this army, sir, the best man wins.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I am a native and citizen of the south.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> There are no lines for loyalty in this country.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I am indebted to you for this.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> You are indebted to your own right arm, sir.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I have been but a simple soldier, no more entitled
to advancement than the private who takes the brunt of the fight
in the first line.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Halcom, some men are born to command—to lead
a forlorn hope—</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Which I never have.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Indeed! When at Lookout Mountain the storm
of rebel shot had melted the first line, and the reserves were already
wavering, and you seized and dared them to follow their
flag, rallying the broken ranks to that wild charge that swept
the rebel army from its entrenchments among the clouds, it was
a glory beside which the command of this army pales into insignificance!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Then the soldier shares equally with his commander!
(<i>Watches out R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> But you have not told me of this marvelous escape.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Ask me of something I cannot comprehend, and
you have all I can give.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> It often acts like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> How?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Simple as any other phase of life. A storm at
night. A handsome cavalier, unjustly condemned, awaiting execution.
A lovely maiden hovers near. She drugs the guard,
and sets the prisoner free. Bewildered by the ecstasy of love
in such a moment of excitement, both are lost in its wild delirium.
They wake to an utter incomprehensibility of all that has
passed.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> General, I am content if such chafing pleases you.
But I am weighted with an anxiety that will drive me mad.
When I can know the heroic girl is safe, who perhaps has sacrificed
her life to save mine, I can forget that I am a coward, and
unfit to live! (<i>Crosses over to L.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Ah! I am getting interested in this case. Who
is this woman? What do you fear? Where is she? I can hardly
imagine a situation in this country or in either army, that can
be dangerous to a woman!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> No danger to a woman? They killed my mother
when she was helpless, and, with my sister, burned her in her
own home.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Such men are devils!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> And so am I! Can you trace the maniac through
Nashville, Chickamauga, and over Lookout Mountain, to the
banks of this river, and not guess at the origin of the hell that
is so fast consuming my life?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Treat it calmly, Halcom. It is something that
can never be mended. Leave the past to take care of itself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> There are fires that refuse to be quenched. No one
has struggled more manfully than myself to forget this. When
I would forget, memory conjures up the scene in the old home!
My mother’s helpless struggles with the devils who crushed her
innocent life! Of my sister burned alive! My God! How
can I forget this?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Tell me of your capture and escape.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>Hesitating.</i>) My division was overwhelmed by
the whole rebel army. In the desperate struggle, I was left
wounded and senseless on the field of battle. I was discovered
by my old enemy and conveyed to an old hut on the banks of
the Chattahoochee. After a parley with Hood and others, I was
tried by a drum-head court-martial for treason to my native
state, and sentenced to die fifteen minutes later. I was remanded
to the hut to await the preparations for my execution. I could
see no chance for escape, for Brightly had the details of my execution
at his own command. The rifles were already loading
that were to send me to eternity. I had sunk on my knees for
the last prayer, when a tapping on the logs outside, in rear of
the hut, attracted my attention. I hastened to listen. It was
too dark to see. But through the crevices between the logs, I
learned that the little rebel owl who had escaped <i>your</i> bullet, because
she was not a man, had come to effect my escape.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> That child? Surely, I was only in jest.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> That heroic child had eluded your guard, swam the
river at midnight in the violence of that terrible thunder-storm,
dragging a log hitched to a rope that led to the friendly shore,
that I might escape.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Impossible!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I refused to save my life at the hazard of hers.
She had planned to escape with me. I heard the tramp of the
soldiers detailed to take my life. I heard her clambering to the
roof of the hut; the orders to drag me out to die; the sentinel
try the barred door; the crack of the breaking boards as she
was making an opening for my escape; the crash of the axe
breaking the door; an order that sent the devils to the roof to
prevent my escape; the ring of her pistol as she drove them
back to the earth again. The door crashed in, and the devils
were upon me; a rope fell at my feet. With almost superhuman
strength, I flung them back and gained the roof. A crowd were
clambering up the sides to destroy us. I sprang forward to her
defence. In an instant, she pushed me clear of the hut, safely
into the river.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> <i>Did you leave her!</i></p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The next flash of lightning revealed her on the
roof, with her knife drawn, holding the traitors at bay, that I
might escape. I sprang back for the shore. I heard a splash
in the water. The next lightning flash revealed her battling the
rapids of the river to gain the other shore. A shot from the
rebel side, and all was dark again. I sprang after her. Two
hours I have frantically searched this bank of the river, without
avail. She has perished in the rapids of the river, or by that
coward shot from the rebel rifle, and I live like a coward! (<i>Zina
staggers in at R. U. E., as if unconscious of the presence of any
one; wounded in the left side of the head, often looking behind
to see if she is pursued. She staggers and is about to fall,
when she is discovered by Halcom, who springs forward, and
catches her in his arms. Sherman tears off his military cloak,
and wraps it about her.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> She has fainted.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> And is wounded. (<i>They revive her.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Please let me stay on this side of the river.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Let you stay on this side of the river! I will
shoot any man who attempts to prevent it! You shall command
this army if you like. (<i>Zina faints again.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> The poor child is dying.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sherman.</span> Not a bit of it. She is too smart to die! Take
her to my quarters. Orderly, here! (<i>Enter Ord. L. U. E.;
with Halcom takes her out, L. U. E.</i>) Have my surgeon attend
that girl, and tell him if he lets her die, I will hang him
<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>an hour after. (<i>Exit Ord. L.</i>) I am the biggest ass in the
service. If I ever abuse a woman again, I hope I may be shot
by an idiot! (<i>Exit L. Enter Barney and Hez. L. U. E.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Now whin I would be arrestin’ a blackguard like
that, don’t you be a botherin’ me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now you git out. I guess it was jest about as
cheap for him ter git away, as it would be for you to get a collapse
in your real estate. (<i>Set guns against tree, sit down and
wipe perspiration, &amp;c.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Now look in these two eyes of me. Didn’t ye be
kickin’ that blackguard whin I would be takin’ him?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I rayther kalkerlate you was on the pint er passin’
in yer chips when I lit on that critter.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Ah ha! I’m nobody, I s’pose. Was I?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I guess that feller was the most astonished piece
er meat I ever traveled over. I kalkerlate that when I lit on
the other eend of his corperation, he come to the conklusion that
he was wrastlin’ with a first-class earthquake.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I don’t care about thim airthquakes. I want none
er thim. My reputashin is spit upon.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I reckon I never jumped onter anything in that
line er critter that wanted ter go home so bad as he did.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Now look in me two eyes and be talkin’ honest
about it, and no braggin’. Didn’t ye be makin’ that blackguard
get away when I would arrest him?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now, Irish, you just spill your gas in some other
line er preachin’, er else I’ll let him get your guzzle next time.
(<i>Enter Brightly and rebel soldiers, R. U. E., stealthily, seize
the guns and cover both.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Now whin I arrest a blackguard again, don’t you
be botherin’ me.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Throw up your hands! (<i>Points gun at them.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Bar.</span> (<i>Turning in surprise.</i>) Stop that! That gun is loaded.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Throws off coat.</i>) If I don’t make him drop
that gun. (<i>Turns and meets gun—subsides.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Surrender, or I’ll kill you like a dog.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Don’t care ef I dew.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span>, (<i>pointing R. U. E.</i>) Step into line there. (<i>Both comply.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say? Got eny terbacker in yer trowsis?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Shut your mouth and march now, or I will see
what virtue there is in this gun.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>March off R. U. E.</i>) Don’t care if I dew.</p>

<div>
  <span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>
  <h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 2.</span> <i>Gen. Hood’s headquarters.</i> Gen. seated at table, rear centre. D’Arneaux and two guards, L., facing R.</h3>
</div>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Lt. D’Arneaux, when you entered the military service,
I believed that you would soon wear the stars of a division
commander. Instead, you have presented us with the strange
anomaly of patriot and traitor. While to me you have presented
a soul of honor, you have sought every opportunity to strike
your country a cowardly blow in the dark!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. And I deny the falsehood with my whole soul and life.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Under the circumstances, a denial is wholly unnecessary.
You have had a fair trial. No one regrets more than
myself the military necessity that compels me to sign the warrant
for your execution. Your brilliant military record is no excuse
for disloyalty, and a most flagrant treason.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. As I expect to meet God before the next sunset, that
accusation is doubly false, though it comes from your own lips!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> There are a score of witnesses who saw you attempt
the life of your superior officer. (<i>D’A. hangs his head in silence.</i>)
If there had never occurred another offence, the articles
of war meet you with the bullet. (<i>To guards.</i>) Remove
the prisoner to the care of the guard. (<i>Ex. D’A. and guard, L.</i>)
Orderly! (<i>Enter rebel Orderly, L. U. E.</i>) Take this dispatch
to Gen. McGruder. (<i>Exit Ord. with dispatch. Enter Keele
Brightly, L., salutes.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I have the honor to report that I have captured
two Yankees, found lurking within our lines as spies.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Have them brought in. (<i>Brightly salutes and retires,
L.</i>) The camp is swarming with them! It is utterly useless to
attempt to prevent it without recourse to the most severe measures!
This careless indifference of the guards allows a constant
betrayal of my means of defence. (<i>Enter Brightly, L., followed
by Hez. and Barney, under guard.</i>) The guard will retire.
(<i>Exit guard, R. Brightly observes R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Rushing up to shake hands with Hood.</i>) How
de dew, Gineral? (<i>Hood refuses to shake. Hez. astonished.</i>)
Don’t blame ye a Hannah Cook! Never felt so mean about
anything afore in my life. You must think I’m putty darn small
pertaters, to let myself get roped in by a pair er runts like them.
(<i>Looks in Hood’s face a moment.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Well, sir, what have you to say for spying?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now you get out! Why I know you (<i>grabs
<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>Hood’s hand</i>) jest as well as I do Abe Linkon. (<i>Hood tries to
disengage his hand.</i>) Why, you are that old covey that I met
down there in the woods, that wanted ter know where the old
man lived. (<i>Lets go his hand.</i>) Don’t blame ye for wantin’ ter
give me the shake. Say? Got any terbacker in yer trowsis?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> No, sir!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Confidentially.</i>) Say, I never felt so disgraceful
about anything afore in my life. ’Tween you and I, let me
have a chance ter distribit their meat in a fair scratch, and I’ll
give ye forty dollars.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>To Brightly.</i>) Who is this fellow?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> His name is Goferum.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Goferum! What a name!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>Dashing to L., and throwing off coat.</i>) Jess
you say. I want you to understand that forty dollars is scarcer
than fools are in this country. (<i>Coat off, turns.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>To Brightly.</i>) Seize the fool! (<i>Barney throws off
coat, &amp;c.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You bet! (<i>As he dashes for Brightly, he meets
a pistol, and knocks it one side as it goes off. Clinches Brightly,
throws him, and proceeds to punch his ribs, and struggle
around.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> (<i>Meantime.</i>) Guards, ho! (<i>Barney dashes about
for a fight.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>To Hood.</i>) Don’t you say guard-house to me,
you grayback thafe er the wurruld!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hood.</span> Guards, ho! Guards, ho!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Come out er that! Come out, you thafe er the
wurruld. Come out, and I bat your dam head off you. Come out.
(<i>Dashes forward, kicks table over, clinches Hood, throws him,
and proceeds to punch his ribs, as guards rush in R., and overpower
them.</i>)</p>

<h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 3.</span> <i>Landscape and wood front.</i> Enter Sally with pail, L., female attire.</h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Looking about.</i>) Now didn’t I wool that sargeant.
I’ll bet he hain’t got brains enough for a mule. It takes seven
hundred er them fellers to know as much as a Yankee. When
he was stealin’ the chickens at that deserted house, I told him
it warn’t fair to steal my chickens, when I was givin’ his men
<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>coffee. Gorry, won’t they sleep some! Now Hez. he has learned
ter steal chickens since he come down here. You jest wait and
see me break him er that when I get him back to Pordunk!
Now I should like to see a man of mine stealin’ chickens, or
runnin’ after other wimen! Now wouldn’t there be the handsomest
fuss Pordunk ever looked at! (<i>Looking about.</i>) I guess
them fellers are snorin’ by this time. (<i>Exit R., cautiously.</i>)</p>

<h3 class='c012'><span class='sc'>Scene 4.</span> <i>Room covering whole stage.</i> Door at R. centre. Large box, R. U. E. Hezekiah and Barney disc. rear centre, chained to a ring in the floor.</h3>

<p class='c010'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I’ll bet ye tew dollars that feller come to the conclewshun
that he must er stole my gun from a whole regiment.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> And the grayback thafe at the table, that twitted
me about the guard-house.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Guess he thought he was goin’ through a fullin’
mill.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The blackguard! (<i>Very sober.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> ’Drather give fifty dollars than ter had yer hit the
old General.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> How the divil should I know he was a general,
without the two brass things on ’im?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> All them fellers az has ritin’ tools and tables in
their tents, is generals.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Didn’t the sargeant tell me I was never to know
one er thim without the two brass things on him?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> It don’t make no difference, now ye bin gone and
done it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Didn’t he begin it, twittin’ me about the guard-house,
the thafe!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> He was only callin’ the guard for help.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The blackguard! Whin he was as big as I! And
he called thim three spalpeens a coort, when it takes more than
two dozen to make one er thim any day. (<i>Door opens R., rebel
soldier enters and reads from a paper.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Soldier.</span> The General commanding orders that the two union
prisoners, O’Flanagan and Goferum, convicted of spying in the
confederate camp, be notified that they are to be shot at daylight.
Per order General commanding. (<i>Exit soldier, R. Barney and
Hez. look at each other a moment in silence.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> He will do that?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> That’s the kind of hairpin he is.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The blackguard!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Wal, I guess I’ve airn’t the powder and shot. If
my old shooter hain’t tapped a hundred and fifty er them critters,
you can jest hope ter holler.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I will get some lawyer to appeal that coort.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You get out!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> That was no coort. The constitution of Ameriky
says nothing about a coort like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> It don’t make no difference. The shootin’ will
come. They don’t care for constitewshuns down here.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> I’ll have that thafe tried for murder if he does that.
And I’ll tell him that to his face, too. I don’t care who any man
is that will do an illagal thing like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> They don’t stop for law down here.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The more the shame for ’em. He will have the
contimpt er the wurruld upon ’im.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> It wouldn’t do no good. They’ll bury you at daylight.
(<i>Short silence.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> And there ain’t niver a praste to be had in this
haythen country at all.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Ye don’t need none. If I hain’t licked rebels
enough ter get ter heaven without a priest, they can jest kick
me out.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Havn’t I done that same meself?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> So ye have, Barney, and this ain’t yer own country,
neither. If they don’t give ye two harps to my one, it ain’t
doin’ the fair thing by ye.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Divil a bit do I care for a harp, if I can get out er
this. (<i>Door opens, and Sally appears with two carbines in her
hands; hesitates a moment.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now let me die.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> ’Pon my word.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Come here, and let me see if you ain’t a ghost.
(<i>Sally lays carbines behind the box and rushes to embrace Hez.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Give us a taste er that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> You git out. There ain’t enough ter go round.
(<i>Sally tries to unfasten irons.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Oh don’t you spread yourself. I have one er thim.
(<i>Turns away.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sal.</span> (<i>hunting round for axe.</i>) Hain’t ye got no axe, Hez.?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> ’Taint no use, Sal. Them irons can’t be broke.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> You git out, Hez. You jest show me where they
keep the axe.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> They don’t leave no axes round here. If ye had
one, ye’d get up such a noise, old Hood and the whole coop
would be down here whoopin’.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> I got the whole caboodle asleep with opium.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> ’Taint no use, Sal. That Keele Brightly said
we was spies, and we’re goin ter get shot at daylight. (<i>Sally
speechless with astonishment.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> The thafe. (<i>Sally drops on her knees sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Oh what shall I do?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> I know how’ yer heart is, Sal, but ye can’t do us
no good. Jest git out as fast as ye can, and save yourself.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> And tell Gineral Halcom about it, and divil a bit
but he will bat that spalpeen in the mornin’.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> (<i>Springing to her feet and wiping eyes.</i>) I have it.
(<i>Dashes for the door.</i>) I know what I’ll do.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Say, Sal. (<i>She turns back.</i>) Perhaps I shan’t
never see ye again. (<i>Sally falls on his breast sobbing.</i>) Tell
mother she ain’t got nothin’ to be ashamed on about me, except
I’m rough, and can’t talk so fine as some folks. Now she is
cheated out of her part er the farm, and the old man is so mean.
I don’t know what she <i>will</i> do. I’ve sent her all my wages and
bounty.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Sally.</span> Keep yer upper lip solid, Hez.; cos if yer lost to yer
mother, she can have a home with me as long as she lives. Good
bye. I got to get ye out, and I ain’t no time to lose. (<i>Dashes
out at R. door.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> ’Pon my word, that gal will knock the hell’s blazes
out er thim spalpeens, or I’m a thafe and a liar.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Ain’t she a rusher?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> ’Pon me word she is. Yer a lucky boy to have a
gal like that.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Makes me sick, cos it’s all goin’ for nothin’.
(<i>Makes a bad face, as if to cry.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Ah-r, don’t be doin’ that. Thim blackguards will
be sayin’ yer a Yankee coward.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> The man that can’t grind out some grief at leavin’
a gal like that, ain’t got brains enough to know what he’s losin’.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Indade! Isn’t Biddy Maloney as fine a gal as she,
barrin’ the fitin’? (<i>Door opens at R., and Keele Brightly enters,
<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>followed by D’Arneaux and guard, one of whom proceeds to iron
D’A. to the same ring with Hez. and Barney.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>Looking about and at prisoners.</i>) As incomprehensible
as ever. The guard drugged and disarmed, and the
prisoners unmolested. Corporal, place a guard of twenty men
around this building, and you have my orders to shoot any person,
man or woman, approaching it without authority. I have
placed a barrel of powder beneath, with a fuse attached, leading
out under the door. If the Yankees attack us before daybreak,
fire the fuse, or kill the prisoners, and join your regiment
at once. (<i>Guard leaves with Corporal, R. Brightly
lingers to see all is secure, then leaves R.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To Barney.</i>) Bet ye tew dollars this old machine
is about gin out. They’re killin’ their own.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>To Hez.</i>) Is he a Gineral? (<i>D’A. hangs head.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To D’A.</i>) Say! Yer couldn’t tell a feller who’s
gittin’ licked outside, could ye? (<i>D’A. gives them no attention.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> (<i>To D’A.</i>) You don’t be talkin’?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To D’A.</i>) Talk is cheap, and I thought I’d
give ye a chance on what ye had the most on.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Shoot thim at daylight, sez he. (<i>Makes a bad
face as if about to cry.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Don’t be blubberin’, Barney.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Don’t you see the daylight is comin’ through thim
cracks there?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Let her come. It ain’t goin’ to last long. (<i>A
board lifts up at L. and Zina crawls up through.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Now let me die!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> ’Pon my word! (<i>Zina motions quiet.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> The guard! Master D’Arneaux, how are you here?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A victim of the falsehood of your master.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> How?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Convicted of treason by false testimony, and sentenced
to die at sunrise.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh this is so cowardly and <i>unjust</i> to you, who have
been so brave and kind. Oh what <i>shall</i> I do?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You can do nothing, Zina.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I will go to the General and say it is <i>not</i> true.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You are but a poor slave girl. It would avail nothing.
Zina, through economy and speculations, I have become possessed
of five thousand dollars in gold. It is all buried beneath
<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>the roots of the old cotton-wood that stands by the grave of our
Nelly. No one but my mother knows this. If, by the fortunes
of war, I should fall, it would keep my mother from want. If,
when peace and independence come, and I should live, to buy
your freedom, when I had determined to offer you my heart,
hand, and the honor of a soldier.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh you <i>would</i> not throw yourself away on a poor slave!
You <i>do</i> not know what you say!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. This has been the nurtured ambition of my heart, since,
with all your native goodness, I saw your generous devotion to
my helpless old mother.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> How <i>can</i> you love a poor, degraded slave girl, who
has <i>nothing</i> to offer but these miserable rags, and the memory
that she came of the hated race, so despised by all the world.
(<i>Falls on her knees, covers face.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. As God loves goodness in the human heart—as manhood
admires the noble, unselfish woman, though her covering
be undeserving rags—as the heart plays captive to the most
generous impulses of nature—as the honor of a soldier reaches
out to grasp its ideal, so do I offer my tribute of love. Zina,
all these dreams of the future die with me when the sun rises
over the eastern hills. Go out from here. Avoid the guard.
Find the money, and fly with my mother, where you can be
free. Save my mother from want, and I am content. Waste
no time, or you too may be lost.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Oh I cannot be so cowardly as to leave you now!
(<i>Rising.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Why did you come here, where there is nothing but
danger?</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Pointing to Hez. and Barney.</i>) To save <i>these</i> who
have been so good and kind to me. When my master had turned
me away to starve, <i>these</i> men gave me their own food and blankets
when the storm was cold and pitiless. (<i>Shot R. Zina
goes to R. door to listen.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. (<i>To Hez. and Bar.</i>) My hand, good fellows. One
often sees that to admire in an enemy. (<i>Shake all, Hez. grudgingly.
Zina looks around the room and discovers the carbines,
places them on the box.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> When I was first lookin’ at ye, didn’t I be knowin’
ye was no blackguard.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. When the other world begins to lift its shadows to light
us to the other side, the animosities of this life should be forgotten.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> (<i>To D’A.</i>) Give me your hand again. I allus
said I’d never shake with a rebel, but I’ll take it all back.</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Zina, before I die, there is a secret in your history the
excitement of the hour had well nigh caused me to forget. It
came to me by accident. You were not born a slave!</p>

<p class='c011'>Z. Then who am I?</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. A lost child of the Halcoms!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Falling on her knees and covering her face.</i>) My
brave, noble brother!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. While confined, previous to my trial, I overheard conversation
between Brightly and one of his ruffian comrades, detailing
your history and a plan for your destruction. The reason—slavery
is abrogated, and you are one of the Halcoms.
Seventeen years since, Brightly was the leader of a band of
Regulators, raised to protect the planters from the abolitionists,
who were running off their help. I was a member of that company,
though a mere boy. An old political grudge had existed
between Brightly and your father for many years. On a dark
December night, backed by a crowd of selected desperadoes,
he murdered your father when he was without means of defence,
outraged and killed your mother,—then fired the house.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Shuddering.</i>) My poor mother! (<i>Sobbing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Some of those men are now standing guard around
this building. You were then a helpless infant in the cradle.
Old Milly, the nurse, escaped with you to the wood. Two days after
you were both kidnapped by Brightly, taken to his plantation
in Alabama, where he raised you as a slave. At the time of the
murder, your brother Frank, at the age of 12 years, was educating
in the free schools of New England. During the last 15
years he has not ceased to search for the murderer of his family.
He has no knowledge that you have been saved from the burning
home. Within the last three years, Brightly has repeatedly
tried to sell you to cotton planters on the coast. Only my vigilance
and the color of your skin have prevented it. It was
Brightly’s hand that sent the bullet after your life, on the night
of your brother’s escape. If you are found here, your life is
lost. Go now. Day is breaking. God bless you. Remember
my mother. (<i>Distant rapid firing.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Springing to her feet and listening,</i>) Hark! My
brother is coming!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. Escape while you can. Quick, or you will be lost!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> (<i>Flings off turban.</i>) I will defend you until his sword
shall save us!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>D’A. You cannot, you are a weak girl! (<i>Zina bars the
door and slings carbine on belt.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> So I can fight and die with you! (<i>Rebs. attack the
door furiously. Zina holds it.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. This building is mined and you will be blown to atoms.
(<i>Zina holds the door.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I have filled the powder with water!</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You will be killed. Conceal yourself beneath the floor.
(<i>Rebs. knock holes in middle of door with an axe.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Hezekiah.</span> Yes, go, Zina. God bless yer brave little heart.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Barney.</span> Please go, little girl, ye can’t do us no good! (<i>Heavy,
increasing firing R. Blows on the door rapid and continuous.
She holds it.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'>D’A. You cannot defend us! (<i>Zina seizes carbine and,
springing back, exclaims:</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> I am a Halcom! This rifle shall avenge my mother’s
life. (<i>Confederates smash the door until they knock it to pieces.
Then the door breaks down and a crowd of rebels rush through,
5 rapid shots from Zina and they retreat to outside, 3 men fall.
She drops the old and seizes another carbine as Brightly urges
them back. Five more shots throw them into a crowding confusion
at the door, when she stops firing from unloading. Brightly
and six soldiers rush to left front. Zina draws knife to defend
prisoners.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>As he and soldiers dash to L.</i>) Kill the prisoners.
(<i>Soldiers spring forward to bayonet them and are met by
Zina.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Who strikes the helpless is a coward! (<i>Soldiers hesitate,
with bayonets at her breast.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> You shall be food for my dogs!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> Coward! Thief! Assassin of my mother!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> So you bite the hand that fed you to life!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> My hands have earned your bread and mine!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To soldiers.</i>) Kill her! (<i>Halcom dashes in R.
followed by soldiers, who cover rebs.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> Throw down your arms! (<i>Rebels drop arms and
Zina rushes into her brother’s arms saying:</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> My brother!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I have long suspected this. My mother’s face lives
in this girl and in my memory seventeen years since as she
begged for mercy from a man who never felt it.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> I am a prisoner of war.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> We have met, sir, for the last time. You shall fight
women and helpless prisoners no longer.</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> Then have done with your preaching and come
on! (<i>Drops sword and draws knife.</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> I will not keep you waiting long! You shall fight
for your life this time like an honorable man!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Brightly.</span> (<i>To reb. soldiers</i>) The psalm of a traitor who
has stabbed his country in the back!</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Halcom.</span> (<i>To prisoners and Union soldiers.</i>) If this man
passes my hands safely he shall go free! (<i>Taking advantage
while Halcom is speaking to the Union prisoners, Brightly rushes
forward to stab him in the back, treacherously. Zina catches his
purpose, drops on one knee, knocks his hand up and drives her
knife to the hilt in the ruffian’s heart. Brightly staggers back and
falls. Zina springs up, aghast at the result, then drops knife,
covering her face, says:—</i>)</p>

<p class='c011'><span class='sc'>Zina.</span> My poor mother! (<i>Drops on her knees, then face,
sobbing until curtain falls.</i>)</p>

<div class='nf-center-c0'>
<div class='nf-center c003'>
    <div><span class='small'>THE END.</span></div>
  </div>
</div>

<div class='pbb'>
 <hr class='pb c005' />
</div>
<div class='tnotes'>

<div class='chapter'>
  <h2 class='c007'>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</h2>
</div>
 <ol class='ol_1 c003'>
    <li>The stage directions were inconsistently formatted.  Some were italicized and some
    not.  Also some were in parentheses and some in square brackets. (As if the typesetter
    ran out of parentheses or italics occassionally.) They were all altered to parentheses
    and italics.

    </li>
    <li>Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.

    </li>
    <li>Retained anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
    </li>
  </ol>

</div>

<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 60425 ***</div>
  </body>
  <!-- created with ppgen.py 3.57c on 2019-10-05 01:26:38 GMT -->
</html>
generated by cgit v1.2.3 (git 2.25.1) at 2026-01-04 04:18:28 +0000