A Deep Sleeper

It was 4 o'clock on Sunday aftemoon in the month of July. The air had been hot and sultry, but a light, cool breeze had sprung up, and occasional cirrus clouds overspread the sun and for awhlle subdued his fierceness. We were all out on the piazza, as the coolest place we could fmd - my wife, my sister-in-law and I. Tho only eounds that broke the Sabbath stillness were the hum of an occasional vagrant bumblebeo or the fragmentary song of a mocking bird in a neighboring elm, who lazily trolled a stave of melody now and then as a sample of what he could do in the cool of tho morning or after a light shower when the conditions would be favorable to exertion. "Annie," said I, "suppose, to relieve the Éeadly dullness oL the afternoon, that we go out and pull the big watermelon and send for Colonel Pemberton's folks tocóme over and help us eat it." "Is it ripe yet?" she inquired sleepüy, brushing away a troublesome fly that had impudently settled on her hair. "Yes, I think so. I was out yesterday with Julius, and we thumped it and concluded it would be fully ripe by tomorrow or next day. But I think it is perfectly safe to pull it today." "Well, if you aro sure, dear, we'll go. But how can we get it up to the house? It's too big to tote." "NI step around to Julius' cabin andask him to go down with tho wheelbarrow and bring it up," I replied. Julius was an elderly colored man who worked on the plantation and lived in a small house on the place, a few rods from my own residence. His daughter was our eook, and other members of his family served us in different capacities. As I turned the corner of the house I saw Julius coming up the lane. He had on his Sunday clothes and was probably returning from1 the afternoon meeting at the Sandy Kun Baptist church, of which he was a leading member and deacon. "Julius," I said, "we are going out to pull the big watermelon, and we want you to take the wheelbarrow and go with tfe and bring it up to the house." "Does yer reckon dat.watermillun's ripo yit, sah?" said Julius. "Didn' 'pear ter me it went quite plunk enuff yistiddy fer ter be pull' befo' termorrer." "I think it is ripe enough, Julius." "Mawning 'ud be a better time fer ter pull it, sah, w'en de night air an de jew'a done cool it off nice." "Probably that's true enough, but we'll put it on ice, and that will cool it, and I'm afraid if we leave it too long some one will steal it." "I 'spec's dat'sso," said the old man with a confirmatory shake of the head. "Yer takes chances w'en yer pulls it, en yer takes chances w'en yer don'. Dey's a lot er po' w'ite trish roun heah w'at ain' none too good fer ter steal it. I seed some un 'em loafln 'long de big road on mer way home fuin chu'ch jes' now. I has ter watch mer own chicken coop to keep chick'ns 'uuff fer Sunday eatin. I'll go en git de w'eelborrow." Julius had a profound contempt for poor whites and never let slip an opportunity for expressing it. He assumed that wi sharal this sentiment, while in fact our feeling toward this listless race was something entirely different. They were, like Julius himself, the product of a system which they had not created and which they did not know enough to resist. As the old man turned to go away he began to limp and put his hand to his knee with an exclamation of pain. "What's the matter, Julius?" asked my wife. "Yes, Únele Julius, what ailsyouf" echoed her sweet young sister. "Did you stump your toe?" "No, miss, it's dat mis'able rheumatiz. It ketches me now an den in de lef' knee so I can't hardly draw my bref. Oh, Lawdy," he added between his clinched teeth, "but dat do hurt! Ouchl It's a little better now," he said after a moment, "but I doan' b'lieve I kin roll dat w'eelborrow out ter de watermillun patch en back. Ef it's all de same ter yo', sah, I'll go roun ter my house en sen Torn ter take my place, w'iles I rubs Bome linimum ou my liüg. " "That'll be all right, Julius," Isaid, ana the old man, hobbling, disappeared around the corner of the house. Tom was a lubberly, sleepy looking negro boy of about 15, related to Julius' wife in some degree and living with them. Thé old man came back in about five minutes. He walked slowly and seemed very careful about bearing his weight on the amicted member. "I sent 'Liza Jane fer to wake Tom up," he said. "He's down in de orchard asleep under a tree somewhar. 'Liza Jane knovvs whar he is. It takes a minute er so fer ter wake 'im up. 'Liza Jane knows how ter do it. She tickles 'im in de nose er de yeab wid a brooinstraw. Hollerin doan' do no good. Dat boy is one er de Seben Sleepers. He's wuss'n his gran'daddy used ter be." "Was his grandfather a deep sleeper, Uncle Julius?" asked my wife's sister. "Oh, yas, Miss Mabel," said Julius, gravely. "He wuz a monst'us pow'ful sleeper. He slep' fer a mont' once." "Dear me, Uncle Julius, you must be joking," said my sister-in-law incredulousïy. I thought she put it mildly. "Oh, no, ma'ara, I ain' jokin. I never jokes on ser'ous subjec's. I wuz dere w'en it all happen. Hit wuz a monst'us quare thing." "Sit down, Uncle Julius, and teil us bout it," said Mabel, for she dearly loved a story and spent much of her time "drawing out" the colored people in the neighborhood. The old man took off his hat and seated himself on the top step of the piazza. His movements were somewhat stiff, and he was very careful to get his left leg in a comfortable position. "Toin's gran'daddy wuz name Skundus," he began. "He had a brudder name Tushus en eruudder name Cottus en ernudder name Squinchus." The old man paused a moment and gave his leg another hitch. My sister-in-law was shaking with laugiiter. "What remarkable names!'' she exclaimed. "Where in the world did they get them?" "Dein names wuz gun ter 'em by ole Alarse Dugal' McAdoo, w'at I use1 ter b'long ter, enueyuse' ter b'long ter. Marso Dugal' named all de babies w'at wuz bawn ou de plantation. Dese young uu's mammy wanted ter cali 'em sump'n plain en pie liko 'Rastus er Ctesar er George WashFnton, but ole inarse say no- be want all de niggers on his place tcr hab diffa'nt names, so be kin teil 'era apart. HeM done use up all de common ñames, so be had ter take sump'n else. Dem names be gun Skundus en his brudders is Eebrew names, en wuz tuk out'ndeBible." "Can you give me chapter and verse?"' asked Mabel. 'No, Miss Mabel, I doan' know 'em. Hit ain' my fault dat I ain' able ter read de Bible. But, ez I wuz a-sayin, dis yer Skuudug grówed ter be a peart, lively kind er boy en wuz very well liked on de plantation. He never quo'led wid de res' er de han's en alluz bebaved 'isse'f en tended ter his wuk. De only fault he hed wuz his eleep'ness. He'd haf ter be woke up ev'y mawnin ter go ter his wuk, en w'eneber he got a chance be'd fall ersleep. He wuz migbt'ly nigh gittin inter trouble mod'n once fer gwine ter sleep in de fiel. I never seed his beat fer sleepin. He could sleep in de sun er sleep in do shade. He could lean upon bis boe en sleep. He went ter sleep walk'n 'long de road oncet en mighty nigh bus't his hed open 'gin a tree he run inter. I did beah he oncet went ter sleep while he wuz in swimmin. He wuz floatin at de time en come mighty nigh gittin drownded befo' he woke up. Ole marse heared 'bout it en ferbid bis gwine in swimmin enny mo ferbe said he couldn' 'ford ter lose 'im. "When Skundus wuz grovred up, he got ter lookin roun at de gals, en one er de likeliest un 'm tuk his eye. It was a gal name Cindy, w'at libbed wid her mammy in a cabin by deyse'ves. Cindy tuk ter Skundus as mucb as Skundus tuk ter Cindy, en' bimeby Skundus axed his marster ef he could marry Cindy. Marse Dugal' b'long ter de P'isbyty'n chu'ch en never lowed his niggers to jump the broomstick, but alluz had a preacher fer ter marry 'em. So he told Skundus ef him en Cindy would 'ten ter dey wuk good dat summer till de crap wa3 laid by he'd let 'em git married en hab a weddin down ter de quarters. "So Skundus en Cindy wukked hahd as dey could till 'bout a mont' er so befo' layin by w'en Marse Dugal's brudder, Kunncl Wash'n'ton McAdoo, w'at libbed down in Sampson county, 'bout a hunderd mi)e erway, come fer ter visit Marse Dugal'. Dey wuz flve er six folks in de visitin party, en our w'ite folks nesded a new gal fer ter be'p wait on 'em. Dey picked out de likeliest gal dey could fine 'mougs' de fiel'han's, an 'cose dat 'wuz Cindy. Cindy wuz might'ly tickled fer ter be tuk in de house sarvice, fer it meant better vittals en better clo's en easy wuk. She didn' seed Skundus quite as much, but she seed 'im w'eneber she could. Prospe'ity didn' spile Cindy; siio didn' git stuck up en 'bove 'sociatin wid Bel'ban's, lack some gals in her place 'ud a done. "Cindy wuz sech a handy gal 'roun de house, en her m.irster's relations lacked her so mucli dat w'en dey visit wuz ober dey wanted ter take Cindy 'way wid'em. Cindy didn' want ter go en said so. Her marster wuz a good natured kind er man, en would 'a' kep' her on de plantation. But bis wifo say no, it 'ud nebber do ter be lett'n de narvanta liab dey own way, er dey soon wouldn' be no doin nuthin wid 'em. Ole marster tole 'er he done promus ter let Cindy marry Skundus. " 'Oh, well,' sez ole miss, 'dat donn' cut no figger. Dey's too much er dis foolishness 'bout husban's en wibes 'mongs' de niggers nowadays. One niggerman Is de same as eroudder, en dey'll be plenty un 'em down ter Wash'n'ton's plantation.' Ole miss wuz a mighty smart woman, but she didn't know ev'rything. " 'Well,' says ole marse, 'de craps'U be laid by in a mont' now, en den dey won't be much ter do fer emudder mönt' er six weeks. So we'll let her go down dere an stay till cotton pickin time. I'U jes' len 'er ter 'em till den. Ef dey wants ter keep 'er en we finds we doan' need 'er, den we'll talk furder 'bout sellin 'er. We'll teil her dat we jes' gwine let her go down dere wid de chil'en a week er so en den come back, en den we won' bab no fuss 'bout it.' "So dey fixed it dat er way, en Cindy went off wid 'em, she 'spectin ter be back in a week or so, en de w'ite folks not hahdly 'lowin she'd come back at all. Skundus didn' lack ter hab Cindy go, but he couldn' do nuthin. He wuz wukküi off in emudder part er de plantation w'en she went eway, en had ter teil her goodby de night befo'. "Bimeby, w'en Cindy didn't come back in two or th'ee weeks, Skundus 'mense to getres'less. En Skundus wuz diff' entf'um udder folks. Mos' folks w'en dey gits res'less can't sleep good, but de mo' res'lessner Skuudus get de mo' sleepier he 'peared to get. W'eneber 'he wuz'n wukkin or eatin, he'd be sleepin. W'en de yutber niggers 'ud be skylarkin roun nights en Sundays, Skundus 'ud be sound asïeep in his cabin. Tüings kep' on dis way fer 'bout a mont' atter Cindy went awayi w'en one mawnin Skundus didn' come ter wuk. Dey look fer 'im roun de plantation, but dey couldn't fin 'im, en befor' de day wuz gone ev'ybody wuz sbo dat Skundus bad runned erway. "Cose dey wuz a great howdydo 'bout it. Nobody badn' nebber runned erway f'um Marse Dugal' befo,' en dey hadn' b'en a a runavvay nigger in de neighbo'hood fer tb'ee er fo' years. De w'ite folks wuz all wukked up, en dey wuz mo' ridiu er bosses en mo' hitcbin up er buggies d'n a little. Ole Marse Dugal' had a lot er papers printed en s'tuck up on trees 'long de roads, en dey wuz sump'n put in de noospapérs - a free nigger f'um down on de Wim'l'ton road read de paper ter some er our han's- tellin all 'bout how high Skundus wuz, en w'at kine er teef her had, en 'bout a skyah he had on his lef' cheek, en how sleepy he wuz, en ofil'rin a reward er $100 fer whoeber 'ud ketch 'im. But none of 'em eber cotch 'im. "W'n Cindy fus' went away, she wuz kinder down in de mouf fer a day or so. But she went to a new fine house, de folks treated her well, en dere wuz sich good comp'ny 'mocgs' her own people dat she made up 'er min she might 's well hab a good time fer de week er two she wuz gwine ter stay down dere. But w'en de time roll on en she didn' heared nothin 'bout gwine back she 'menee ter git kinder skeered she wuz'n neber gwine to see her mammy ner Skundus no mo'. She wuz moast'us cut up 'bout it, an los' 'er appetite en got so po' en skinny her mist'ess sont 'er down tr de swamp fer ter git some roots fer ter make some tea fer 'er health. Her mist'ess sont her 'way 'bout th'ee o'olock, en Cindy didn' come back till after sundown; en ihe b'en lookin fer de roots, dat dey didn' 'pear ter be none er dem kin er roots fer a mile er so 'long de aidge er de swamp. "Cindy 'menee to ter git better jas' ez Boon as she begun ter drink de root tea. It wuz a monst'us good med'cine, leas'waya in her case. It done Cindy so mucb good dat her mist'ess 'cluded she'd takeit herse'f en gib it ter de ohil'en. De fus' day Cindy went after de roots dey wuz some lef' ober, en her mist'ess tol 'er fer ter use dat fer de nex' day. Cindy done so', but she tol 'er mist'ess hit didn' bab no strenk en didn' do 'erno good. So ev'y day atter dat Marse Wash'n'ton's wife 'ud sen Cindy down by do aidge er de swamp fer ter git fresh roots. " 'Cindy,' said one er de fiel'han's one day, 'yer better keep 'way tam dat swamp: Dey's a ha'nt walkin down djp.re ' " 'Go way fum yere wid yo' foolishness,' sai''! Cindy. 'Dey ain' no ha'nts. W'ite Tolk.s doan' b'lieve in sich things, fer I tieared 'em say so, but yer can't 'spec' nut hm botter fum fiel'han's.' "Dey wuz one man on do plantatiou, one er deso yer dandy niggers w'at 'uz aüuz runnin atter de vvimmin Lolks, dat got ter pest'rin Cindy. Cindy didn' pay no 'tención ter 'im, but he kep' on tryin fer ter co't her w'en he could git a chance. Fin'ly Cindy tole 'im fer ter let her 'lone er e'so sump'in might happen ter 'im. But he didn' min Cindy, va one ebenin he followed her down ter de s wamp. He los' track un 'er, en ez hewuz a-startin back out'n de swamp a big black ha'nt 'bout 10 feet higb en wid a fence rail in its han's jump out'n de bushes en chase 'im cl'ar up in de co'nflel. Leas' ways he said it did, en atter dat none er de niggers wouldn' 'go nigh de swamp, 'cep'n Cindy, who said it wuz all foolishness - it wuz dis nigger's guilty conscience dat skeered 'm- she hadu' seed no ha'nt en wuz'uskeered er nuffin shedidn'see. "Bimeby w'en Cindy had be'n gone fum home 'bout two mont's harves' time come on, en Marse Dugal' foun hisse'f short er han's. One er de men wuz down wid de rheumatiz, Skundus wuz gone, en Cindy wuz gone, en Marse Dugal' tole ole miss dey wuz no use talkin, he couldn' 'ford ter buy no new han's, en he'd ha' ter sen fer Cindy en put her in de fiel, fer de cotton crap wuz a monst'us big 'un dat year, en Cindy wuz one er de bes' cotton pickers on de plantation. So dey wrote a letter to Marse Wash'n'ton dat day fer Cindy en I wanted Cindy by de en er de mont', en Marse Wash'n'ton sont her home. Cindy didn' 'pear ter wanter come much. She said she'd got kinder use ter her noo home, I but she didn' hab no mo' ter say 'bont comin dan she did 'bout; goin. Howsomedever, she went down ter de swamp fer ter git roots fer her mist'ess up ter de las' day she wuz dere. "W'en Cindy got back home, she wuz might'ly put out 'ca'se Skundus wuz gone, en hit didn' 'pear ez ef anythin anybody Baid ter 'er 'ud comfort 'er. But one mawnin she said she'd dreamp' dat night dat Skundus wuz gwine ter comeback, en, sho' 'nuff, de ve'y nex' mawnin who sh'd come walkin out in de fiel wid his hoe on his shoulder but Skundus, rubbin his eyes ez ef he hadn' got waked up good yit. "Dey wuz a great 'mimtion 'mongs' de niggers, en somebody run off ter de bis; house fer ter teil Marse Dugal'. Bimeby here come Marse Dugal' hisse'f, mad as a hawnit, a-cussin en gwine on like he gwine ter hurt somebody, but anybody w'at look close could 'a' seed he wuz 'mos' tickled ter def tur git Skunflus back ergin. " 'Whar yer be'n run erway ter, yer good fer nuthin, lazy, black nigger?' sez 'e. Tin gwine ter gib yer fo' hundred lashes. I'm gwine ter hang yer up by yer thumbs en take ev'y bit er yer black hide off'n yer, en den I'm gwine ter sell yer ter de fus' specilater w'at comes 'long buyin niggers fer ter take down ter Alabam'. W'at yer mean by runnin er way fum yer good, kin marster, yer good fer nuthiu, wool headed, black scound'el?' "Skundus looked at 'im ez ef he didn' understan. 'Lav.rd, Marse Dugal',' sez 'e, 'I doan' know w'at youer talkin' 'bout. I ain' runned erwa3"; I ain' be'n nowhar'. "'Whar yer be'n fer de las' mont'?' said Marse Dugal'. 'Teil me de truf, er I'll hab yer tongue pulled out by de roots. I'll tar yer all ober yer en set yer Ibn fiah. I'll- I'll'- Marse Dugal' went on at a tarrable rate, but eve'ybody knowed Marse Dugal' bark uz wuss'n his bite. "Skundus look lack 'e wuz skeered mos' ter def for ter heah Marse Dugal' gwine on dat erway, en he couldn' 'pear to un'erstan w'at Marse Dugal' was talkin erbout. " 'I didn' mean no harm by sleep'n in de barn las' night, Marse Dugal',' sez 'e, 'en yer' 11 let me off dis I won' nebber do so no mo'.' "Well, ter make a long story sho't, Skundus said he had gone ter de barn dat Sunday afternoon befo' de Monday w'en he couldn't be foun ier ter hunt aigs, en wiles he wuz up dere de hay 'peared so sof' en nice dat he had laid down ter take little nap; dat it wuz mawnin we'en he woke en foun hisse'f all covered up whar de hay had feil over on 'im. A hen had built a nes' riant on top un 'im, en it had half a dozen aigs in it. He said he hadn't stop fer ter git no breakfus', but said jes' suck one or two er de aigs en hurried right straight out in de fiel, fer he seed it was late en all de res' er de han's wuz gone ter wuk. " 'Youer a liar,' said Marse Dugal, 'en de truf ain' in yer. Yer b'en run erway en hid in de swamp somewhar ernudder.' But Skundus swo' up en down dat he hadn' b'en out'n dat barn, en finally Marse Dugal went up to de house, en Skundus went on wid his wuk. "Well, yer mought know dey wuz a great 'miration in the neighbo'hood. Marse D"gal' sent fer Skundus ter cum up ter de h house nex' day, en Skundus went up 'spect'n fer ter ketch forty. But w'en ho got dere Marse Dugal' had fetched up ole Dr. Leach fum down on Rockfish en another young doctor fum town, en dey looked at Skundus' eyes, en feit of his wris', en pulled out his tongue, en hit him in de chis', en put dere yeahs ter his side fer ter heah his heart beat, en den dey up'n made Skundus teil how he feit when 'e woke up. Dey staid ter dinner, en w'en dey got thoo' talkin en eatin en drinkin dey tole Marse Dugal' Skundus had had a catacornered fit en had b'en in a trance for fo' weeks. En w'en dey l'arned about Cindy, en how dis yer fit had come on gradg'iy atter Cindy went away dey 'lowed Marse Dugal' 'd better let Skundus en Cindy git married er he'd be liable ter hab some mo' er dem fits. Fer Marse Dugal' didn' want no fittified niggers ef 'e could he'p it. "Atter dat Marse Dugal' had Skundus up ter de house lots er times ter show 'im off ter folks w'at come ter visit, en being as Cindy wuz back home, en she en Skuudus wukked hahd, en he couldn' 'ford fer ter take no chances on dem long trances, he 'lowed 'cm ter got married soon ez cotton pickin wuz ober en gib 'em a cabin er dey own ter lib in down in de quarters. En, sho' 'nuff, dey didn' had no trouble keep'n Skundus 'wake f'm dat time f'oth, fer Cindy turned out ter hab a temper of her own en made Skundus walk a chalk line. "Dis yer boy, Tom," said the old man, straightening out his leg carefully preparatory to getting up, "is jes' like his gran'daddy. I b'lieve ef somebody didn' wake 'im up he' sleep till jedgmen' day. Heah 'ecomesnow. Come on heah wid dat w'eelbarrow, yer lazy, good fer nuthin rascal." Toni carne slowly round the house with the wheelbarrow and stcod blinkitig and rolling his eyes as if hu had just emerged from a sound sleep and was not yet half a wake. We took our way around the house, the ladies and I in front, Juliu.-i nexl and Tom bringing up the rear with the wheelbarrow. We went by the well kept grapevines, heavy with the promise of an abundant harvest, thxoiigh i nairow ïkrid of yellowing corn and then pieked our way through the watermelon vines to the spot where the inonarèu of the patch had lain i!:f daybefore in all the glory of its coat oí variegated green. There was a shallow coLcavity ia the Band where it hod i o ;:e!. but Uie melon itself was gone. - V.. (.'ucsiiüU in Two ■Tales.