place, I’m not sure I’d trust his judgment on the matter, not wishing to cast aspersions on your family, but there you are. He left this money for Christopher,” removing a fat wad of bills from the billfold and throwing it on the table. “I’m keeping the wallet—it might be embarrassing if it was found with Christopher.”
“And why did they all do that, anyway?”
Christopher spoke through split lips. “I was helping the Childers girl get herself home and they thought—I don’t rightly know what they was thinking, Miss Justin.”
“I doubt if that bunch ever thought straight in their lives,” retorted Brian. “My guess is that they were looking for any excuse to kill you.” Christopher shuddered. “It’s the truth. If they’d really had a reason, they’d have been shouting it at you as they hit you. They didn’t do that. Trust me—I’ve seen men kill other men for no good reason and for good reasons, and I know what I’m talking about.” A bleak look passed over his face, to be replaced almost instantly by a charming smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a train to catch in less than an hour. We’re Savannah-bound, though I don’t suppose I should really be telling you that.”
“Well, how do I thank you, Mr …?” asked Miss Justin.
“Just address letters to me at my uncle in Richmond. Here, let me give you his address.” He reached in his uniform pocket for a notebook and a pencil, and scribbled a few lines on a page that he tore out and presented to Miss Justin. “Now if you’ll excuse me once again, all of you,” he bowed slightly in turn to Betsy, Christopher and Miss Justin, and was gone out of the door towards Christopher’s shack. He went inside, and a few moments later came out again, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He waved towards the house as he passed out of sight into the darkness.
“Did Mr. Fitchman really give you all of this?” Betsy asked Christopher wonderingly, looking at the pile of bills on the table.
Christopher smiled, but Miss Justin answered the question. “Judging by what we saw of that rather forceful young man just now, I don’t think Lamar had much choice in the matter. What happened to the others, Christopher?”
“He broke the leg of one of them, Miss Justin, and the other two had to help him to his home.”
“Lord have mercy!” exclaimed Miss Justin. She had led a somewhat sheltered life, and the thought of violence gave her a strange sort of tingle that she couldn’t rightly put her finger on. She riffled through the wad of bills. “Christopher, this is a lot of money. It’s about 450,000 dollars—that’s a good two years’ wages for a hard-working man. About two thousand Union dollars. Enough for me to pay for your freedom and you to go to California,” she half-suggested.
“No, Miss Justin. Keep the money safe for me, will you, please? I’ll stay here for now.”
“He’d better not,” interjected Betsy. That Slim and Mikey and Jerry will be after him pretty soon. I’ll tell you what you should do, Christopher. If Miss Henry here wants to be giving you your freedom, don’t you be lookin’ no gift horse in the mouth, but you just take what you’re given and go.” Miss Justin nodded in approval.
“Where?” asked Christopher.
“Go to Richmond and see your friend’s uncle. If he’s anything like his nephew, you’ll be fine,” said Betsy.
“That sounds like a very sensible plan,” added Miss Justin. “Christopher, listen. You do just that, and don’t argue,” as he opened his mouth to object. “For now, you must get out of this town. Take all the money and get on the first train in the morning to Richmond. Betsy, step round to Mr. Jolley, the attorney, and ask him to pay me a call right now. I’ll have your manumission all ready for you, Christopher, all proper and legal. Mr. Jolley can do all that for us in an hour or two, you know, if
“And why did they all do that, anyway?”
Christopher spoke through split lips. “I was helping the Childers girl get herself home and they thought—I don’t rightly know what they was thinking, Miss Justin.”
“I doubt if that bunch ever thought straight in their lives,” retorted Brian. “My guess is that they were looking for any excuse to kill you.” Christopher shuddered. “It’s the truth. If they’d really had a reason, they’d have been shouting it at you as they hit you. They didn’t do that. Trust me—I’ve seen men kill other men for no good reason and for good reasons, and I know what I’m talking about.” A bleak look passed over his face, to be replaced almost instantly by a charming smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a train to catch in less than an hour. We’re Savannah-bound, though I don’t suppose I should really be telling you that.”
“Well, how do I thank you, Mr …?” asked Miss Justin.
“Just address letters to me at my uncle in Richmond. Here, let me give you his address.” He reached in his uniform pocket for a notebook and a pencil, and scribbled a few lines on a page that he tore out and presented to Miss Justin. “Now if you’ll excuse me once again, all of you,” he bowed slightly in turn to Betsy, Christopher and Miss Justin, and was gone out of the door towards Christopher’s shack. He went inside, and a few moments later came out again, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He waved towards the house as he passed out of sight into the darkness.
“Did Mr. Fitchman really give you all of this?” Betsy asked Christopher wonderingly, looking at the pile of bills on the table.
Christopher smiled, but Miss Justin answered the question. “Judging by what we saw of that rather forceful young man just now, I don’t think Lamar had much choice in the matter. What happened to the others, Christopher?”
“He broke the leg of one of them, Miss Justin, and the other two had to help him to his home.”
“Lord have mercy!” exclaimed Miss Justin. She had led a somewhat sheltered life, and the thought of violence gave her a strange sort of tingle that she couldn’t rightly put her finger on. She riffled through the wad of bills. “Christopher, this is a lot of money. It’s about 450,000 dollars—that’s a good two years’ wages for a hard-working man. About two thousand Union dollars. Enough for me to pay for your freedom and you to go to California,” she half-suggested.
“No, Miss Justin. Keep the money safe for me, will you, please? I’ll stay here for now.”
“He’d better not,” interjected Betsy. That Slim and Mikey and Jerry will be after him pretty soon. I’ll tell you what you should do, Christopher. If Miss Henry here wants to be giving you your freedom, don’t you be lookin’ no gift horse in the mouth, but you just take what you’re given and go.” Miss Justin nodded in approval.
“Where?” asked Christopher.
“Go to Richmond and see your friend’s uncle. If he’s anything like his nephew, you’ll be fine,” said Betsy.
“That sounds like a very sensible plan,” added Miss Justin. “Christopher, listen. You do just that, and don’t argue,” as he opened his mouth to object. “For now, you must get out of this town. Take all the money and get on the first train in the morning to Richmond. Betsy, step round to Mr. Jolley, the attorney, and ask him to pay me a call right now. I’ll have your manumission all ready for you, Christopher, all proper and legal. Mr. Jolley can do all that for us in an hour or two, you know, if
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