Page 76 of The Irish Gypsy
"Wrong with him? Are you mad?"
"My guess is he's a runner," hesuggested.
"Wrong! We have no runners here, Logan," shecontradicted. "They were dead men the minute we got them back."
"He's powerful big, probably hard to handle,"he suggested.
She smiled slowly. "I never had any trouble.He's worth three thousand."
"Could be, but I'm not paying three thousandfor him. He's flawed somehow, or you wouldn't be selling him."
"Logan, I can see you drive a hard bargain,so I'll be honest with you. I'm to be married shortly. For purelypersonal reasons I want Colossus off the place before my futurehusband returns."
"I see. Top dollar--two thousand, nodickering."
"Done. The two boys you can have for fivehundred apiece. You should be able to turn a profit."
"There's always a good market for youngfemales. Anything you can let me have in that line?" he asked.
"My house girls are trained to my everycommand: I couldn't possibly spare any. It would be much toofatiguing to train new girls."
She was glad to get the business concluded soshe could concentrate on what to do about her other problem. Itwould be so simple to show Patrick Kitty's grave. So easy toconcoct a tale of fever. What could he do once it was afaitaccompli?How to go about it; that was the problem. There wasno one on the plantation who would commit the murder for her. Ifonly the wench wasn't so young and pretty.
She stopped. Logan was looking forlight-skinned wenches! She sat down at her desk and thought outeach step of her plan. The girl certainly was dark enough, exoticas some of the 'fancies' that black and white blood often produced.Who would deny her, except the girl herself? She could make outpapers that none would question. She reached for a slave bill ofsale and filled in the name. She carefully sanded the paper andplaced it in her bosom for safekeeping.
"Topaz, follow me," she said. They went tothe back of the house to a storeroom. Here were kept linens and asupply of brightly colored cotton garments the slaves wore.Jacquine selected a brilliant orange cotton shift with a matchingtignon. "Listen carefully to what I want you to do. First you mustmake absolutely certain that the girl upstairs is asleep. Then Iwant you to remove every article she brought here with her andleave this orange shift in their place. If you overlook one articleof clothing I will lash you smartly."
Jacquine arose early. When Logan came shegreeted him almost warmly. "Ah--Logan. I've been thinking over whatwe were discussing last night, and I have decided to let you haveone of my female slaves."
"Well, that depends on what you're asking forher. I'm a little low now that I've paid you the threethousand."
"That's the best part. If you can guaranteeme that she won't be sold to anyone in Charleston or thereabouts,I'll throw her in for fifty dollars."
"What's wrong with her? What's the catch?" heasked bluntly.
"Such a suspicious man! I want her away fromhere. Ship her to the islands and keep whatever you can get forher. She's even got a sucker in her, Logan, a white man's sucker,so I don't think you'll refuse my generous offer, will you?"
At this moment, Kitty came running down thestairs. Her eyes were blazing with anger. She was wearing theshapeless orange smock and brandishing the scarf in her hand. "Whatthe hell is going on here? Where are my clothes and by whoseauthority were they removed from my room?" she demandedbreathlessly.
Jacquine ignored her and turned to Logan."Well, what do you think of her?"
"I think you're one smart woman to sell herbefore your man returns," he said and laughed.
"Sell? What are you talking about? What'sgoing on here?" cried Kitty.
Still ignoring her, Jacquine took out thecrackling document. "Here is her paper, transferring ownership toyou. Her name is Kitty and she is an octoroon."
"Octoroon? That's a damned lie! My skin isdark because I'm a Gypsy. You must be mad!" Kitty flew atJacquine's face, but she eluded the attack and sent Kitty astinging blow to the side of her head.
"Control her, Logan; she's your propertynow."
Logan took the bullwhip from his belt andshook it threateningly under Kitty's nose. He took her arm andshoved her violently toward the door. "Outside, girl." Logan pushedKitty across the veranda toward his wagon. He took out a set of legirons and clasped them about her bare ankles.
Kitty turned burning-mad eyes on Jacquine andscreamed, "Hecate! Nebo! I call up the powers of darkness. I damnyou everlastingly. I curse your immortal soul!"
Two young black boys were being loaded intothe wagon when Kitty saw him. The gigantic black man came forwardin chains. He made no protest, but the look of pure contempt hebent upon the assemblage was enough to put fear into all of them.Kitty's eyes were starting out of her head. Never before had shebeheld anyone so ugly. He was the size of a monster. When theybrought him forward and shackled him to Kitty, she went down intothe vortex of oblivion.
Chapter 21
