Page 77 of The Irish Gypsy
The first thing Kitty became aware of was therelentless sun beating down upon her face. She tried to open hereyes but was instantly blinded by a brilliant flash of yellow,which turned to orange and then fire red behind her closed eyelids.She was on the tailgate of a moving wagon, being pulled by oneheavy-set mule. The enormous black man walked behind the wagon, hislong, even strides keeping pace. His wrists were shackled to thewagon with irons, so he had no choice. Colossus opened his mouth tosay something to Kitty, but she shrank away from him in fear.
"Tie that tignon round your head, or you'regonna get sunstroke for sure."
Logan stopped the wagon. "So, you're awake atlast, eh, Sleeping Beauty? You can walk the rest of the way. I'lltake off these leg irons and fasten you by your wrist to Colossushere."
Terror made her heart beat so loudly insideher eardrums, she was momentarily deafened. "No, please!" shebegged, but Logan only laughed suggestively as he tied such a smallfemale to such a large male.
They were on a dusty back road. Colossus wasobserving her dainty white feet as she struggled to keep up. As themiles passed slowly, a terrific thirst grew within her that waslike torture. About noon, when the sun was at its fiercest, Loganstopped the wagon outside a house that was sort of a general store.He paid for food to be brought out to his slaves. The young boyslaughed and jumped about, enjoying themselves immensely. Colossusalso looked pleased at the sight of food, but when Kitty was handeda dish of boiled greens floating in a greasy mass of fat-back port,nausea arose in her throat. She tried to hand it back to theserving woman, but Logan said threateningly, "Eat it. You have along way to walk before dark."
"I'm very thirsty," she said.
"You can have a cup of water after you'veeaten, not before."
The smell of grease rose up in a miasma, butshe tried to ignore it and took a morsel of the fatty pork in herfingers and put it into her mouth. The moment she swallowed it, herstomach revolted and she vomited into the dirt. Her retchingcontinued until she had the dry heaves. Colossus took her tin plateaway and handed her his cup of water. She took only one mouthfulwhen Logan knocked it from her hand.
"I told you to eat! You need strength forwalking. I won't have you riding on the wagon tiring my mule, youblack bitch!"
They had only been traveling for half an hourwhen Kitty was overcome with exhaustion and knew she could walk nofurther. Colossus picked her up without a word, and matching hispace to the wagon's, supported her against his massive chest. Someof her fear of him began gradually to seep away as the fierce sunburned down upon them. As soon as she felt able, she made him puther down again so she could walk by herself.
The giggling and playful wrestling going onup front confirmed for Kitty what she had suspected of Logan fromthe first. She knew she had nothing to fear from him sexually, butColossus was another matter. Virility oozed from every pore. It wasso potent and tangible you could almost see, hear, touch, smell andtaste it.
The wagon drew up beside a pecan grove. Loganunlocked Kitty's wrist shackles. He put an iron on her ankle andchained the other end to Colossus' ankle. "We're gonna have alittle siesta," Logan said with a grin. "You can take her behindthe trees. I know you must be in need by now, boy." He was wellaware that Colossus wouldn't be able to escape with the exhaustedfemale shackled to him.
Kitty was rooted to the spot with fear, butColossus took her by the hand and pulled her into the pecan grove.She trembled from head to foot, her thirst and exhaustion almostforgotten. Colossus stretched out on the ground. Kitty stoodterrified before him. "Lie down. I won't touch you," he saidsimply.
"I don't believe you!" Kitty cried.
"You too small for me. I'd kill you." Hesmiled to himself. "'Sides, I don't fancy you."
Her eyes opened wide in disbelief. "What doyou mean?"
"You've got funny eyes and your nose is allthin and pointy. You're a white woman."
Kitty was dizzy with relief. She fell downbeside him and relaxed. She slept almost immediately. She awokewith a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We have to go now."
It was dark before they finally reachedCharleston. They went down the back streets to the warehouses bythe docks. Colossus and Kitty were locked in a cell-like room, andLogan gave the woman with the keys a few coins for their supper. Hedeparted with the two black boys, saying he would return for themale and the female in the morning.
As the last of her physical resources drainedaway, Kitty fell into a stupor from dehydration. After an hour hadelapsed with no sign of the meal they had been promised, Colossushammered on the door and shouted, "This wench will die if she don'tget food and water."
Kitty was floating in a detached state ofmine. The candle flickered across Colossus' face and she wonderedhow she had ever thought him ugly. He had the noble face of awarrior. His skin was a beautiful shade of ebony and the full lipswere attractively molded over strong white teeth. His rippled bodywas beautiful. "Magnificent," she murmured and slipped intounconsciousness.
Frantically he felt for her heartbeat andlistened for her breathing. It was so shallow, for a moment hethought she had slipped away. He gathered her against him andwilled the strength of his body into hers. The gigantic slave couldnot have explained his own reasons for his concern for the smallgirl at his side. Perhaps he saw in her an innocence he had neverhad, perhaps he pitied her vulnerability, but he was determined shewould not die.
When the door was unlocked for Logan, hefound an avenging angel standing between himself and the female."This wench almost died. We got no food or water; that womancheated you."
"That's a lie!” the woman snarled, butquickly retreated as Colossus took a step toward her.
"How're you gonna sell this fancy wench ifshe's half dead?"
Logan bethought himself of the demand forfancies lately, and if he livened her up a bit, he would be able toget a better price. "Calm down, boy, we'll look after the wench.Woman, you get this boy a good breakfast--double portions ofeverything, mind you. I'm taking him up to Chalmers Street for theauction today. This gal now is another thing altogether. Herstomach is delicate-like. Bring her some juice and some freshfruit. Then I want you to fill a tub for her to bathe in and washher hair. You cheat me again woman, it be the last time you evercheat anybody."
It was late afternoon when Logan took Kittyup Chalmers Street to the slave auction. She entered the compoundwith the other black women who were to be sold. A young girl was upon the auction block and Kitty watched with fascinated horror asthe girl was stripped and handled by prospective buyers. She couldnever go through such degradation; she felt sure she would diefirst. Shortly, Logan returned with a man who took a criticalinterest in her. She heard him say, "You sure she's black?"
"Got her papers here to prove it," Loganassured him, but they winked at each other.
"I'm always on the lookout for girls forMolly Maguire. Don't find many, her being so particular, but thisone is exquisite. Let's talk price."
When the other man led Kitty away, all shefelt was a vast relief that she hadn't been made to mount theauction block. They walked over to Market Street, then down to thefoot of Water Street Pier. Kitty looked in vain for Big JimHarding. She was led onto a ship calledIsland Queen.He puther in a tiny cabin with one other girl who was very slim and tallwith jet-black skin. When Kitty spoke to her, she answered in aforeign tongue, so Kitty gave it up.
