Childrenwasheelingitaheadofthemob,screamingandtryingtogetoutoftheway;andeverywindowalongtheroadwasfullofwomen’sheads,andtherewasniggerboysineverytree,andbucksandwencheslookingovereveryfence;andassoonasthemobwouldgetnearlytothemtheywouldbreakandskaddlebackoutofreach.
TheyswarmedupinfrontofSherburn’spalingsasthickastheycouldjamtogether,andyoucouldn’thearyourselfthinkforthenoise.Itwasalittletwenty-footyard.Somesungout“Teardownthefence!teardownthefence!”
Thentherewasaracketofrippingandtearingandsmashing,anddownshegoes,andthefrontwallofthecrowdbeginstorollinlikeawave.
JustthenSherburnstepsoutontotheroofofhislittlefrontporch,withadouble-barrelguninhishand,andtakeshisstand,perfectlyca’manddeliberate,notsayingaword.
Sherburnrunhiseyeslowalongthecrowd;andwhereveritstruckthepeopletriedalittletooutgazehim,buttheycouldn’t;theydroppedtheireyesandlookedsneaky.
ThenprettysoonSherburnsortoflaughed;notthepleasantkind,butthekindthatmakesyoufeellikewhenyouareeatingbreadthat’sgotsandinit.
Becauseyou’rebraveenoughtotarandfeatherpoorfriendlesscast-outwomenthatcomealonghere,didthatmakeyouthinkyouhadgritenoughtolayyourhandsonaMAN?
“DoIknowyou?IknowyouclearthroughwasbornandraisedintheSouth,andI’velivedintheNorth;soIknowtheaverageallaround.Theaverageman’sacoward.
Yournewspaperscallyouabravepeoplesomuchthatyouthinkyouarebraverthananyotherpeople–whereasyou’rejustASbrave,andnobraver.Whydon’tyourjurieshangmurderers?
“Sotheyalwaysacquit;andthenaMANgoesinthenight,withahundredmaskedcowardsathisbackandlynchestherascal.
Yourmistakeis,thatyoudidn’tbringamanwithyou;that’sonemistake,andtheotheristhatyoudidn’tcomeinthedarkandfetchyourmasks.
you’reafraidtobackdown–afraidyou’llbefoundouttobewhatyouare–COWARDS–andsoyouraiseayell,andhangyourselvesontothathalf-a-man’scoat-tail,andcomeraginguphere,swearingwhatbigthingsyou’regoingtodo.
Thepitifulestthingoutisamob;that’swhatanarmyis–amob;theydon’tfightwithcouragethat’sborninthem,butwithcouragethat’sborrowedfromtheirmass,andfromtheirofficers.
Ifanyreallynching’sgoingtobedoneitwillbedoneinthedark,Southernfashion;andwhentheycomethey’llbringtheirmasks,andfetchaMANalong.
Thecrowdwashedbacksudden,andthenbrokeallapart,andwenttearingoffeverywhichway,andBuckHarknessheheeleditafterthem,lookingtolerablecheap.
Ihadmytwenty-dollargoldpieceandsomeothermoney,butIreckonedIbettersaveit,becausethereain’tnotellinghowsoonyouaregoingtoneedit,awayfromhomeandamongststrangersthatway.Youcan’tbetoocareful.
Itwasarealbullycircus.Itwasthesplendidestsightthateverwaswhentheyallcomeridingin,twoandtwo,agentlemanandlady,sidebyside,themenjustintheirdrawersandundershirts,andnoshoesnorstirrups,andrestingtheirhandsontheirthighseasyandcomfortable–theremustabeentwentyofthem–andeveryladywithalovelycomplexion,andperfectlybeautiful,andlookingjustlikeagangofrealsure-enoughqueens,anddressedinclothesthatcostmillionsofdollars,andjustlitteredwithdiamonds.
Andthenonebyonetheygotupandstood,andwenta-weavingaroundtheringsogentleandwavyandgraceful,themenlookingeversotallandairyandstraight,withtheirheadsbobbingandskimmingalong,awayupthereunderthetent-roof,andeverylady’srose-leafydressflappingsoftandsilkyaroundherhips,andshelookinglikethemostloveliestparasol.
Andthenfasterandfastertheywent,allofthemdancing,firstonefootoutintheairandthentheother,thehorsesleaningmoreandmore,andtheringmastergoingroundandroundthecenter-pole,crackinghiswhipandshouting“Hi!–hi!”
andtheclowncrackingjokesbehindhim;andbyandbyallhandsdroppedthereins,andeveryladyputherknucklesonherhipsandeverygentlemanfoldedhisarms,andthenhowthehorsesdidleanoverandhumpthemselves!
Andsooneaftertheothertheyallskippedoffintothering,andmadethesweetestbowIeversee,andthenscamperedout,andeverybodyclappedtheirhandsandwentjustaboutwild.
Well,allthroughthecircustheydonethemostastonishingthings;andallthetimethatclowncarriedonsoitmostkilledthepeople.
Theringmastercouldn’teversayawordtohimbuthewasbackathimquickasawinkwiththefunniestthingsabodyeversaid;andhowheeverCOULDthinkofsomanyofthem,andsosuddenandsopat,waswhatIcouldn’tnowayunderstand.
Andbyandbyadrunkmantriedtogetintothering–saidhewantedtoride;saidhecouldrideaswellasanybodythateverwas.
Thenthepeoplebeguntohollerathimandmakefunofhim,andthatmadehimmad,andhebeguntoripandtear;sothatstirredupthepeople,andalotofmenbeguntopiledownoffofthebenchesandswarmtowardsthering,saying,“Knockhimdown!throwhimout!”andoneortwowomenbeguntoscream.
So,then,theringmasterhemadealittlespeech,andsaidhehopedtherewouldn’tbenodisturbance,andifthemanwouldpromisehewouldn’tmakenomoretroublehewouldlethimrideifhethoughthecouldstayonthehorse.
Theminutehewason,thehorsebeguntoripandtearandjumpandcavortaround,withtwocircusmenhangingontohisbridletryingtoholdhim,andthedrunkmanhangingontohisneck,andhisheelsflyingintheaireveryjump,andthewholecrowdofpeoplestandingupshoutingandlaughingtilltearsrolleddown.
Andatlast,sureenough,allthecircusmencoulddo,thehorsebrokeloose,andawayhewentliketheverynation,roundandroundthering,withthatsotlayingdownonhimandhangingtohisneck,withfirstoneleghangingmosttothegroundononeside,andthent’otheroneont’otherside,andthepeoplejustcrazy.
Butprettysoonhestruggledupastraddleandgrabbedthebridle,a-reelingthiswayandthat;andthenextminutehesprungupanddroppedthebridleandstood!
Hejuststoodupthere,a-sailingaroundaseasyandcomfortableasifhewarn’teverdrunkinhislife–andthenhebeguntopulloffhisclothesandslingthem.
And,then,therehewas,slimandhandsome,anddressedthegaudiestandprettiestyoueversaw,andhelitintothathorsewithhiswhipandmadehimfairlyhum–andfinallyskippedoff,andmadehisbowanddancedofftothedressing-room,andeverybodyjusta-howlingwithpleasureandastonishment.
Thentheringmasterheseehowhehadbeenfooled,andheWASthesickestringmasteryoueversee,Ireckon.Why,itwasoneofhisownmen!
Well,Ifeltsheepishenoughtobetookinso,butIwouldn’tabeeninthatringmaster’splace,notforathousanddollars.
Andtheylaughedallthetime,andthatmadethedukemad;andeverybodyleft,anyway,beforetheshowwasover,butoneboywhichwasasleep.
SothedukesaidtheseArkansawlunkheadscouldn’tcomeuptoShakespeare;whattheywantedwaslowcomedy–andmaybesomethingrutherworsethanlowcomedy,hereckoned.Hesaidhecouldsizetheirstyle.
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