The colored people became alarmed at the murmurings of the whites, which seemed to presage4 a coming storm. A number of them sought to arm themselves, but ascertained5, upon inquiring at the stores, that no white merchant would sell a negro firearms. Since all the dealers6 in this sort of merchandise were white men, the negroes had to be satisfied with oiling up the old army muskets7 which some of them possessed8, and the few revolvers with which a small rowdy element generally managed to keep themselves supplied. Upon an effort being made to purchase firearms from a Northern city, the express company, controlled by local men, refused to accept the consignment9. The white people, on the other hand, procured10 both arms and ammunition11 in large quantities, and the Wellington Grays drilled with great assiduity at their armory12.
All this went on without any public disturbance13 of the town's tranquillity14. A stranger would have seen nothing to excite his curiosity. The white people did their talking among themselves, and merely grew more distant in their manner toward the colored folks, who instinctively15 closed their ranks as the whites drew away. With each day that passed the feeling grew more tense. The editor of the Afro-American Banner, whose office had been quietly garrisoned16 for several nights by armed negroes, became frightened, and disappeared from the town between two suns.
The conspirators17 were jubilant at the complete success of their plans. It only remained for them to so direct this aroused public feeling that it might completely accomplish the desired end,—to change the political complexion18 of the city government and assure the ascendency of the whites until the amendment19 should go into effect. A revolution, and not a riot, was contemplated20.
With this end in view, another meeting was called at Carteret's office.
"We are now ready," announced General Belmont, "for the final act of this drama. We must decide promptly21, or events may run away from us."
"What do you suggest?" asked Carteret.
"Down in the American tropics," continued the general, "they have a way of doing things. I was in Nicaragua, ten years ago, when Paterno's revolution drove out Igorroto's government. It was as easy as falling off a log. Paterno had the arms and the best men. Igorroto was not looking for trouble, and the guns were at his breast before he knew it. We have the guns. The negroes are not expecting trouble, and are easy to manage compared with the fiery22 mixture that flourishes in the tropics."
"I should not advocate murder," returned Carteret. "We are animated23 by high and holy principles. We wish to right a wrong, to remedy an abuse, to save our state from anarchy24 and our race from humiliation25. I don't object to frightening the negroes, but I am opposed to unnecessary bloodshed."
"I'm not quite so particular," struck in McBane. "They need to be taught a lesson, and a nigger more or less wouldn't be missed. There's too many of 'em now."
"Of course," continued Carteret, "if we should decide upon a certain mode of procedure, and the negroes should resist, a different reasoning might apply; but I will have no premeditated murder."
"In Central and South America," observed the general reflectively, "none are hurt except those who get in the way."
"There'll be no niggers hurt," said McBane contemptuously, "unless they strain themselves running. One white man can chase a hundred of 'em. I've managed five hundred at a time. I'll pay for burying all the niggers that are killed."
The conference resulted in a well-defined plan, to be put into operation the following day, by which the city government was to be wrested26 from the Republicans and their negro allies.
"And now," said General Belmont, "while we are cleansing27 the Augean stables, we may as well remove the cause as the effect. There are several negroes too many in this town, which will be much the better without them. There's that yellow lawyer, Watson. He's altogether too mouthy, and has too much business. Every nigger that gets into trouble sends for Watson, and white lawyers, with families to support and social positions to keep up, are deprived of their legitimate28 source of income."
"There's that damn nigger real estate agent," blurted29 out McBane. "Billy Kitchen used to get most of the nigger business, but this darky has almost driven him to the poorhouse. A white business man is entitled to a living in his own profession and his own home. That nigger don't belong here nohow. He came from the North a year or two ago, and is hand in glove with Barber, the nigger editor, which is enough of itself to damn him. He'll have to go!"
"How about the collector of the port?"
"We'd better not touch him. It would bring the government down upon us, which we want to avoid. We don't need to worry about the nigger preachers either. They want to stay here, where the loaves and the fishes are. We can make 'em write letters to the newspapers justifying30 our course, as a condition of their remaining."
"What about Billings?" asked McBane. Billings was the white Republican mayor. "Is that skunk31 to be allowed to stay in town?"
"No," returned the general, "every white Republican office-holder ought to be made to go. This town is only big enough for Democrats32, and negroes who can be taught to keep their place."
"What about the colored doctor," queried33 McBane, "with the hospital, and the diamond ring, and the carriage, and the other fallals?"
"I shouldn't interfere34 with Miller," replied the general decisively. "He's a very good sort of a negro, doesn't meddle35 with politics, nor tread on any one else's toes. His father was a good citizen, which counts in his favor. He's spending money in the community too, and contributes to its prosperity."
"That sort of nigger, though, sets a bad example," retorted McBane.
"They make it all the harder to keep the rest of 'em down."
"'One swallow does not make a summer,'" quoted the general. "When we get things arranged, there'll be no trouble. A stream cannot rise higher than its fountain, and a smart nigger without a constituency will no longer be an object of fear. I say, let the doctor alone."
"He'll have to keep mighty36 quiet, though," muttered McBane discontentedly. "I don't like smart niggers. I've had to shoot several of them, in the course of my life."
"Personally, I dislike the man," interposed Carteret, "and if I consulted my own inclinations37, would say expel him with the rest; but my grievance38 is a personal one, and to gratify it in that way would be a loss to the community. I wish to be strictly39 impartial40 in this matter, and to take no step which cannot be entirely41 justified42 by a wise regard for the public welfare."
"What's the use of all this hypocrisy43, gentlemen?" sneered44 McBane. "Every last one of us has an axe45 to grind! The major may as well put an edge on his. We'll never get a better chance to have things our way. If this nigger doctor annoys the major, we'll run him out with the rest. This is a white man's country, and a white man's city, and no nigger has any business here when a white man wants him gone!"
Carteret frowned darkly at this brutal46 characterization of their motives47. It robbed the enterprise of all its poetry, and put a solemn act of revolution upon the plane of a mere vulgar theft of power. Even the general winced48.
McBane made no further objection.
"Come in," said Carteret.
Jerry entered. "Mistuh Ellis wants ter speak ter you a minute, suh," he said.
Carteret excused himself and left the room.
"Jerry," said the general, "you lump of ebony, the sight of you reminds me! If your master doesn't want you for a minute, step across to Mr. Brown's and tell him to send me three cocktails51."
"Yas, suh," responded Jerry, hesitating. The general had said nothing about paying.
"And tell him, Jerry, to charge them. I'm short of change to-day."
"Yas, suh; yas, suh," replied Jerry, as he backed out of the presence, adding, when he had reached the hall: "Dere ain' no change fer Jerry dis time, sho': I'll jes' make dat fo' cocktails, an' de gin'l won't never know de diffe'nce. I ain' gwine 'cross de road fer nothin', not ef I knows it."
Half an hour later, the conspirators dispersed52. They had fixed53 the hour of the proposed revolution, the course to be pursued, the results to be obtained; but in stating their equation they had overlooked one factor,—God, or Fate, or whatever one may choose to call the Power that holds the destinies of man in the hollow of his hand.
点击收听单词发音
1 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 criticise | |
v.批评,评论;非难 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 presage | |
n.预感,不祥感;v.预示 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 ascertained | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 dealers | |
n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 muskets | |
n.火枪,(尤指)滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 consignment | |
n.寄售;发货;委托;交运货物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 ammunition | |
n.军火,弹药 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 armory | |
n.纹章,兵工厂,军械库 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 tranquillity | |
n. 平静, 安静 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 instinctively | |
adv.本能地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 garrisoned | |
卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 ); 派部队驻防 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 conspirators | |
n.共谋者,阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 amendment | |
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 contemplated | |
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 fiery | |
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 anarchy | |
n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 humiliation | |
n.羞辱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 wrested | |
(用力)拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 ); 费力取得; (从…)攫取; ( 从… ) 强行取去… | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 cleansing | |
n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 blurted | |
v.突然说出,脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 justifying | |
证明…有理( justify的现在分词 ); 为…辩护; 对…作出解释; 为…辩解(或辩护) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 skunk | |
n.臭鼬,黄鼠狼;v.使惨败,使得零分;烂醉如泥 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 queried | |
v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 );询问 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 meddle | |
v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 inclinations | |
倾向( inclination的名词复数 ); 倾斜; 爱好; 斜坡 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 grievance | |
n.怨愤,气恼,委屈 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 strictly | |
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 impartial | |
adj.(in,to)公正的,无偏见的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 justified | |
a.正当的,有理的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 hypocrisy | |
n.伪善,虚伪 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 axe | |
n.斧子;v.用斧头砍,削减 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 brutal | |
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 winced | |
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 irritably | |
ad.易生气地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 discreet | |
adj.(言行)谨慎的;慎重的;有判断力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 cocktails | |
n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 );餐前开胃菜;混合物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 dispersed | |
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |