richard burton, three years previous to the opening of this story, was a dry-goods merchant in st. louis. becoming tired of the dull routine of his daily life, and with a wistful remembrance of the country, where he had passed his boyhood, he sold out his business for a few thousand dollars, and with the sum realized bought a large ranch located on a small river or creek running into the missouri.
in taking this course he was influenced in no small degree by a city acquaintance, aaron wolverton, who six months before had located himself in the same township, and who, indeed, had made the purchase of the ranch on his behalf. wolverton made a large commission on the transaction—larger than richard burton was aware; but it must be admitted he had bought him an excellent property. burton was[pg 24] entirely unacquainted with the fact that wolverton had at an earlier period been an unsuccessful suitor for his wife's hand, nor did he know it till the morning on which our story opens.
it is always rather a hazardous experiment when a man, engaged till middle life in other business, becomes a tiller of the soil without special training for his new occupation. few persons make farming profitable, however well qualified, and the st. louis merchant was hardly likely to do more than make a living. in fact, he did not make both ends meet, but fell behind every year till he felt compelled to borrow three thousand dollars on mortgage of aaron wolverton. his wife expressed uneasiness, but he laughed away her remonstrances, and assured her he should be able to pay it back in a couple of years, if fortune favored him with good crops.
"you know, mary," he said cheerfully, "there are a good many extra expenses just at first, but it will be different in future. wolverton assures me that the ranch is a fine one, and that i can pay him back sooner than he[pg 25] desires, for he is glad to lend on such excellent security."
mrs. burton was silent, but she was not convinced.
robert burton, popularly called bob, was the only son of the ex-merchant. he thoroughly enjoyed the removal to the country, having a taste for manly sports. he usually spent a part of the day in study, reciting to a clergyman in the village, and the rest of his time he employed in hunting, fishing, and farm work. clip, the young refugee, was his chosen companion, and was sincerely attached to massa bob, as he generally called him. the negro lad was full of fun and innocent mischief, but had no malice about him. bob tried to teach him to read, but clip was no scholar. he complained that study made his head ache.
"but you ought to know something, clip," expostulated bob. "you don't want to grow up an ignoramus."
"what's dat?" asked clip, bewildered. "never heard such a long word. is it anything very bad?"
"it means a know-nothing, clip."[pg 26]
"i guess you're right, massa bob. dat's what i am."
"but don't it trouble you, clip?"
"no, massa bob; i guess i was never cut out for a scholar."
still bob persevered in his effort to teach clip.
one day, after an unsuccessful attempt to get him to understand the difference between capital b and r, he said: "clip, i don't believe you have got any sense."
"spec's i haven't, massa bob," answered clip, philosophically. "how many have you got?"
bob laughed.
"i don't know exactly," he replied; "but i hope i have as many as the average."
"i reckon you've got a lot. you learn awful easy."
"i am afraid i shall have to learn for both of us, clip."
"dat's so!" said clip, in a tone of satisfaction. "dat'll do just as well."
so bob was finally obliged to give up teaching clip in despair. he was led to accept the[pg 27] conclusion of his young protégé that he was never meant for a scholar.
in one respect bob and clip shared the prejudices of mrs. burton. neither liked aaron wolverton. they felt friendly, however, to sam wolverton, the nephew; and more than once sam, with his appetite unsatisfied at home, came over to burton's ranch and enjoyed a hearty lunch, thanks to the good offices of bob burton.
one day he came over crying, and showed the marks of a severe whipping he had received from his uncle.
"what did you do, sam?" asked bob.
sam mentioned the offense, which was a trifling one, and unintentional besides.
"your uncle is a brute!" said bob indignantly.
"dat's so, sam," echoed clip.
"it would do me good to lay the whip over his shoulders."
sam trembled, and shook his head. he was a timid boy, and such an act seemed to him to border on the foolhardy.
"how old are you, sam?"[pg 28]
"fourteen."
"in seven years you will be a man, and he can't tyrannize over you any longer."
"i don't believe i shall live so long," said sam, despondently.
"yes, you will. even in four years, when you are eighteen, your uncle won't dare to beat you."
"why don't you run away, like i did?" asked clip, with a bright idea.
but sam was not of the heroic type. he shrank from throwing himself on the world.
"i should starve," he said. "would you run away, clip, if you were in my place?"
"wouldn't i just!"
"and you, bob?"
"he wouldn't strike me but once," said bob, proudly.
"it's all well enough for you, but i think i'm a coward. when my uncle comes at me my heart sinks into my boots, and i want to run away."
"you'll never make a hero, sam."
"no, i won't. i'm an awful coward, and i know it."[pg 29]
"how is your aunt? is she any better than your uncle?"
"she's about the same. she don't whip me, but she's got an awful rough tongue. she will scold till she's out of breath."
"how long have you lived with your uncle?"
"about four years. when my father died, he told me to go to uncle aaron."
"didn't he leave any property?"
"uncle aaron says he didn't leave a cent, and i suppose it's so; but father told me in his last sickness there'd be some property for me."
"i've no doubt there was, and he cheated you out of it," said bob indignantly. "that's just my opinion of your uncle."
"even if it is so, i can't do anything. it'll do no good. but i'd like to know how it is, for uncle aaron is all the time twitting me with living on him."
"as if you don't do enough to earn your own living. why, you work harder than clip, here, though that isn't saying much," added bob, with a smile.[pg 30]
clip showed his white teeth, and seemed to enjoy the joke.
"spec's i was born lazy," he said, promptly. "dat ain't my fault, ef i was born so."
"that wouldn't be any excuse with uncle aaron," remarked sam. "he thinks i'm lazy, and says he means to lick the laziness out of me."
"i think we had better hire out clip to him. he needs a little discipline like that sort."
"oh golly, massa bob! i couldn't stand it nohow," said clip, with a comical expression of alarm. "massa wolverton's the meanest white man i ever seed. wish an earthquake would come and swallow him up."
"your father was round to see my uncle this morning," said sam.
"yes, i know; he went to pay him some interest money."
"your father is a nice gentleman. i wish i was his nephew," said poor sam, enviously.
"yes, sam; he's always kind. he's a father to be proud of."[pg 31]
"by the way, sam, i've got some good news for you."
"what is it, bob?"
"your uncle carried home a pair of prairie chickens this morning. you'll have one good dinner, at least."
"where did he get them?"
"i shot them."
"and you gave them to him?" asked sam, surprised.
"well, yes, after a little squabble," and bob related the adventure of the morning.
"how brave you are, bob!" said sam admiringly. "you actually had a quarrel with uncle aaron?"
"yes," answered bob, with a smile. "when i got through, your uncle was lying on his back resting. i threw down two of the chickens, as much for your sake as any other reason. i hope you'll get your share."
"i saw the chickens in the kitchen before i came away, and wondered where they came from. i knew uncle aaron wouldn't buy them."
"has your uncle got a gun?"[pg 32]
"no; i think he's afraid of a gun."
"and you are afraid of him?"
"i can't help it, bob. he flogs me sometimes with a horsewhip."
"i'd like to see him try it on me," said bob, with emphasis. "but as i said before, you'll be a man some time, sam, and then he won't dare touch you."
