“Why shouldn’t we go to the principal white people of the town and tell them Josh’s story, and appeal to them to stop this thing until Campbell can have a hearing?”

“It wouldn’t do any good,” said Watson despondently; “their blood is up.  It seems that some colored man attacked Mrs. Ochiltree,—­and he was a murderous villain, whoever he may be.  To quote Josh would destroy the effect of his story,—­we know he never harmed any one but himself”—­

“An’ a few keerliss people w’at got in my way,” corrected Josh.

“He has been in court several times for fighting,—­and that’s against him.  To have been at Sam Taylor’s place is against Sandy, too, rather than in his favor.  No, Josh, the white people would believe that you were trying to shield Sandy, and you would probably be arrested as an accomplice.”

“But look a-here, Mr. Watson,—­Dr. Miller, is we-all jes’ got ter set down here, widout openin’ ou’ mouths, an’ let dese w’ite folks hang er bu’n a man w’at we know ain’ guilty?  Dat ain’t no law, ner jestice, ner nothin’!  Ef you-all won’t he’p, I’ll do somethin’ myse’f!  Dere’s two niggers ter one white man in dis town, an’ I’m sho’ I kin fin’ fifty of ’em w’at ‘ll fight, ef dey kin fin’ anybody ter lead ’em.”

“Now hold on, Josh,” argued Miller; “what is to be gained by fighting?  Suppose you got your crowd together and surrounded the jail,—­what then?”

“There’d be a clash,” declared Watson, “and instead of one dead negro there’d be fifty.  The white people are claiming now that Campbell didn’t stop with robbery and murder.  A special edition of the Morning Chronicle, just out, suggests a further purpose, and has all the old shopworn cant about race purity and supremacy and imperative necessity, which always comes to the front whenever it is sought to justify some outrage on the colored folks.  The blood of the whites is up, I tell you!”

“Is there anything to that suggestion?” asked Miller incredulously.

“It doesn’t matter whether there is or not,” returned Watson.  “Merely to suggest it proves it.

“Nothing was said about this feature until the paper came out,—­and even its statement is vague and indefinite,—­but now the claim is in every mouth.  I met only black looks as I came down the street.  White men with whom I have long been on friendly terms passed me without a word.  A negro has been arrested on suspicion,—­the entire race is condemned on general principles.”

“The whole thing is profoundly discouraging,” said Miller sadly.  “Try as we may to build up the race in the essentials of good citizenship and win the good opinion of the best people, some black scoundrel comes along, and by a single criminal act, committed in the twinkling of an eye, neutralizes the effect of a whole year’s work.”

“It’s mighty easy neut’alize’, er whatever you call it,” said Josh sullenly.  “De w’ite folks don’ want too good an opinion er de niggers,—­ef dey had a good opinion of ’em, dey wouldn’ have no excuse f er ‘busin’ an’ hangin’ an’ burnin’ ’em.  But ef dey can’t keep from doin’ it, let ’em git de right man!  Dis way er pickin’ up de fus’ nigger dey comes across, an’ stringin’ ‘im up rega’dliss, ought ter be stop’, an’ stop’ right now!”