Part 8 (2/2)
He carefully untied the string in silence. He shook the can. The boys saw that it was filled with salt of the coa.r.s.e kind used to preserve meats.
Ben felt carefully in the salt, drew forth a shriveled piece of dark gristle, and held it up before his young master.
”Yer know what dat is, Ma.r.s.e Custis?”
Custis shook his head.
From the old man's tones of deep emotion he knew the matter was serious.
He thought at once of the Hoodoo. But he could make out no meaning to this bit of preserved flesh.
”Never saw anything like it.”
”Nasah. I spec yer didn't.”
Ben pushed the gray hair back from his left ear. He wore his hair drawn low over the tips of his ears. It was a fad of his, which he never allowed to lapse.
”See anything funny 'bout de top o' dat year, sah?”
Custis looked carefully.
”It looks shorter--”
”Hit's er lot shorter. De top ob hit's clean gone, sah. Dat's why I allus combs my ha'r down close over my years--”
He paused and held up the piece of dried flesh.
”An' dat's. .h.i.t, sah.”
”A piece of your ear?”
”Hit sho is. Ye see, sah, a long time ergo when I wuz young an' strong ez er bull, one er dese here uppish n.i.g.g.e.rs come ter our house drivin'
a carriage frum Westover on de James, an' 'gin ter brag 'bout his folks bein' de bes' blood er ole Virginia. An' man I tells him sumfin. I tells dat fool n.i.g.g.e.r dat de folks at Westover wuz des fair ter midlin. Dat _our_ folks wuz, an' allus wuz, de very fust fambly o' Virginy! I tells him, dat Ma.r.s.e Robert's father was General Light Horse Harry Lee dat help General Was.h.i.+ngton wid de Revolution. Dat he wuz de Govenor o' ole Virginy. Dat he speak de piece at de funeral o' George Was.h.i.+ngton, dat we all knows by heart, now--
”'Fust in war, fust in peace and fust in de hearts o' his countrymen.'
”I tells him dat Ma.r.s.e Robert's mother wuz a Carter. I tells him dat he could count more dan one hundred gemmen his kin. Dat his folks allus had been de very fust fambly in Virginy. I tells him dat he marry my Missis, de gran' daughter o' ole Gineral Was.h.i.+ngton his-salf--an' en--”
He paused.
”An' den, what ye reckon dat fool n.i.g.g.e.r say ter me?”
”Couldn't guess.”
”He say General Was.h.i.+ngton nebber had no children. And den man, man, when he insult me lak dat, I jump on him lak a wil' cat. We fought an'
we fit. We fit an' we fought. I got him down an' bit one o' his years clean off smooth wid his head. In de las' clinch he git hol' er my lef year a'fo' I could shake him, he bit de top of hit off, sah. I got him by the froat an' choke hit outen his mouf. And dar hit is, sah.”
He held up the dried piece of his ear reverently.
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