Part 4 (1/2)
”Do you mean to tell me you belong here?” questioned the now astonished master of Putnam Hall.
”Of course, Captain Putnam. Didn't you send for me? Somebody said you did,” continued William Philander.
”Sir, I don't know you and never heard of you, so far as I can remember. You must be mixed up.
”I mixed up? I guess you are mixed up,” roared Tubbs, growing angry.
”If I don't belong to this camp, where do I belong?”
”How should I know? We have no negroes here, to the best of my knowledge.”
”Captain Putnam, what do you mean by calling me an--ah--negro?” fumed William Philander.
”Well, aren't you one? I can't see very well.”
”No, sir; I am not a negro, and never was a negro,” answered Tubbs, getting more and more excited. ”I shall report this to my parents when I arrive home.”
”Will you in all goodness tell me your name?” queried Captain Putnam, beginning to realize that something was wrong.
”You know my name well enough, sir.”
”Perhaps I do, and perhaps I don't. Answer me, please.”
”My name is William Philander Tubbs.”
”Tubbs! Is it possible!”
”Somebody came to my tent and said you wanted to see me.”
”Well, did you think it was necessary to black up to make a call on me?”
”Black up?” repeated William Philander. ”That is what I said?”
”Am I black, sir?”
”Yes, as black as coal. Look at yourself in this gla.s.s,” and the captain held out a small looking gla.s.s and also a lantern.
When Tubbs saw himself in the gla.s.s he almost had a fit.
”My gracious sakes alive!” he groaned. ”How ridiculous! How did this happen? Why, I look like a negro!”
”Is anything amiss, Captain Putnam?” came from the next tent, and George Strong appeared.
”Nothing, excepting that Private Tubbs has seen fit to black up as a negro and call upon me,” answered the master of the academy, with a faint smile playing around the corners of his mouth.
”I didn't black up!” roared William Philander. ”It's all a horrid joke somebody has played on me while I was asleep! You don't want me, do you?”
”No, Tubbs.”
”Then I'll go back, and if I can find out who did this--”