Blue-grass and rhododendron : out-doors in old Kentucky . had about twentyshivering blacks huddled and held together at the pointof his pistol. Among them was the negro wanted, andthat night the guard took him to the woods and spentanother bitter night, guarding him from a mob. Twice again it saved a negro from certain the crime charged was that for which the lawcan fix no penalty, since there is none; in Virginiait is death—death by law, as well. Some of the guardbelieved him guilty, and with some there was doubt;but, irrespective of belief, they answered Logans callto guard the ja
Blue-grass and rhododendron : out-doors in old Kentucky . had about twentyshivering blacks huddled and held together at the pointof his pistol. Among them was the negro wanted, andthat night the guard took him to the woods and spentanother bitter night, guarding him from a mob. Twice again it saved a negro from certain the crime charged was that for which the lawcan fix no penalty, since there is none; in Virginiait is death—death by law, as well. Some of the guardbelieved him guilty, and with some there was doubt;but, irrespective of belief, they answered Logans callto guard the jail. The mob gathered, led by personalfriends of the men who were on guard. As they ad-vanced, Logan drew his pistol; he would kill the firstman who advanced beyond a certain point, he said, andthey knew that he meant it. After a short parley, themob agreed not to make any attempt to take the negroout that night—their plan being to wait until he wastaken to the county jail next day—and they toldLogan. Will you give me your word that you wont? he234. The Infant of the (iuard. Civilizing the Cumberland asked. They did, and he put up his pistol, and leftthe jail without a guard—it needed none. Now thecurious part of this story is that several of the menwho were there and ready to shoot their own friendsand give up their own lives to protect the negro, hadalready agreed—believing in his guilt—to help takehim out of the county jail, if the leaders would waituntil he was without the special jurisdiction of theguard, and where the hanging would not reflect on thereputation of the Gap. Indefensible sophistry if youwill, but a tribute to the influence of the captain of theguard, to the passionate esprit du corps that prevailed,and to the inviolability of a particular oath. But all that is over—for the work is done. Out-siders gave the plan, the organization, the leadership,the example—the natives have done the rest. A sim-ilar awakening is all that is necessary in other m
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