Gideon by Wells Hastings
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easy, childish tears came into his eyes, and ran over his shining cheeks . he shivered forlornly with a sudden sense of cold, and absently clutched at_the lapels of_his gorgeous, fur- lined ulster .

then in abrupt reaction he laughed aloud, so that_the shrill, musical falsetto startled the passers- by, and in another moment a little semicircle of_the curious watched spellbound as a black man, exquisitely appareled, danced in wild, loose grace before_the dull background of a somewhat grimy and apparently vacant window .anewsboy recognized him .

he heard his name being passed from mouth to mouth, and came partly to_his senses . he stopped dancing, and grinned at them .

" say, you_are Gideon, ain't you ? " his discoverer demanded, with a sort of reverent audacity .

"Yaas, seh_," said Gideon; " that's me .Yo' shu got it right ." he broke into a joyous peal of laughter-- the laughter that had made him famous, and bowed deeply before him ."Gideon--posi-_tive_-ly his las' puffawmunce ." Turning, he dashed for apassing trolley, and, still laughing, swung aboard .

he_was naturally honest . in a land of easy morality his friends had accounted him something of a paragon; nor had Stuhk ever had anything but praise for him . but now he crushed aside the ethics of_his intent without a single troubled thought .Running away has always been inherent in_the Negro . he_gave one regretful thought to_the gorgeous wardrobe he_was leaving behind him; but he dared not return for_it .Stuhk might_have taken it into his head to_go back to_their rooms . he_must content himself with_the reflection that he_was at_that moment wearing his best .

the trolley seemed too slow for him, and, as always happened nowadays, he_was recognized; he heard his name whispered, and was aware of_the admiring glances of_the curious . even popularity had its drawbacks . he got down in front of a big hotel and chose a taxicab from_the waiting rank, exhorting the driver to_make his best speed to_the station .Leaning back in_the soft depths of_the cab, he savored his independence, cheered already by_the swaying, lurching speed . at_the station he tipped the driver in lordly fashion, very_much pleased with himself and anxious to_give pleasure . only the sternest prudence and an unconquerable awe of uniform had kept him from tossing bills to_the various traffic policemen who had seemed to smile upon his hurry .

no through train left for hours; but after_the first disappointment of momentary check, he decided that he_was more pleased than otherwise . it would save embarrassment . he_was going south, where his color would_be more considered than his reputation, and on_the little local he chose there_was a"Jim crow" car-- one, that_is, specially set aside for_those of_his race . that_it proved crowded and full of smoke did_not trouble him at all, nor did the admiring pleasantries which the splendor of_his apparel immediately called forth . no one knew him; indeed, he_was naturally enough mistaken for a prosperous gambler, a not unflattering supposition . in_the yard, after_the train pulled out, he_saw his private car under aglaring ARC light, and grinned to_see it left behind .

he spent the night pleasantly in a noisy game of high- low- jack, and_the next morning slept more soundly than he had slept for weeks, hunched upon a wooden bench in_the boxlike station of a North_Carolina junction . the express would_have brought him to Jacksonville in twenty-four hours; the journey, as he_took it, boarding any local that happened to_be going south, and leaving it for meals or sometimes for sleep or often as_the whim possessed him, filled five happy days . there he_took a night train, and dozed from Jacksonville until a little north of new Smyrna .

he awoke to_find it broad daylight, and_the car half empty . the train was on asiding, with news of a freight wreck ahead .Gideon stretched himself, and looked out_of_the window, and emotion seized him . for all his journey the south had seemed to welcome him, but here at last was_the country he_knew . he went out upon_the platform and threw back his head, sniffing the soft breeze, heavy with_the mysterious thrill of unplowed acres, the wondrous existence of primordial jungle, where life has rioted unceasingly above unceasing decay . it_was dry with_the fine dust of waste places, and wet with_the warm mists of slumbering swamps; it seemed to Gideon to tremble with_the songs of birds, the dry murmur of palm leaves, and_the almost inaudible whisper of_the gray moss that festooned the live-oaks .

"Um-m-m," he murmured, apostrophizing it, "yo' 's the right kind o' breeze, yo' is .Yo'- all's healthy ." still sniffing, he climbed down to_the dusty road- bed .

the negroes who had ridden with_him were sprawled about him on_the ground; one_of_them lay sleeping, face up, in_the sunlight . the train had evidently been there for some_time, and there were no signs of an immediate departure . he bought some oranges of a little, bowlegged black boy, and sat down on a log to eat them and to_give up his mind to enjoyment . the sun was hot upon him, and_his thoughts were vague and drowsy . he_was glad that he_was alive, glad to_be back once more among familiar scenes . down the length of_the train he_saw white passengers from_the Pullmans restlessly pacing up and down, getting into their cars and out_of_them, consulting watches, attaching themselves with gesticulatory expostulation to various officials; but their impatience found no echo in_his thought . what_was the hurry ? there_was plenty of_time . it_was sufficient to_have come to_his own land; the actual walls of home could wait . the delay was pleasant, with its opportunity for drowsy sunning, its relief from_the grimy monotony of travel . he glanced at_the orange- colored "Jim crow" with distaste, and inspiration, dawning slowly upon him, swept all other thought before it in its great and growing glory .

a brakeman passed, and Gideon leaped to_his feet and pursued him .

"Misteh, how long yo'- all reckon this train goin' to_be ? "

" about an hour ."

the question had_been amere matter of form .Gideon had made up his mind, and if he had_been told that_they started in five minutes he_would_not have changed it . he climbed back into_the car for_his coat and_his hat, and then almost furtively stole down the steps again and slipped quietly into_the palmetto scrub .

"' most made the mistake of MA life," he chuckled, "stickin' to_that ol' train foheveh .'T isn't the right way at, all foh Gideon to_come home ."

the river was not far away . he_could catch the dancing blue of it from_time to_time in ragged vista, and for_this beacon he steered directly . his coat was heavy on_his arm, his thin patent- leather ties pinched and burned and demanded detours around swampy places, but he_was happy .

as he went along, his plan perfected itself . he_would get into loose shoes again, old ones, if money could buy them, and old clothes, too . the bull-briers snatching at his tailored splendor suggested that .

he laughed when_the Florida partridge, a small quail, whirred up from under his feet; he paused to exchange affectionate mockery with red squirrels; and once, even when he_was brought up suddenly to a familiar and ominous, dry reverberation, the small, crisp sound of_the rolling drums of death, he_did_not look about him for some instrument of destruction, as at any_other time he_would_have done, but instead peered cautiously over the log before him, and spoke in tolerant admonition:

" now, Misteh rattlesnake, yo' jes min' yo' own business . nobody's goin' step on yo', ner go triflin' roun' yo' in no way whatsomeveh .Yo' jes lay there in_the sun an' git 's fat 's yo' please .Don' yo' tu'n yo' weeked LI'l' eyes on Gideon . he's jes goin' ' long home, an' ain' lookin' foh no muss ."

he_came presently to_the water, and, as luck would_have it, to a little group of Negro cabins, where he_was able to_buy old clothes and, after much dickering, a long and somewhat leaky rowboat rigged out with a tattered leg- of- mutton sail . this he provisioned with ajug of water, a starch box full of white corn- meal, and a wide strip of lean razorback bacon .

as he pushed out from shore and set his sail to_the small breeze that blew down from_the north, an absolute contentment possessed him . the idle waters of_the lagoon, lying without tide or current in eternal indolence, rippled and sparkled in breeze and sunlight with a merry surface activity, and seemed to lap the leaky little boat more swiftly on its way . mosquito inlet opened broadly before him, and skirting the end of Merritt's island he_came at last into that longest lagoon, with_which he_was most familiar, the Indian river . here the wind died down to amere breath, which barely kept his boat in motion; but he_made no attempt to row . as long as he moved at all, he_was satisfied . he_was living the fulfilment of_his dreams in exile, lounging in_the stern in_the ancient clothes he had purchased, his feet stretched comfortably before him in their broken shoes, one foot upon a thwart, the other hanging overside so laxly that occasional ripples lapped the run- over heel . from_time to_time he scanned shore and river for familiar points of interest-- some remembered snag that showed the tip of one gnarled branch . or he marked a newly fallen palmetto, already rotting in_the water, which_must be added to_that map of vast detail that he carried in_his head . but for_the most part his broad black face was turned up_to_the blue brilliance above him in unblinking contemplation; his keen eyes, brilliant despite their sun-muddied whites, reveled in_the heights above him, swinging from horizon to horizon in_the wake of an orderly file of little bluebill ducks, winging their way across the river, or brightening with interest at_the rarer sight of a pair of mallards or redheads, lifting with_the soaring circles of_the great bald- headed eagle, or following the scattered squadron of heron-- white heron, blue heron, young and old, trailing, sunlit, brilliant patches, clear even against the bright white and blue of_the sky above them .

often he laughed aloud, sending a great shout of mirth across the water in fresh relish of_those comedies best known and best enjoyed . it_was as excruciatingly funny as it had ever been, when his boat nosed its way into a great flock of ducks idling upon_the water, to_see the mad paddling haste of_those nearest him, the reproachful turn of_their heads, or, if he_came too near, their spattering run out of water, feet and wings pumping together as_they rose from_the surface, looking for all the world like fat little women, scurrying with clutched skirts across city streets . the pelicans, too, delighted him as_they perched with pedantic solemnity upon wharf-piles, or sailed in hunched and huddled gravity twenty feet above the river's surface in swift, dignified flight, which always ended suddenly in an abrupt, up- ended plunge that threw dignity to_the winds in its greedy haste, and dropped them crashing into_the water .

when darkness came suddenly at last, he_made in toward shore, mooring to_the warm- fretted end of a fallen and forgotten landing .astraggling orange- grove was here, broken lines of vanquished cultivation, struggling little trees swathed and choked in_the festooning gray moss, still showing here and there the valiant golden gleam of fruit .Gideon had seen many such places, had seen settlers come and clear themselves a space in_the jungle, plant their groves, and live for a while in lazy independence; and then for some reason or other they_would go, and before_they had scarcely turned their backs, the jungle had crept in again, patiently restoring its ancient sovereignty . the place was eery with_the ghost of dead effort; but it pleased him .

he_made a fire and cooked supper, eating enormously and with relish . his conscience did_not trouble him at all .Stuhk and_his own career seemed already distant; they took small place in_his thoughts, and served merely as a background for_his present absolute content . he picked some oranges, and ate them in meditative enjoyment . for a while he nodded, half asleep, beside his fire, watching the darkened river, where the mullet, shimmering with phosphorescence, still leaped starkly above the surface, and fell in spattering brilliance . midnight found him sprawled asleep beside his fire .

once he awoke . the moon had risen, and a little breeze waved the hanging moss, and whispered in_the glossy foliage of orange and palmetto with a sound like falling rain .Gideon sat up and peered about him, rolling his eyes hither and thither at_the menacing leap and dance of_the jet shadows . his heart was beating thickly, his muscles twitched, and_the awful terrors of night pulsed and shuddered over him . nameless specters peered at him from every shadow, ingenerate familiars of_his wild, forgotten blood . he groaned aloud in a delicious terror; and presently, still twitching and shivering, fell asleep again . it_was as_if something magical had happened; his fear remembered the fear of centuries, and yet with_the warm daylight was absolutely forgotten .

he got up a little after sunrise, and went down to_the river to bathe, diving deep with a joyful sense of freeing himself from_the last alien dust of travel . once ashore again, however, he began to_prepare his breakfast with some haste . for_the first time in_his journey he_was feeling a sense of loneliness and alonging for_his kind . he_was still happy, but his laughter began to

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