Eli Hill by Katharine Du Pre Lumpkin

Author:Katharine Du Pre Lumpkin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

3

Lion . . . Ravenous Beast

1

It was September 1870 in the upcountry of South Carolina, three years and a little more since the day when the men that Eli Hill had known best had turned from his door, they going their way, leaving him to go his. The night of the seventh was extremely dark, the sky overclouded, so that not a peep of light came through from the moon sailing in its course in the hidden sky. June Sims stumbled. Eli drew a sharp breath from where he perched astride June’s back, and heard June mutter, “My foot hit a rock.” Eli murmured, “Take the side door, June. Maybe the Elder has a light in his kitchen.” And they now saw a faint gleam of light, as from a candle well away from the window. June’s foot touched the step. Eli heard the door swing open with a swish.

“That you, Mr. Strong?” It came in a whisper.

“It’s me, Elder,” Eli said.

“Sh—h,” from the doorway.

“What’s come over him?” June muttered.

Baldwin gripped June’s elbow firmly.

“I’ll lead you. Take him in the parlor. I didn’t expect you for awhile, Eli.” He directed June, “Sit him here. Dan hasn’t got here yet.”

“What’s goin’ on, house in darkness? Dan in some trouble?” Eli spoke sharply.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Baldwin appeared, shading a candle. Standing aside, he let Martin, a heavyset, extremely dark man, enter the room. Turner came behind him.

“I’ll be back,” Baldwin said softly. “I’m waitin’ on the porch. Ben Strong’s comin’.”

Using his hands, Eli arranged his crippled legs and leaned back. He could scarcely see June now seated across the room. He had not long to wait.

“I’d like to see that note,” Martin said.

“I’ll bring him in,” Baldwin said.

For a few moments the only sound was the squeak of Martin’s chair as he moved his heavy body.

Eli spoke across the darkness.

“What’s the Elder so scared about?”

“The Elder don’t scare,” Martin said.

“I been away since early August holdin’ revivals. I hadn’t heard of your trouble,” Eli said.

“The Elder says you wanted to see me,” Martin said.

“Yes.” Eli spoke with deliberation. “I spec’ more than ever now. It’s about the course you’ve been takin’. Dan, it’s wrong. This has been on my mind for weeks. I find my conscience won’t let me keep silent, though it ain’t my wish to mix in these matters.”

“Then why mix in just to tell us we’re wrong?”

“Dan, I’ve come in a Christian spirit.”

“You’ve come,” Turner hissed, “just to please the whites.”

“Shut up, Giles. Leave me to talk,” Martin growled.

“Up to now, Dan, I’ve held my peace,” Eli said. “Even though you all went ahead with the Union League, I put nothin’ in the way of it.”

“Except to stay out, so that it stayed weak. You lifted not a hand back in ’68. You know we nearly lost that election.”

“I knew what you were plannin’ then, Dan, I didn’t interfere. Let you bring your men marchin’ to the polls that day, riskin’ a clash. Watched you come, I

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