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"We have no hotel in Bullertown, sah," the old negro preacher answered, "but the gen'lemen that come hyar do me the honor us'ally, sah, of bein' my guests. Ah have a guest-room, sah, jes' 'sclusively fo' gen'lemen who are not people of color."
An' so thar's not a foot o' land in Bullertown owned by any other than people o' color, an' not a white person lives hyar." "You own all the land, then?" "The syndicate does, yes, sah." "Then you must have some wealthy men among you?" "No, sah, not one. The town was begun, sah, by the kindness of Colonel Egerius." "Colonel he was, that is, he is " began Hamilton, stammering.
"Remember now," he said, as he rode away, "we'll hold you to your word." At lunch Hamilton took occasion to remark on the well-being of Bullertown. "I was surprised," he said, "to find a village so well managed and looked after, and all by negroes." "There's nothing surprising in that," the Colonel answered. "How could they do anything different?
Colonel 'Gerius jes' does all he can, an' he gets us gov'nment seeds an' papers, an' advises every one fo' miles aroun'. Yas, sah, we're gettin' on. If yo' have to go to Bullertown, sah, yo'll fin' as nice a li'l place as thar is f'om one end o' the United States cla'r to the other, an' thar's not one white person in it." "Bullertown?" queried Hamilton in surprise.
"He is not a negro, sah," the old man answered finishing the boy's embarrassed sentence for him with entire self-possession. "Colonel Egerius, sah, was a plantation owner, befo' the war. Ah was one o' his slaves, an' mos' o' the people in Bullertown are the children o' those born in the plantation quarters." "And he started the town?" "Yas, sah, in a way.
"I'm glad to hear it, for that's the next place on my map." "We're all proud of it hyar, sah, an' it 'pears to me, Bullertown owes jes' everythin' to the folks at the Big House and to Mistah Ephraim Jones. Yo'll see Mistah Jones, sah, an' I'd take it kindly if yo'll remember me to him." "All right, Delia, I will," said Hamilton. "Let's see, I did get all the figures, didn't I?"
"Yo' said yo' had them all, sah," was the reply. "Good enough. Well, I guess I'll go along. I'll not forget your message. Good-by " and the boy set his horse on a canter down the narrow road. Throughout the rest of the day the census-gathering was of similar character, and it was drawing toward dark when the boy saw before him a well-ordered array of houses which he felt sure must be Bullertown.
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