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"Shall we lock ourselves inside the house and let them have the horses, or shall we try to keep them?" It took a few minutes for the negroes to recover from their fright, and when they had done so Claib was the first to speak. "Please, Miss Ellis, Massa Hugh's last words to me was: 'Mind, boy, you takes good keer of de hosses. Massa Hugh sot store by dem.
Suddenly among the excited group of dusky faces he spied that of Claib, and bade him lead out the horse. "I can't. Oh, mas'r, for the dear " Claib began, but Harney's riding whip silenced him at once, and he went submissively in to Rocket, who became as gentle beneath his touch as a lamb. Did the sagacious creature think then of Hugh, and fancy Claib had come to lead him home? We cannot tell.
We only know how proudly he arched his graceful neck, as with dancing, mincing steps, he gamboled around Claib, rubbing his nose against the honest black face, where the tears were standing, and trying to lick the hands which had fed him so often at Spring Bank. Loud were the cries of admiration which hailed his appearance.
"None of yer ars," Claib said, coaxingly, as the animal threw up its graceful neck defiantly. "You've got to git along, 'case Mas'r Hugh say so. You knows Mas'r Hugh." "What is it?" Hugh asked, coming out upon the stoop, and comprehending the trouble at a glance. "Rocket, Rocket," he cried, "easy, my boy," and in an instant Rocket's defiant attitude changed to one of perfect obedience.
His man John told Claib how his a master said he meant to get me and Rocket, too, some day; me for her waiting maid, I reckon. You won't sell me, Master High, will you?" and Lulu's soft black eyes looked pleadingly up to Hugh. "Never!" and Hugh's riding whip came down upon the table with a force which made Lulu start.
Hugh knew that Willie was safe with his mother, and hurried out to the kitchen, where only a few of his negroes were yet stirring. "Ho, Claib!" he called, "saddle Rocket quick and bring him to the door. I'm going to the cornfield." "Lor' bless you, mas'r, it's done snow higher than Rocket's head. He never'll stand it nohow."
The bidding went on briskly now, each bidder raising a few dollars, till four hundred and fifty was reached, and then there came a pause, broken only by the voice of the excited Claib, who, as he confessed to Hugh, had ventured to speak for himself, and was rewarded for his temerity by a blow from Harney.
Hugh had never been sick in his life, and he did not think it possible for him to be so now, so he tried hard to forget the giddy, half blinding pain warning him of danger, and after forcing himself to sip a little coffee in which he would indulge this morning, he ordered Claib to bring out the covered buggy, as he was going up to Lexington.
"I hain’t got nothin’ else, Miss Leffie Lacey, if you please," said Rondeau, snapping his fingers in her face, and giving Aunt Dilsey’s elbow a slight jostle, just enough to spill the oil, with which she was filling a lamp. "Rondeau, I ’clar’ for’t," said Aunt Dilsey, setting down her oil can. "If marster don’t crack your head, my old man Claib shall, if he ever gits up agin.
Poor Mas'r, you is gwine to faint," and the well-meaning, but rather impudent Claib, sprang forward in time to catch and hold his young master, who otherwise might have fallen to the floor. Hugh had borne much that day.
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