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"Massa say dat as you are a gentleman if you will gib your word-ob-honour not to escape, he will make you free. Not kite free, ob course, but free to work in de gardin widout chains; free to sleep in de out-house widout bein' locked up ob nights, an' free to enjoy you'self w'en you gits de chance."
He was a man who had nothing to lose, therefore nothing to fear. "If it's dangerous for me to go alone, get your horse and come with me. I'll see that you get more out of it than you make working for Chadron." The fellow squinted up at her with eyes half-shut, in an expression of cunning. "Now you trot along back and behave you'self, before I have to take you down and spank you," he said.
The first words which were distinct aroused my interest quite beyond the scale of an ordinary altercation: "Calls you'self a reconstuckted niggah?" This was said sharply and with prodigious scorn.
"Well, as I was 'bout to say, you mus' promise me on your word ob honour, dat you'll neber go alone to see your fadder, but allers in company wid Sally; dat you neber, neber speak to him, an' dat you neber make you'self know'd to him till de right time comes." "These are hard conditions, Peter, but I see the reasonableness of them all, and promise at least I promise to do my best."
"Help you'self, Massa Nadgel, an' pass 'im forward." Without helping himself he passed it on to Van der Kemp, who drew his knife, sliced off a wing with a mass of breast, and returned the rest. "Always help yourself before passing the food in future," said the hermit; "we don't stand on ceremony here." Nigel at once fell in with their custom, tore off the remaining drumstick and began.
But I's a'most sorry I did now, for you's got no self-'straint, an' if you goes by you'self you'll git took up for sartin', an' dey'll whip your fadder till he's dead, or frow him on de hooks, or skin him alive, or " "Oh, horrible! Don't say such dreadful things, Peter!" exclaimed Hester, covering her face with her hands.
"Skip, then, you," came muffled from within, "and keep you'self mighty sca'ce till they can appreciate our frolic." The Southerner withdrew deeper into his bed, and Mr. McLean, informing him that he was a fool, arose and saddled his horse. From the saddle-bag, he brought a parcel, and lightly laying this beside Bokay Baldy, he mounted and was gone.
He wrenched a quid from his tobacco-slab, grasped the hatchet handle and arose. Dallas had lighted the lantern once more. Now she pinned one of the smaller blankets over his shoulders. When he put on his hat and knelt before the chopped-out place in the east wall, she wrapped a second blanket about his feet and legs. "Go 'long, go 'long," he said, not unkindly. "Keep you'self warm."
After some conversation, he said that he had come for the express purpose of taking Hester to see her father. "But not to talk to him," he added quickly "not eben to make you'self known to him, for if you did, not'ing would keep 'im quiet, an' you an' he would be parted for eber. Mind dat for eber!"
The old woman gave a sniff. "Yo' is! Well, what does yo' call you'self doin' heah?" "You mean what is my employment! I am the help one of the help." "Yo' is!" Mam' Lyddy tightened her apron-strings about her stout waist. "Well, 'Miss Johnson, you git holt of that mat-trass and help me meek up dis heah bed so it 'll be fit for you' mistis to sleep on it." With a jerk she turned up the mattress.
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