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Arthur blushed as the thought crossed his mind, that the negro's sense of honor was higher than his own; but his curiosity overcame his scruples, and he went on questioning Jeff, as he rubbed up and trimmed the lamps for evening. "Perhaps you heard my name, Jeff, eh?" "Well, 'casionally, I 'spect I did, sah.
And then, finding that his mother was looking at him as if she meant him to understand that she knew what the visitor's business was, and desired him to take it off her hands, he said, aloud: "Who is the gentleman, and do you know what he's got to say that is so very important and particular?" "I don't know, sah, what he want to speak about," answered the girl, "but de man is Mr. Kelsey."
"Dar are some houses dere close down by the shore, sah, and some men getting out a boat." "That's all right, Dan," Vincent said, as he roused himself and looked over. "We shall learn soon where we are." In a quarter of an hour the fishing boat put off, and the lads at once rowed to it. "How far are we from the mouth of the York River?" Vincent asked the two negroes on board.
Massa wanted us to go see him hung; but only the youngsters went. We colored pussons neber forget Old John. No sah!" The men wound their way as best they could beneath the precipitous and towering rocks of the Maryland Heights, through the teams that blocked up the road, and a short distance above the Railroad Bridge, filed to the left, and crossed upon the pontoons.
If he was to tell a boy jest one leetle word, dat boy, he might lay hisself out ready foh a fight. Yass, sah." For a long time I puzzled over the whole extraordinary experience. It was so like a dream, that only the numbness of my arm where the negro's great fist had gripped it convinced me that the happenings of the night were real.
"Dem make for one-time good shot, sah!" whispered Bela Moshi, calmly setting the backsight of his rifle. "Blow Bosh-bosh him head-bone inside out an' him not know anyting." "Go steady, Bela Moshi," cautioned the subaltern. "Pass the word for the men to fire one volley over their heads but not before I give orders and then rush them with the bayonet. We want them alive, remember."
"No, no," grumbled the man, "I don't want them, and I'm sure that the missus would find fault if I took them in. She hates them; besides, I'm not going to be sugared over like that, to keep me from speaking out. Now, look here, you've been fishing." "Yes, sah. Kedge de terrupum." "And I told you to hoe down between those yams, didn't I?" "Yes, Mass' Morgan, I going to hoe down de yam-yam."
The Kid seized this and plucked forth a black man in a white tie and the garb of a servitor. "Get up!" commanded the Kid. "Are you in charge of this free lunch?" "Yes, sah, I was. Has they done pinched us ag'in, boss?" "Looks that way. Listen to me. Are there any peaches in this layout? If there ain't I'll have to throw up the sponge."
Why, I couldn't no more climb up dat ar cliff dan I could fly to de moon. No, sah. Much as I could do to keep whar I was, out ob de water. Dat was enough." "Don't you know that we walked two miles up the shore?" "Two miles! Two! De sakes, now, chil'en! did you, railly? Ef I'd a ony knowed you war a comin so near, wouldn't I a yelled? I bet I would." "Why, you didn't think we'd have left you."
"Naught can deceive me in the color of that gold!" went on Sah- luma dreamily, as with careful, somewhat tremulous fingers, he gently loosened the twisted shining threads that were so delicately knotted together, and smoothing them out to their full length, displayed what was indeed a lovely tress of hair bright as woven sunlight with a rippling wave in it that, like the tendril of a vine caught and wound about his hand as though it were a fond and feeling thing.
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