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the money, all straight, time and agin. It stands to reason they should. Treat em like dogs, and youll have dogs works and dogs actions. Treat em like men, and youll have mens works. And the honest drover, in his warmth, endorsed this moral sentiment by firing a perfect feu de joi at the fireplace. I think youre altogether right, friend, said Mr. Wilson; and this boy described here is a fine fellowno mistake about that. He worked for me some half-dozen years in my bagging factory, and he was my best hand, sir. He is an ingenious fellow, too: he invented a machine for the cleaning of hempa really valuable affair; its gone into use in several factories. His master holds the patent of it. Ill warrant ye, said the drover, holds it and makes money out of it, and then turns round and brands the boy in his right hand. If I had a fair chance, Id mark him, I reckon so that hed carry it one while. These yer knowin boys is allers aggravatin and sarcy, said a coarse-looking fellow, from the other side of the room; thats why they gets cut up and marked so. If they behaved themselves, they wouldnt. That is to say, the Lord made em men, and its a hard squeeze gettin em down into beasts, said the drover, dryly. Bright niggers isnt no kind of vantage to their masters, continued the other, well entrenched, in a coarse, unconscious obtuseness, from the contempt of his opponent; whats the use o talents and them things, if you cant get the use on em yourself? Why, all the use they make on t is to get round you. Ive had one or two of these fellers, and I jest sold em down river. I knew Id got to lose em, first or last, if I didnt. Better send orders up to the Lord, to make you a set, and leave out their souls entirely, said the drover. Here the conversation was interrupted by the approach of a small one-horse buggy to the inn. It had a genteel appearance, and a well-dressed, gentlemanly man sat on the seat, with a colored servant driving. The whole party examined the new comer with the interest with which a set of loafers in a rainy day usually examine every newcomer. He was very tall, with a dark, Spanish complexion, fine, expressive black eyes, and close-curling hair, also of a glossy blackness. His well-formed aquiline nose, straight thin lips, and the admirable contour of his finely-formed limbs, impressed the whole company instantly with the idea of something uncommon. He walked easily in among the company, and with a nod indicated to his waiter where to place his trunk, bowed to the company, and, with his hat in his hand, walked up leisurely to the bar, and gave in his name as Henry Butter, Oaklands, Shelby County. Turning, with an indifferent air, he sauntered up to the advertisement, and read it over. Jim, he said to his man, seems to me we met a boy something like this, up at Bemans, didnt we? Yes, Masr, said Jim, only I ant sure about the hand. Well, I didnt look, of course, said the stranger with a careless yawn. Then walking up to the landlord, he desired him to furnish him with a private apartment, as he had some writing to do immediately. The landlord was all obsequious, and a relay of about seven negroes, old and young, male and female, little and big, were soon whizzing about, like a covey of partridges, bustling, hurrying, treading on each others toes, and tumbling over each other, in their zeal to get Masrs room ready, while he seated himself easily on a chair in the middle of the room, and entered into conversation with the man who sat next to him. The manufacturer, Mr. Wilson, from the time of the entrance of the stranger, had regarded him with an air of disturbed and uneasy curiosity. He seemed to himself to have met and been acquainted with him somewhere, but he could not recollect. Every few moments, when the man spoke, or moved, or smiled, |
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