en
looked up to, both as a head servant and a Christian teacher, by all
the place, and there was much honest sympathy and grief about him,
particularly among the women.

"Why, Chloe, you bar it better 'n we do!" said one of the women, who had
been weeping freely, noticing the gloomy calmness with which Aunt Chloe
stood by the wagon.

"I's done _my_ tears!" she said, looking grimly at the trader, who was
coming up. "I does not feel to cry 'fore dat ar old limb, no how!"

"Get in!" said Haley to Tom, as he strode through the crowd of servants,
who looked at him with lowering brows.

Tom got in, and Haley, drawing out from under the wagon seat a heavy
pair of shackles, made them fast around each ankle.

A smothered groan of indignation ran through the whole circle, and
Mrs. Shelby spoke from the verandah,--"Mr. Haley, I assure you that
precaution is entirely unnecessary."

"Don' know, ma'am; I've lost one five hundred dollars from this yer
place, and I can't afford to run no more risks."

"What else could she spect on him?" said Aunt Chloe, indignantly,
while the two boys, who now seemed to comprehend at once their father's
destiny, clung to her gown, sobbing and groaning vehemently.

"I'm sorry," said Tom, "that Mas'r George happened to be away."

George had gone to spend two or three days with a companion on a
neighboring estate, and having departed early in the morning, before
Tom's misfortune had been made public, had left without hearing of it.

"Give my love to Mas'r George," he said, earnestly.

Haley whipped up the horse, and, with a steady, mournful look, fixed to
the last on the old place, Tom was whirled away.

Mr. Shelby at this time was not at home. He had sold Tom under the
spur of a driving necessity, to get out of the power of a man whom he
dreaded,--and his first feeling, after the consummation of the bargain,
had been that of relief. But his wife's expostulations awoke his
half-slumbering regrets; and Tom's manly disinterestedness increased the
unpleasantness of his feelings. It was in vain that he said to himself
that he had a _right_ to do it,--that everybody did it,--and that some
did it without even the excuse of necessity;--he could not satisfy his
own feelings; and that he might not witness the unpleasant scenes of
the consummation, he had gone on a short business tour up the country,
hoping that all would be over before he returned.

Tom and Haley rattled on along the dusty road, whi