en somewhat by surprise, was slow in responding, but
when he rose, he presented a striking figure. He was taller than the
average negro, and there was a simple dignity--an air of gentility and
serene affability--in his attitude and bearing that attracted the
attention of Mr. Hotchkiss. The Rev. Jeremiah was still standing, and
Uncle Plato, after bowing gracefully to Mr. Hotchkiss, turned with a
smile to the negro who had called on him.

"You know mighty well, Br'er Jerry, dat I ain't sech a talker ez ter git
up an' say my say des dry so, an' let it go at dat. Howsomever, I laid
off ter say sump'n, an' I ain't sorry you called my name. In what's been
said dey's a heap dat I 'gree wid. I b'lieve dat de cullud folks oughter
work tergedder, an' stan tergedder fer ter he'p an' be holped. But when
you call on me fer ter turn my back on my marster, an' go to hatin' 'im,
you'll hatter skuzen me. You sho will."

"He ain't yo' marster now, Br'er Plato, an' you know it," said the Rev.
Jeremiah.

"I know dat mighty well," replied Uncle Plato, "but ef it don't hurt my
feelin's fer ter call him dat it oughtn't ter pester yuther people. How
it may be wid you all, I dunno; but me an' my marster wus boys
tergedder. We useter play wid one an'er, an' fall out an' fight, an'
I've whipped him des ez many times ez he ever whipped me--an' he'll tell
you de same."

"But all this," suggested Mr. Hotchkiss coldly, "has nothing to do with
the matter in hand. The coloured race is facing conditions that amount
to a crisis--a crisis that has no parallel in the world's history."

"Dat is suttinly so!" the Rev. Jeremiah ejaculated, though he had but a
dim notion of what Hotchkiss was talking about.

"They have been made citizens," pursued the organiser, "and it is their
duty to demand all their rights and to be satisfied with nothing less.
The best men of our party believe that the rebels are still rebellious,
and that they will seize the first opportunity to re-enslave the
coloured people."

"Ah-yi!" exclaimed the Rev. Jeremiah triumphantly.

"Does you reely b'lieve, Br'er Jerry, dat Pulaski Tomlin will ever try
ter put you back in slav'ry?" asked Uncle Plato.

The inquiry was a poser, and the Rev. Jeremiah was unable to make any
satisfactory reply. Perceiving this, Mr. Hotchkiss came to the rescue.
"You must bear in mind," he blandly remarked, "that this is not a
question of one person here and another person there. It concerns a
whole ra