Judge and Phoebus had turned the corner of the bank Samson Hat
appeared, driving down Princess Anne's broad main street a young white
girl.

"There's the nigger that set my peep in limbo," muttered the negro
dealer, "but even he shall go past to-day. This accursed town is packed
agin me."

He took a long look at Samson, however, who mildly returned it in the
most respectful manner, as if he had never seen the strange gentleman
before. "And now, my pals," Joe Johnson said, turning to Levin Dennis
and Jack Wonnell, "we will all three go down to the bay and I'll pervide
the lush, and pay the soap while you ketch the tarrapin, an' let me
sleep my nazy off."

"I'll go an' no mistake!" cried Jack Wonnell, who had been taking a
drink of pump-water out of his bell-crown. "So will you, Levin."

Levin Dennis hesitated; "I want to tell my mother first," he said,
"maybe she won't like me fur to go of a Sunday. She'll send Jimmy
Phoebus after me."

Joe Johnson took a bag of gold from inside his waist-band, hanging by a
loop there, and held up a piece of five before the boy's bright eyes:

"Yer, kid! That's yourn if you don't have no mother about it. Pike away
with me, pig widgeon, an' find your boat, and I pay you this pash at
sundown."

Levin's credulous eyes shone, and with one reluctant look towards his
mother's cottage he led the way into the country.

Little was said as they walked an hour or more towards the west, the
stranger apparently brooding upon his indignities, and twice passing
around the jug of brandy which Jack Wonnell was made to carry, and
before noon they came to a considerable creek, out in which was anchored
a small vessel bearing on her stern in illiterate, often inverted,
letters the name: _Ellenora Dennis_.

"What's that glibe on yonder?" asked Johnson, pointing to the letters.

"That's his mother's name, boss," Jack Wonnell said, hitching at the
stranger's breeches, "she's a widder, an' purty as a peach."

"Ain't you got no daddy, pore pap-lap?" Johnson asked coarsely.

"He's gone sence I was a baby," Levin answered; "he went on Judge
Custis's uncle's privateer that never was heard of no mo'. We don't know
if the British tuk him an' hanged him, or if the _Idy_ sunk somewhair
an' drowned him, or if she's a-sailin' away off. I has to take care of
mother."

"Humph!" growled Joe Johnson; "son of a gander and a gilflirt: purty
kid, too--got the ole families into him. No better loll for me!"

Dr