saw Mrs. Gray's valuable
breastpin lying exposed on her dressing-table, he slipped it into his
pocket, made his way from the house without being seen, and went behind
one of the cabins to admire it. But, as bad luck would have it, the
overseer, who never did things openly and above board as other folks do
them, came "snooping" along the lane and caught him in the act.

"What's that you've got there?" he demanded.

"Wha--what thing, Marse Hanson?" stammered Julius.

"That thing you're putting in your pocket," replied the overseer. "Hand
it out, or I'll wear this rawhide into slivers on your black hide."

"Look a yer, Marse Hanson," exclaimed Julius. "My missus don't 'low no
white trash of a oberseer to whop de house servants. I tell you dat."
And before the words were fairly out of his mouth the little darkey took
to his heels and ran like a deer.

"All right," shouted Hanson. "Run away if you want to, and I will go to
the missus and tell her that you've got something of hers--some of her
gold things. You won't lie me down, either, like you done the last time,
for I seen you have 'em."

This dreadful threat reached the ears of the thief and stopped his
flight. He turned about and faced the overseer.

"And then do you know what the Missus will say to me?" the latter went
on. "She'll say, 'Mister Hanson, take this boy to the field and put him
to work. He ain't fitten to stay about the house.' And when I get you
into the field," he added, shaking his riding-whip at the culprit,
"won't I see that you handle them hoes lively? I reckon not. Come here
and give me that, I tell you."

"You'll lick me if I come back," said Julius.

"No, I won't tech hide nor hair of ye. Honor bright."

"And won't ye tell de Missus, nuther?"

"Well, that depends on whether I do or not," replied Hanson evasively.
"If you'll mind every word I say to you and jump the minute you hear the
word, I won't tell her. Come here, now."

Not being able just then to discover any other way out of the scrape,
Julius tremblingly obeyed. When the overseer took the stolen pin in his
hands his eyes seemed ready to start from their sockets.

"Do you know what you've went and done, you thieving nigger?" he said,
in a mysterious whisper. "What do you reckon these yer things is
scattered round 'mongst this gold?"

"Glass, ain't they?" faltered Julius.

"Glass, you fule! They're diamonds. They cost more'n a hundred thousand
dollars, and that's more'n a