ivelling here all this time," exclaimed the
dame, "without once spending a thought upon your cattle! Tony, Tony,
To-ny, I say," almost shrieked the hostess, as she retreated along the
passage towards the region of the kitchen, and then back again to the
front door. "Are you asleep? Look to the gentlemen's horses; lead them
to the stable, and don't spare to rub them down; and give them as much
as they can eat. Where are you, old man?"

"What's the use of all this fuss, Missus Dimck? Arn't I here on the
spot, with the cretur's in my hand?" grumbled out an old, stunted negro,
who answered to the appellation of ostler; "Arn't I getting the baggage
off, as fast as I can onbuckle the straps?--I don't want nobody to tell
me when I ought to step out. If a hos could talk, he ain't got nothing
new to say to me. Get out, you varmints," he shouted, with a sudden
vivacity of utterance, at three or four dogs that were barking around
him; "Consarn you! What you making such a conbobberation about? You all
throat when you see gentmen coming to the house; better wait tell you
see a thief; bound, you silent enough then, with your tail twixt your
legs! Blossom, ya sacy slut, keep quiet, I tell you!"

In the course of this din and objurgation, the old negro succeeded in
disburdening the horses of their furniture, and was about to lead them
to the stable, when Robinson came to give him some directions.

"Mind what you are after with them there cattle. Give them not a
mouthful for a good hour, and plenty of fodder about their feet; I'll
look at them myself before you shut up. Throw a handful of salt into the
trough, Tony, and above all things, don't let me catch you splashing
water over their backs; none of that; do you hear?"

"Haw, haw, haw!" chuckled Tony; "think I don't know how to take care of
a hos, mass! Been too use to creturs, ever sense so high. Bless the
gentman! one of the best things on arth, when you're feared your hos is
too much blowed, is to put a sprinkling of salt in a bucket o'water, and
just stir a leetle Indian meal in with it; it sort of freshes the cretur
up like, and is onaccountable good in hot weather, when you ain't got no
time to feed. But cold water across the lines! oh, oh, I too cute in hos
larning for that! Look at the top of my head--gray as a fox!"

"Skip then, or I'll open upon you like a pack of hounds," said
Robinson, as he turned on his heel to re-enter the house, "I'll look in
after supper."

"Nev