llow is
evidently a coward, or he would have taken up what Furniss said; but a
coward who is revengeful is a good deal more dangerous than an open foe.
However, I will talk it over with some of the others, and we will see if
we can't stop Andrew Jackson's mouth."

The result of this was that the next day half a dozen of Vincent's
friends wrote a joint letter to Andrew Jackson, saying that they
regarded his statements respecting Vincent as false and calumnious, and
that if he repeated them they would jointly and severally hold him
responsible; and that if, as a result of such accusations, any harm
happened to Vincent, they should know where to look for the originator
of the mischief, and punish him accordingly.

"You should be more careful, Andrew," his father said, as, white with
fury, he showed him his letter. "It was you who were preaching prudence
the other day and warning me against taking steps that would set all the
county families against us; and now, you see, you have been letting your
tongue run, and have drawn this upon yourself. Keep quiet for the
present, my son; all sorts of things may occur before long, and you will
get your chance. Let this matter sleep for the present."

A day or two later when Vincent went down to the stables he saw that Dan
had something to tell him and soon found out that he wished to speak to
him alone.

"What is your news, Dan?"

"I heard last night, Marse Vincent, dat old man Jackson is going to sell
Dinah; dat de wife ob de man dey flogged."

"They are going to sell her!" Vincent repeated indignantly. "What are
they going to do that for?"

"To punish Tony, sah. Dar am no law against dar selling her. I hear dat
dey are going to sell two oder boys, so dat it cannot be said dat dey do
it on purpose to spite Tony. I reckon, sah, dey calculate dat when dey
sell his wife Tony get mad and run away, and den when dey catch him
again dey flog him pretty near to death. Folk always do dat with runaway
slaves; no one can say nuffin agin dem for dat."

"It's an infamous shame that it should be lawful to separate man and
wife," Vincent said. "However, we will see what we can do. You manage to
pass the word to Tony to keep up his spirits, and not let them drive him
to do anything rash. Tell him I will see that his wife does not get
into bad hands, I suppose they will sell the baby too?"

"Yes. Marse Vincent. Natural the baby will go wid de modder."

Vincent watched the list of adverti