hab stole 'way in de dark night and gone to Sumter, whar dey can't
be took; and dat de ole Gubner hab got out a procdemation dat all dat
don't lub de Aberlishen Yankees shill cum up dar and clar 'em out; and
de paper say dat lots ob sogers hab cum from Gorgia and Al'bama and 'way
down Souf, to help 'em. Dis am w'at de _Currer_ say,' he continued,
holding the paper up to his eyes and reading: 'Major Andersin, ob
United States army hab 'chieved de 'stinction ob op'ning de cibil war
'tween American citizens; he hab desarted Moulfrie, and by false
fretexts hab took de ole Garrison and all his millinery stores to Fort
Sumter.'

'Get down, you d----d nigger,' said the Colonel, laughing, and mounting
the carriage-box beside him. 'You can't read. Old Garrison isn't
there--he's the d----d Northern Abolitionist.'

'I knows dat, Cunnel, but see dar,' holding the paper out to his master,
'don't dat say he'm dar? It'm him dat make all de trubble. P'raps dis
nig' can't read, but ef dat ain't readin' I'd like to know it!'

'Clear out,' said the Colonel, now actually roaring with laughter; 'it's
the soldiers that the _Courier_ speaks of, not the Abolitionist.'

'Read it yoursef, den, massa, I don't seed it dat way.'

Jim was altogether wiser than he appeared, and while he was equally as
well pleased with the news as the Colonel, he was so for an entirely
different reason. In the crisis which these tidings announced, he saw
hope for his race.

The Colonel then read the paper to the assemblage. The news was received
with a variety of manifestations by the auditory, the larger portion, I
thought, hearing it, as I did, with sincere regret.

'Now is the time to stand by the State, my friends,' said my host as he
finished the reading. 'I hope every man here is ready to do his duty by
old South-Carolina.'

'Yes, _sar!_ if she does _har_ duty by the Union. We'll go to the death
for har just so long as she's in the right, but not a d----d step if she
arn't,' said the long-legged native I have introduced to the reader.

'And what have _you_ to say about South-Carolina? What does, she owe to
_you?_' asked the Colonel, turning on the speaker with a proud and angry
look.

'More, a darned sight than she'll pay, if ye cursed 'ristocrats run her
to h---- as ye'r doing. She owes me, and 'bout ten as likely niggers as
ye ever seed, a living, and we've d----d hard work to get it out on her
_now_, let alone what's comin'.

'Don't talk to me,