"Why are the Colonel's negroes so particularly bad?"

"'Cause, you see, massa, de turpentime business hab made great profits
for sum yars now, and de Cunnel hab been gettin' rich bery fass. He put
all his money, jes so fass as he make it, into darkies, so to make more;
for he's got bery big plantation, and need nuffin' but darkies to work
it to make money jess like a gold mine. He goes up to Virginny to buy
niggas; and up dar _now_ dey don't sell none less dey'm bad uns, 'cep
when sum massa die or git pore. Virginny darkies dat cum down har aint
gin'rally ob much account. Dey'm either kinder good-for-nuffin, or dey'm
ugly; and de Cunnel'd ruther hab de ugly dan de no-account niggas."

"How many negroes has he?"

"'Bout two hundred, men and wimmin, I b'lieve, massa."

"It can't be pleasant for his family to remain in such an out-of-the-way
place, with so bad a gang of negroes about them, and no white people
near."

"No, massa, not in dese times; but de missus and de young lady arnt dar
now."

"Not there now? The Colonel said nothing to me about that. Are you
sure?"

"Oh yas, massa; I seed 'em gwo off on de boat to Charles'n most two
weeks ago. Dey don't mean to cum back till tings am more settled; dey'm
'fraid to stay dar."

"Would it be safe for the Colonel there, if a disturbance broke out
among the slaves."

"'T wouldn't be safe den anywhar, sar; but de Cunnel am a bery brave
man. He'm better dan twenty of _his_ niggas."

"Why better than twenty of _his_ niggers?"

"'Cause dem ugly niggas am gin'rally cowards. De darky dat is quiet,
'spectful, and does his duty, am de brave sort; _dey'll_ fight, massa,
till dey'm cut down."

We had here reached a turn in the road, and passing it, came suddenly
upon a coach, attached to which were a pair of magnificent grays, driven
by a darky in livery.

"Hallo, dar!" said Scip to the driver, as we came nearly abreast of the
carriage. "Am you Cunnel J----'s man?"

"Yas, I is dat," replied the darky.

At this moment a woolly head, which I recognized at once as that of the
Colonel's man "Jim," was thrust from the window of the vehicle.

"Hallo, Jim," I said. "How do you do? I'm glad to see you."

"Lor bress me, Massa K----, am dat you?" exclaimed the astonished negro,
hastily opening the door, and coming to me. "Whar _did_ you cum from?
I'se mighty glad to see you;" at the same time giving my hand a hearty
shaking. I must here say, in justice to the reputation o