the whole North would fight for it if it
were necessary."

"Am dat so, massa? am dat so?" eagerly inquired a dozen of the darkies;
"and am dar great many folks at de Norf--more dan dar am down har?"

"Yas, you fools, didn't I tell you dat?" said Jim, as I, not exactly
relishing the idea of preaching treason, in the Colonel's absence, to
his slaves, hesitated to reply. "Haint I tole you," he continued, "dat
in de big city ob New York dar'm more folks dan in all Car'lina? I'se
been dar, and I knows; and Massa K----'ll tell you dat dey--most on
'em--feel mighty sorry for de brack man."

"No he wont," I replied, "and besides, Jim, you should not talk in this
way before me; I might tell your master."

"No! you wont do dat; I knows you wont, massa. Scipio tole us he'd trust
his bery life wid _you_."

"Well, perhaps he might; it's true I would not injure you;" saying that,
I turned away, though my curiosity was greatly excited to hear more.

I wandered farther into the woods, and a half-hour found me near one of
the turpentine distilleries. Seating myself on a rosin barrel, I quietly
finished my segar, and was about lighting another, when Jim made his
appearance.

"Beg pardon, Massa K----," said the negro, bowing very low, "but I wants
to ax you one or two tings, ef you please, sar."

"Well," I replied, "I'll tell you any thing that I ought to."

"Der yer tink, den, massa, dat dey'll git to fightin' at Charl'son?"

"Yes, judging by the tone of the Charleston papers you've read to-day, I
think they will."

"And der yer tink dat de rest ob de Souf will jine wid Souf Car'lina, if
she go at it fust?"

"Yes, Jim, I'm inclined to think so."

"I hard you say to massa, dat ef dey goes to war, 'twill free all de
niggers--der you raily b'lieve dat, sar?"

"_You_ heard me say that; how did you hear it?" I exclaimed, in
surprise.

"Why, sar, de front winder ob de carriage war down jess a crack, so I
hard all you said."

"Did you let it down on purpose?"

"P'r'aps so, massa. Whot's de use ob habin' ears, ef you don't har?"

"Well, I suppose not much; and you tell all you hear to the other
negroes?"

"I reckon so, massa," said the darky, looking very demure.

"That's the use of having a tongue, eh?" I replied, laughing.

"Dat's it 'zactly, massa."

"Well, Jim, I do think the slaves will be finally freed; but it will
cost more white blood to do it than all the niggers in creation are
worth. Do you think the darki