once, for he
asked: "How do you know he's the Colonel's friend, Scip? Who told you
so?"

"Who told me so?" exclaimed the excited negro, "why, didn't he stay at
Captin B----'s, wid de Cunnel, all night last night; and didn't dey set
up dar doin' politic business togedder till arter midnight? Didn't de
Cunnel come dar in all de storm 'pressly to see dis gemman?"

The ready wit and rude eloquence of the darky amused me, and the idea of
the "Cunnel" travelling twenty miles through the terrible storm of the
previous night to meet a man who had the New York _Independent_ about
him, was so perfectly ludicrous, that I could not restrain my laughter.
That laugh did the business for "Massa B----ll." What the negro had
said staggered, but did not convince him; but my returning good-humor
brought him completely round. Extending his hand to me, he said: "I see,
sir, I've woke up the wrong passenger. Hope you'll take no offence. In
these times we need to know who come among us."

"No offence whatever, sir," I replied. "It is easy to be mistaken; but,"
I added smilingly, "I hope, for the sake of the next traveller, you'll
be less precipitate another time."

"I _am_ rather hasty; that's a fact," he said. "But no harm is done. So
let's take a drink, and say no more about it. The old lady har keeps
nary a thing, but we can get the _raal stuff_ close by."

Though not a member of a "Total Abstinence Society," I have always
avoided indulging in the quality of fluid that is the staple beverage at
the South. I therefore hesitated a moment before accepting the
gentleman's invitation; but the alternative seemed to be squarely
presented, pistols or drinks; cold lead or poor whiskey, and--I am
ashamed to confess it--I took the whiskey.

Returning to the hotel, I found Scip awaiting me. "Massa," he said, "we
better be gwine. Dat dar sesherner am ugly as de bery ole debble; and
soon as he knows I cum de possum ober him 'bout de Cunnel, he'll be
down on you _shore_."

The rain had dwindled to a drizzle, which the sun was vigorously
struggling to get through with a tolerable prospect of success, and I
concluded to take the African's advice. Wrapping myself in an
India-rubber overcoat, and giving the darky a blanket of the same
material, I started.

[Footnote B: I very much regret to learn, that since my meeting with
this most excellent gentleman, being obnoxious to the Secession leaders
for his well-known Union sentiments, he has been very