w of his
race, and, like most of them, not easily provoked, inheriting not a
little of their hard-learned long-suffering. He bore even with
those who treated him with far worse than the ordinary superciliousness
of white to black; and when the rudest of city boys mocked him,
only showed his teeth by way of smile. The ill-conditioned among
Lucky Croale's customers and lodgers were constantly taking advantage
of his good nature, and presuming upon his forbearance; but so long
as they confined themselves to mere insolence, or even bare-faced
cheating, he endured with marvellous temper. It was possible, however,
to go too far even with him.

One night Sambo was looking on at a game of cards, in which all the
rest in the room were engaged. Happening to laugh at some turn it
took, one of them, a Malay, who was losing, was offended, and abused
him. Others objected to his having fun without risking money, and
required him to join in the game. This for some reason or other he
declined, and when the whole party at length insisted, positively
refused. Thereupon they all took umbrage, nor did most of them make
many steps of the ascent from displeasure to indignation, wrath,
revenge; and then ensued a row. Gibbie had been sitting all the
time on his friend's knee, every now and then stroking his black
face, in which, as insult followed insult, the sunny blood kept
slowly rising, making the balls of his eyes and his teeth look still
whiter. At length a savage from Greenock threw a tumbler at him.
Sambo, quick as a lizard, covered his face with his arm. The
tumbler falling from it, struck Gibbie on the head--not severely,
but hard enough to make him utter a little cry. At that sound, the
latent fierceness came wide awake in Sambo. Gently as a nursing
mother he set Gibbie down in a corner behind him, then with one rush
sent every Jack of the company sprawling on the floor, with the
table and bottles and glasses atop of them. At the vision of their
plight his good humour instantly returned, he burst into a great
hearty laugh, and proceeded at once to lift the table from off them.
That effected, he caught up Gibbie in his arms, and carried him
with him to bed.

In the middle of the night Gibbie half woke, and, finding himself
alone, sought his father's bosom; then, in the confusion between
sleeping and waking, imagined his father's death come again.
Presently he remembered it was in Sambo's arms he fell asleep, but
where