FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  
his freedom as achieved, and he had even made himself familiar with his new social condition. Dandy handed Lily into the bateau which was to serve as the Isabel's tender, and then seated himself in the bow. "Come, bear a hand, Cyd," said the leader, in a low but sharp tone. "What am I to bear a hand to?" demanded Cyd. "Jump in quick, and paddle off to the Isabel." "Golly! Is dis chile got to row de boat? Says I, 'Cyd,' says I, 'you's a free nigger, and you got nuffin to do but----'" "Take your paddle quick, or I will leave you here!" interposed Dandy. Cyd obeyed this time. His ideas of freedom were, no doubt, derived from his master and the other white people at Redlawn, who had nothing to do but amuse themselves and order the negroes round the place. They were very crude ideas, and he was yet to learn that freedom did not mean idleness. He paddled the bateau off to the sail-boat, and Lily was put on board. "Now, haul the Edith alongside," said the skipper, as he proceeded to unloose the sails. "De Edif!" exclaimed Cyd. "Wha--wha--what you gwine to do wid de Edif?" "Haul her alongside!" replied Dandy, sharply. "If you spend the night in talking, we shall not get off till morning." "Hossifus!" ejaculated Cyd, whose vocabulary being rather limited, he was under the necessity of coining a word occasionally, when he felt the need of a strong expression. "Dis nigger tink he was free, but it's Do dis, and Do dat. Hossifus; dis chile tink he's only got a new massa--dat's all, for sartin." "If you don't want to go, Cyd, you needn't. I will put you on shore, and go without you." "Gossifus! Dis chile like to know what you gwine to do widout Cyd." "I shall do very well without him. Shall I put you on shore, or not?" "Possifus! No, Dandy; I'se gwine wid you, any how." "Then you must mind me!" added the skipper, earnestly. "I done do dat." "Haul the Edith alongside, then." "Sartin, Dandy. I'se gwine to haul de Edif alongside, but dis chile like to know what for?" "Mind me, or I'll put you on shore!" cried Dandy, angrily. "Mossifus! I'se gwine, Dandy," said Cyd as he stepped into the tender, and paddled off to the Edith, which was moored a short distance above. Presently he returned, and the painter of the race boat was made fast to a cleat on the quarter of the Isabel. Cyd was much mystified by the operation, for he could not see why they should take the Edith with them. He was very
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
alongside
 

freedom

 

Isabel

 
tender
 

skipper

 

bateau

 

paddled

 

nigger

 

Hossifus

 

paddle


coining

 
necessity
 

limited

 
vocabulary
 
expression
 

Gossifus

 

strong

 

occasionally

 

sartin

 

quarter


painter

 

returned

 

distance

 

Presently

 

mystified

 
operation
 

moored

 

stepped

 

Possifus

 

angrily


Mossifus

 

Sartin

 
earnestly
 

widout

 

interposed

 

obeyed

 

derived

 

Redlawn

 

people

 

master


social
 
demanded
 

condition

 

nuffin

 

familiar

 
handed
 

seated

 
exclaimed
 
proceeded
 

unloose