, an' that man ain't a livin'
that could turn that freedom into shame. If she falls in love with him,
she will love him like a Starbuck--with all her soul. An' if he don't
love her, she'll be silent like a Starbuck. One day when we was a goin'
down the creek in canoe you saw a fish come up an' strike at the paddle.
Margaret, that was a Starbuck among fish."

There came a loud cry of "halloa," and Jasper went to the window.

"Helloa yo'se'f."

"My wagon's stalled down here," a man shouted, "and I'd like for you to
fetch your steers and give me a lift up the hill."

"What air you loaded with?"

"Hoop poles."

"All right, I'll send a nigger down an'--" Just then he caught sight of
Kintchin. "Here, you scoundrel, I thought I told you to haul a load of
corn over to Spencer's."

The negro came up to the window. "Yas, suh, but you didn't tell me. I
heard you tell dat man Laz, but he sich a liar you kain't blebe nuthin'
dat's said ter him."

Jasper turned away to laugh and Kintchin came round into the house.

"But you heard me tell him, you scoundrel," said the old man.

"Yas, suh, I wuz er standin' dar at de cornder o' de house at de time,
an' I yered you tell him, an' I would er blebed it, ez I tell you, but
dat man is sich er monst'us twister o' de fack dat nuthin' said ter him
soun's like de truf. I blebed it when you told him, but de minit he told
me it sounded like er lie."

"Kintchin, that's putty good sense, anyhow."

"Yas, suh, an' ain't all dat sense wuth er quarter?"

Jasper began to grabble into his pocket, when Margaret spoke up:
"Jasper, don't give that nigger no money. He won't do a thing I tell him
to."

Starbuck gave him a piece of silver, and with a look of deep injury the
darkey turned to Margaret. "Now, Miss Mar'get, whut you all time come er
flatter me datter way fur? You knows I's allus a braikin' my naik fur
you. I don't kere ef you is er 'oman, you's got er soul ter save, an'
you oughter be a lookin' out fur it."

He ambled slowly toward the door, muttering as he went, and Jasper's
sharp command did not serve to enliven him overmuch.

"Come, move on a little faster, and yoke up the steers and haul that
man's wagon up the hill. Never saw as slow a nigger in my life. Come on,
and I'll go with you."

He hastened out, passing Kintchin and commanding him to come on.
Margaret busied herself with picking up scraps of paper, among them
doubtless being an account of what the captain did, and