he prisoners; the other
slaves took their places on either side, and the overseer followed
behind with the dogs, which began to bound about, barking loudly for a
minute or two, and then walked quietly as the party left the gloomy
warehouse behind.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

HUMPY DEE'S PLAN GOES "A-GLEY."

It all seemed to Nic like part of some terrible dream, for a strange
struggle was going on in his weakened brain, where reason seemed to come
and go by pulsations. One minute everything appeared to be real, the
next it was dream-like; and he was so convinced that in a short time he
would wake up that he walked quietly on side by side with one of the
negroes, taking notice of the place, which seemed to be a port, with the
beginnings of a town dropped down in a scattered fashion a short
distance from the mouth of a river. The houses were of timber, and to
each there was a large, roughly fenced-in piece of cultivated ground,
with some trees standing, while others had been cut down, leaving the
blackened stumps in all directions.

It was a strange mingling of shed, shipbuilding-yard, and store, for
many of the erections and their surroundings wore all the aspect of
barns. As the little party now tramped on, with the prisoners' fetters
giving forth a dull, clanking sound, the aspect of the place grew more
and more rustic, the people who stopped to stare fewer, till, as they
reached a large boarded house, evidently nearly new, and against whose
rough fence a farmer-like man, in a damaged straw hat, was leaning,
gazing intently at the prisoners. All beyond seemed trees and wild
growth, amidst which the river made a curve, and the trampled track
looked more green.

Nic looked half-wonderingly at the man leaning upon the fence, and felt
that he was going to speak in commiseration of his plight; but the next
moment his hopes were dashed, for the settler shouted:

"How are you, Master Saunders? How's the Gaffer?"

"All well," said the overseer, with a nod.

"Seems a nice, tidy, strong-limbed lot you've got there, master."

"Oh yes; pretty well."

"Some of all sorts. That's an ugly one," continued the farmer, pointing
to Humpy Dee, and mentally valuing him as if he were one in a herd of
cattle. "But I daresay he can work."

"He'll have to," said the overseer, and Nic saw that each black face
wore a grin, while Humpy was scowling savagely.

"Yes, I should like a lot such as that. 'Member me to the Gaffer. Tell