r for
withholding proper rations.

"Well-pretty well!" said Grimshaw, snapping his fingers very
significantly. "You seem to enjoy the independence of your own opinion,
colonel. Just prove this nigger's a white, and I'll give you a release
for him, after paying the fees. You better move to Massachusetts, and
preach that doctrine to William Lloyd Garrison and Abby Kelly."

"Give me none of your impudence, or your low insults. You may protect
yourself from personal danger by your own consciousness that you are
beneath the laws of honor; but that will not save you from what you
deserve, if you repeat your language. Our moderation is our protection,
while such unwise restrictions as you would enforce, fan the flame of
danger to our own households," said the colonel, evidently yielding
to his impulses; while Mr. Grimshaw sat trembling, and began to make a
slender apology, saying that the language was forced upon him, because
the colonel had overstepped the bounds of propriety in his demands.

"I'm somewhat astonished at your demand, colonel, for you don't seem
to comprehend the law, and the imperative manner in which I'm bound
to carry it out. Shipowners should get white stewards, if they want to
avoid all this difficulty. I know the nature of the case, but we can't
be accountable for storms, shipwrecks, old vessels, and all these
things. I'll go and see the fellow to-morrow, and tell the jailer-he's
a pattern of kindness, and that's why I got him for jailer-to give him
good rations and keep his room clean," said Grimshaw, getting up and
looking among some old books that lay on a dusty shelf. At length he
found the one, and drawing it forth, commenced brushing the dust from it
with a dust-brush, and turning his tobacco-quid. After brushing the
old book for a length of time, he gave it a scientific wipe with his
coat-sleeve, again sat down, and commenced turning over its pages.

"It's in here, somewhere," said he, wetting his finger and thumb at
every turn.

"What's in there, pray? You don't think I've practised at the Charleston
bar all my life without knowing a law which has called up so many
questions?" inquired the colonel.

"Why, the act and the amendments. I believe this is the right one. I
a'n't practised so long, that I reckon I've lost the run of the appendix
and everything else," adding another stream of tobacco-spit to the
puddle on the floor.

"That's better thought than said. Perhaps you'd better get a sch