about it. The nigger's father had two of them sued for slander,
but they proved the nigger by a quirk of law that'd make a volume bigger
than Blackstone; and instead of the old Jew getting satisfaction, the
judges, as a matter of policy, granted him time to procure further proof
to show that his son wasn't a nigger. It was a very well-considered
insinuation of the judges, but the young-un stands about A-1 with a
prime nigger-feller."

"I should like to have 'em try me, to see whether I was a nigger or a
white man. It must be a funny law, 'nigger or no nigger.' If a feller's
skin won't save him, what the devil will?" said the Captain.

"Why, show your mother and her generation were white, to be sure! It's
easy enough done, and our judges are all very larned in such things--can
tell in the twinkling of an eye," said the pilot.

"I should think the distinguishing points would be to show that their
mother had nothing to do with a nigger. Do your judges make this a
particular branch of jurisprudence? If they do, I'd like to know what
they took for their text-books. If the intermixture is as complex as
what you say, I should think some of the judges would be afraid of
passing verdict upon their own kin."

"Not a whit!" said the pilot; "they know enough for that."

"Then you admit there's a chance. It must be an amusing affair, 'pon
my soul! when a nice little female has to draw aside her vail before a
court of very dignified judges, for the purpose of having her pedigree
examined," said the Captain.

"Oh! the devil, Cap; your getting all astray--a woman nigger never has
the advantage of the law. They always go with the niggers, ah! ha! ha!!"

"But suppose they're related to some of your big-bugs. What then? Are
your authorities so wise and generous that they make allowance for these
things," asked the Captain, innocently.

"Oh! poh! there you're again: you must live in Charleston a year or two,
but you'll have to be careful at first that you don't fall in love with
some of our bright gals, and think they're white, before you know it. It
doesn't matter seven coppers who they're got by, there's no distinction
among niggers in Charleston. I'll put you through some of the bright
houses when we get up, and show you some scions of our aristocracy, that
are the very worst cases. It's a fact, Cap, these little shoots of the
aristocracy invariably make bad niggers. If a fellow wants a real prime,
likely nigger wench, he must