midday
Upon that word off again up-town had gone the whole black swarm , had sacked the bold merchant 's store , and seemed now , by the noises they made , to be sacking others . `` I come , '' Gilbert said , `` with an offer of the ship-captains to take the white people aboard the ships . '' As he turned away groups of negroes began to dash by laden with all sorts of `` prog '' -LSB- booty -RSB- from the wrecked stores . Grandmamma had lain down , my aunts were trying to make up some sort of midday meal , and I was standing alone behind the jalousies , when a ferocious-looking negro rattled them with his bill . `` Lidde gal , gi ' me some watah . '' `` Wait a minute , '' I said , and left the room . If I hid he might burst in and murder us .