"  So  she  would,"  said  Andy  ;  "  but  can't  ye  see  through  a
ladder,  ye  black  nigger  ?  Missis  don't  want  dis  yer  Mas'r  Haley
to  get  Lizy's  boy ;  dat 's  de  go  !  "

"  Hi !  "  said  Sam,  with  an  indescribable  intonation,  known
only  to  those  who  have  heard  it  among  the  negroes.
"  And  I  'U  tell  yer  more  'n  aU,"  said  Andy  ;  "  I  spect  you  'd
better  be  making  tracks  for  dem  bosses,  —  mighty  sudden,  too,
—  for  I  hearn  Missis  'quirin'  arter  yer,  —  so  you  've  stood
foolin'  long  enough."

Sam,  upon  this,  began  to  bestir  himself  in  real  earnest,  and
after  a  while  appeared,  bearing  down  gloriously  towards  3xo
house,  with  Bill  and  Jerry  in  a  full  canter,  and  adroitly  throw-
ing himself  off  before  they  had  any  idea  of  stopping,  he  brought
them  up  alongside  of  the  horse-post  like  a  tornado.    Haley's


60  UNCLE  TOM'S  CABIN;   OB,

horse,  which  was  a  skittish  young  colt,  winced,  and  bouncedi
and  pulled  hard  at  his  halter.
"  Ho,  ho  ! "  said  Sam,  "  skeery,  ar  ye  ?  "  and  his  black  visage
lighted  up  with  a  curious,  mischievous  gleam.  "  I  '11  fix  ye
now  !  "  said  he.
)  There  was  a  large  beech-tree  overshadowing  the  place,  and
j^he  small,  sharp,  triangular  beechnuts  lay  scattered  thickly  on
Ithe  ground.  With  one  of  these  in  his  fingers,  Sam  approached
the  colt,  stroked  and  patted,  and  seemed  apparently  busy  in
soothing  his  agitation.  On  pretence  of  adjusting  the  saddle,  he
adroitly  slipped  under  it  the  sharp  little  nut,  in  such  a  manner
that  the  least  weight  brought  upon  the  saddle  would  annoy  the
nervous  sensibilities  of  the  animal,  without  leaving  any  percep>
tible  graze  or  wound.
