Grasping her by the snout, he stuck the rusty snaffle between her teeth; pulled her long ears through the cracked leathern headstraps; and, turning her in the stall, was about to lead her out.

It was a reluctant movement on the part of the mare--to be dragged away from such provender as she rarely chanced to get between her jaws.

She did not turn without a struggle; and Zeb was obliged to pull vigorously on the bridle-rein before he could detach her muzzle from the manger.

"Ho! ho! Ma.s.s' Tump!" interposed Pluto. "Why you be go 'way in dat big hurry? De poor ole ma' she no half got u'm feed. Why you no let her fill her belly wif de corn? Ha! ha! It do her power o' good."

"Han't got time, n.i.g.g.e.r. Goin' off on a bit o' a jurney. Got abeout a hunderd mile to make in less 'an a kupple o' hours."

"Ho! ho! Dat ere de fa.s.sest kind o' trabbelin'. You 'm jokin', Ma.s.s'

Tump?"

"No, I ain't."

"Gorramity! Wa--dey do make won'full journey on dese hyur prairas. I reck'n dat ere hoss must a trabbled _two_ hunner mile de odder night."

"What hoss?"

"De ole sorrel dere--in dat furrest 'tand from de doos--Ma.s.sa Cahoon hoss."

"What makes ye think he travelled two hunder mile?"

"Kase he turn home all kibbered ober wif de froff. Beside, he wa _so_ done up he scace able walk, when dis chile lead um down to de ribba fo'

gib um drink. Hee 'tagger like new-drop calf. Ho! ho! he wa broke down--he wa!"

"O' what night air ye palaverin', Plute?"

"Wha night? Le'ss see! Why, ob coas de night Ma.s.sa Henry wa missed from de plantashun. Dat same night in de mornin', 'bout an hour atter de sun git up into de hebbings. I no see de ole sorrel afore den, kase I no out ob my skeeta-bar till after daylight. Den I k.u.m 'cross to de 'table hya, an den I see dat quadrumpid all kibbered ober wif sweet an froff--lookin' like he'd swimmed through de big ribba, an pantin' 's if he jes finish a fo' mile race on de Metairie course at New Orlean."

"Who had him out thet night?"

"Doan know, Ma.s.s' Tump. Only dat n.o.body 'lowed to ride de sorrel 'cept Ma.s.sa Cahoon hisself. Ho! ho! Ne'er a body 'lowed lay leg ober dat critter."

"Why, wan't it himself that tuk the anymal out?"

"Doan know, Ma.s.sa Tump; doan know de why nor de whafor. Dis chile neider see de Cap'n take um out nor fotch um in."

"If yur statement air true 'beout his bein' in sech a sweat, someb'dy must a hed him out, an been ridin' o' him."

"Ha! ha! Someb'dy muss, dat am certing."

"Looke hyur, Plute! Ye ain't a bad sort o' a darkie, though your skin air o' a sut colour. I reck'n you're tellin' the truth; an ye don't know who rud out the sorrel that night. But who do ye _think_ it war?

I'm only axin' because, as ye know, Mr Peintdexter air a friend o'

mine, an I don't want his property to be abused--no more what belongs to Capen Calhoun. Some o' the field n.i.g.g.e.rs, I reck'n, hev stole the anymal out o' the stable, an hev been ridin' it all roun' the country.

That's it, ain't it?"

"Well, no, Ma.s.s' Tump. Dis chile doan believe dat am it. De fiel'

hands not 'lowed inside hyur. _Dey_ darn't k.u.m in to de 'table no how.

'Twan't any n.i.g.g.e.r upon dis plantashun as tooked out de sorrel dat night."

"Durn it, then, who ked a tuk him out? Maybe the overseer? War it him d'ye think?"

"'Twan't him needer."

"Who then ked it be; unless it war the owner o' the hoss hisself? If so, thur's an end o' it. He hed the right to ride his critter wharever he pleased, an gallop it to h.e.l.l ef thet war agreeable to him. It ain't no bizness o' myen."

"Ho! ho! Nor myen, needer, Ma.s.s' Tump. Wish I'd thought dat way dis mornin'."

"Why do ye weesh that? What happened this mornin' to change yur tune?"

"Ho! what happen dis mornin'? Dar happen to dis n.i.g.g.a a great misfortin'. Ho!--ho! berry great misfortin'."

"What war it?"

"Golly, Ma.s.sa Tump, I'se got kicked--dis berry mornin', jes 'bout an hour arter twelve o'clock in de day."

"Kicked?"

"Dat I did shoo--all round de 'table."

"Oh! by the hosses! Which o' the brutes kicked ye?"

"Ho!--ho! you mistaken! Not any ob de hosses, but de ma.s.sa ob dem all--'cept little Spotty da, de which he doan't own. I wa kicked by Ma.s.s' Cahoon."

"The h.e.l.l ye wur! For what reezun? Ye must hev _been_ misbehavin'

yurself, n.i.g.g.e.r?"

"Dis n.i.g.g.a wan't mis-b'avin' 't all; not as he knows on. I only ask de cap'n what put de ole sorrel in such a dreful condishin dat ere night, an what make 'im be tired down. He say it not my bizness; an den he kick me; an den he larrup me wif de cow-hide; an den he threaten; an den he tell me, if I ebber 'peak bout dat same ting odder time, he gib me hunder lashes ob de wagon whip. He swa; oh! how he swa! Dis chile nebba see Ma.s.s Cahoon so mad--nebba, in all 'im life!"

"But whar's he now? I don't see him nowhar' beout the premises; an I reck'n he ain't rud out, seein' as the sorrel's hyur?"

"Golly, yes, Ma.s.s Tump; he jess am rode out at dis time. He ob late go berry much away from de house an tay long time."

"A hossback?"

"Jess so. He go on de steel grey. Ha!--ha! he doan' ride de sorrel much now. He hain't mount 'im once since de night de ole hoss wa out-- dat night we been 'peakin' 'bout. Maybe he tink he hab enuf hard ridin'

den, an need long 'pell ob ress."

"Look'ee hyur, Plute," said Zeb, after standing silent for a second or two, apparently engaged in some abstruse calculation. "Arter all, I reck'n I'd better let the ole maar hev another yeer or two o' the corn.

She's got a long spell o' travellin' afore her; an she mout break down on the jurney. The more haste air sometimes the wusser speed; an thurfor, I kalkerlate, I'd better gie the critter her time. While she's munchin' a mouthful, I ked do the same myself. 'Spose, then, you skoot acrosst to the kitchen, an see ef thur ain't some chawin' stuff thur--a bit o' cold meat an a pone o' corn bread 'll do. Yur young mistress wanted me to hev somethin' to eet; but I war skeert abeout delayin', an refused. Now, while I'm waitin' on the maar, I reck'n I ked pick a bone,--jest to pa.s.s the time."

"Sartin' ye cud, Ma.s.s Tump. I go fotch 'im in de hundreth part ob an instant."

So saying the black-skinned Jehu started off across the _patio_, leaving Zeb Stump sole "master of the stole."

The air of indifference with which he had concluded his dialogue with Pluto disappeared, the moment the latter was outside the door.

It had been altogether a.s.sumed: as was proved by the earnest att.i.tude that instantly replaced it.