UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

dat
0
I
"
and
there
with as good a determinationto pay
ever suitor after a vacant placeat St. James' or
Washington.
"Why have you been loitering so, Sam? I
sent Andy to tell you to hurry."
"
Lord bless you, Missis !" said Sam, " horses
won't be kotched all in a minit ; they 'd done
clared out way down to the south pasture, and
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY. 21
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court as did his head with a dexterous thump, and looked
about well pleased,
if to say, " Who says I
he rapped the crown on of the
"
deepestconcern, and me that has been
have n't got a hat !"
"
Well, boys,"said Haley, " look alive now;
we must lose no time."
"
Not a bit of him, Mas'r !" said Sam, putting
Haley's rein in his hand, and holding his stirrup,
while Andy was untyingthe other two horses.
the Lord knows whar !"
The instant Haley touched the saddle,the
"
Sam, how often must I tell you not to say mettlesome creature bounded from the earth with
1
Lord bless you,
and the Lord knows,' and such a sudden spring țhat threw his master sprawling,
things ! It 's wicked."
some feet off,on the soft,dry turf. Sam,
"
0, Lord bless my soul ! I done forgot, with frantic ejaculations, made a dive at the
I won't say nothingof de sort no more."
reins,but only succeeded in brushing the blazing
"
Why, Sam, you justhave said it again." palm-leaf afore-named intothe horse's eyes, which
"Did I? 0, Lord! I mean didn't go by no means tended to allaythe confusion of his
fur to say it."
nerves. So,Avithgreatvehemence,he overturned
"
You must be careful, Sam."
Sam, and, giving two or three contemptuous
"
Just let me get my breath,Missis,and I '11 snorts,flourishedhis heels vigorously in the air,
start fair. I '11be berry careful."
and was soon prancingaway
towards the lower
"
Well,Sam, you
are to go with Mr. Haley țo end of the lawn, followed by Bill and Jerry,
show him the road and helphim. Be careful of whom Andy had not failed to let loose,according
the horses,Sam ; you know Jerrywas a little to contract,speeding them offwith various direful
lame last week ; don't ride them too fast. ejaculations. And now ensued a miscellaneous
Mrs. Shelbyspokethe last words with a low scene of confusion. Sam and Andy ran and
voice,and
shouted," strongemphasis.
dogsbarked here and and
there,"
" Let dis child alone for dat !" said Sam, rolling
Mike,Mose,Mandy,Fanny, and all the smaller
up his eyes with a volume of meaning. specimens on the place,both male and female,
" Lord knows '
High! Didn't say dat!" said raced,clappedhands, whooped and shouted,with
he,suddenlycatching breath,with a ludicrous outrageousofficiousnessand untiringzeal.
flourish of apprehension, which made his mistress Haley'shorse, which was a white one, and
laugh,spite of herself. "
Yes,Missis,I '11 look very fleetand spirited, appearedto enter intothe
out for de bosses !"
spirit greatgusto; and having
"
Now, Andy," said Sam, returning to his for his coursing-ground a lawn of nearly half a
"
stand under the beech-trees, you seel wouldn't mile in extent, gentlysloping down on
be 'tall surprised gen'lman's crittur
every side
into indefinitewoodland, he appearedto take infinite
should gib a fling, by and by, when he comes to delight in seeinghow near he could allow
be a gettin' up.
You know, Andy, critturs will his pursuers to approachhim, and then,when
do such things;" and therewith Sam pokedAndy within a hand's breadth,whisk off with a start
in thesich,in a highlysuggestive manner.
and a snort, like a mischievous beast as he
"High ." said Andy, with an air of instant was, and career far down into some alleyof the
appreciation.
wood-lot. Nothingwas further from Sam's mind
"
Yes, you see, Andy, Missis wants to make than to have any one of the trooptaken until
time. ar 'sclar to der most or'nary'bserver. such season as should seem to him most befitting,
I jis make a littlefor her. Now, you see, get all
the exertions that he made were certainly
dese yer hosses loose,caperin'permiscusround most heroic. Like the sword of Coeur De Lion,
dis yer lot and doAvn to de wood dar,and I spec which always blazed in the front and thickest
Mas'r won't be offin a hurry."
of the battleȘam's palm-leafwas to be seen
Andy grinned.
everywherewhen there was the least danger that
"
Yer see," said Sam, " yer see, Andy, if any
a horse could be caught; he would bear
such thing should happen as that Mas'r Haley'sdown
fulltilt,shouting,
Now for it! cotch him !
horse should begin to act contrary, and cut up, cotch him !" in a
way that would set everything
you and I jistlets go of our'n to helphim, and to indiscriminate rout in a moment.
we'll helphim yes!" And Sam and Andy Haley ran up and down, and cursed and swore
laid their heads back on their shoulders,and and stamped miscellaneously Ṃr. Shelbyin
broKe into a low, immoderate laugh,snappingvain tried to shout directions from the balcony,
their fingers and flourishing their heels with exquisiteand
Mrs. Shelby from her chamber-window alternately
delight.
laughed and not without
wondered,"
At this instant,Haleyappeared on the veranda.
some inkling of what layat the bottom of all
Somewhat mollifiedby certain cups of very this confusion.
goodcoffee, he came out smiling and- talking At last,about twelve o'clockȘam appeared
tolerably restored humor. Sam and Andy, clawing
triumphant, mounted on Jerry, with Haley's
for certain
fragmentary palm-leaves, which horse by his side,reeking with sweat, but with
they were in the habit of considering flashing eyes and dilated nostrils, showingthat the
flew to the horse-posts, to be ready to " help spiritof freedom had not yetentirely Mas'r."
"
He 's cotched !" he exclaimed,triumphantly.
Sam's palm-leaf had been ingeniously disentangled
"
If 't hadn't been for me, theymight a bust
from all pretensions to braid,as respectstheirselves,
all on 'em ; but 1 cotched him !""
its brim ; and the slivers startingapart, and
"
You !" growledHaley, in no amiable mood.
standingupright, gave it a blazingair of freedom
"
If it had n't been for you, this never would have
and defiance,quiteequal to that of any happened."
"
Lord bless us, Mas'r,"said Sam, in a tone
Fejeechief; while the whole brim of Andy's
beingdepartedbodily,