UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY.
27
"
" The gsl 's got seven devils in her,I believe !" In the head and face every Drgan and lineament
biiidIlalej " How like a wildcat she jumped !" expressiveof brutal and unhesitating violence
"
Wal, now,'.' said Sam, scratchinghis head, was in a state of the highestpossibledevelopment.
" I hope jVjis'r '11'scuse us tryin' ar road. Indeed,could our readers fancy a bulldog
Don't think I feel spry enough for dat ar, no
come unto man's estate,and walkingabout
way !" and Sam a
gave hoarse chuckle.
in a hat and coat,they would have no unapt idea
" You laugh!" said the trader,with a growl. of the generalstyle and effect of his physique.
"Lord bless you, Mas'r, I couldn't help it, He was accompaniedby a travelling companion,
now," said Sam, givingway to the long pent-up in many respects an exact contrast to himself.
delight of his soul. "
She looked so curi*s,a He was short and slender,lithe and cat-like in
leapin' ice a springin' crackin'" and only his motions,and had a expression
peering, mousing
to hear her," ker plump! chunk! ker splash!
Spring! Lord! how she goes
Andy laughed
cheeks.
it!" and Sam and
till the tears rolled down their
"
1 '11make ye laugh t'other side yer mouths !" his sleek,thin,black hair was stuck eagerly
said the trader,laying forward,
about their heads with
and all his motions and evolutions expressed
his riding-whip.
a dry, cautious acuteness. The great
Both ducked,and ran shoutingup the bank, big man pouredout a bigtumbler half full of raw
and were on their horses before he was up. spirits, and gulpedit down without a word. The
"
Good-evening, Mas'r!" said Sam, with much* little man stood tip-toe, and puttinghis head
gravity. " I berry much spectMissis be anxious firstto one side and then to the other,and snuffing
'bout Jerry. Mas'r Haley won't want us no considerately in the directionsof the various
longer.Missis would n't hear of our ridin' the bottles, ordered at last a mint julep, in a thin
crittersover Lizy'sbridgeto-night;" and,with a and quivering voice,and with an air of great cir-
facetious poke into Andy'sribs,he started off,
When poured out, he took it and
followed by the latter,at full
"
speed, their looked at it with a sharp,complacentair,like a
.shouts of laughtercomingfaintly on the wind. man who thinks he has done about the right
CHAPTER
ELIZA S ESCAPE.
VIII.
Eliza made her desperate retreat across the
riverjust in the dusk of twilight Ṭhe gray mist
of evening, risingslowly from
her as she disappearedup the bank, and the
swollen current and floundering masses of ice
presented a hopeless barrier between her and her
pursuer. Haley therefore slowlyand discontentedly
quaintance, as a cat sometimes loess at a moving
returned to the littletavern,to ponderfurther dryleaf,or some other possible objc ?t of pursuit,
"
what was to be done. The woman openedto him I say, Tom, this yer 's the luckiest thing in
the door of a little parlor, covered with a ragcarpet,,
where stood a table with a very shiningmust helpme out."
the world. I 'm in a devil of a hobble,and you
black oil-cloth, sundrylank,high-backed woodchairs,with
some plasterimages in resplendent acquaintance."A bodymay be pretty
"Ugh? aw ! like enough!"grunted his complacent
colors on the mantel-shelf, above a very dimlysmokinggrate;
a longhard-wood settle extended
to be made off of 'em. What 's the blow
sure of that,when you Ye gladto see 'em ; something
its uneasy lengthby the chimney, and here now?"
Haleysat him down to meditate on the instability
"You've got a friend here?" said Haley,
of human hopesand happiness general. lookingdoubtfully at Marks; "partner,perhaps
"
What did I want with the little cuss, now," ? ' '
he said to himself, " that I should have
"
got myself
Yes,I have. Here, Marks ! here 's that ar
treed like a coon, as I am, this yer way?" feller that I was in with in Natchez."
and Haley relieved himself by repeating over
not very select litanyof imprecations
which,thoughthere was
to consider them as true,we shall,as a matter
of taste,omit.
He was startled by the loud and dissonant
voice of a man who was apparentlydismounting
about his keen black eyes,
with which every
feature of his face seemed
sharpened into sympathy
; his thin,longnose, ran out as if it was
eager to bore into the nature of things general ;
cumspecti
thing, and hit the nail on the head, and proceeded
to disposeof it in short and well-advised
sips.
"
Wal, now, who 'd a though this yer luck 'ad
come to me? Why, Loker, how are ye?" said
Haley,comingforward,and extendinghis hand
to the
bigman.
"The devil!" was the civil reply."What
the river,envelopedbroughtyou
here,Haley?"
The mousingman, who bore the name of Marks,
instantlystopped his sipping,and, poking hi
head forward,looked shrewdlyon the new ac
a
"
Shall be pleased with his acquaintan^e." said
himself, Marks, thrusting out a long țhin hand, like a
the best
"
possiblereason raven's claw. Mr. Haley,I believe?"
"The same, sir,"said Haley. "And now,
gentlemen,seein' as we 've met so happily,I
think I '11 stand up to a small matter of a treat
in this here parlor.So, now, old coon." said he
at the door. He hurried to the window.
to the man at the bar, " get us hot water, and
"
By the land ! if this yer an't the nearest,now, sugar, and cigars,and plentyof the real stuff,
to what I 've heard folks call Providence,"said ana we '11have a blow-out."
Haley. "I do b'lievethat ar's Tom Loker." Behold,then țhe candles lighted, the firestimulated
Haley hastened out. Standingby the bar,in
to the burningpointin the grate, and our
the corner of the room, was a brawrny, muscular three worthies seated round a table, well spread
man. full six feet in height,and broad in proportion.
with all the accessories to goodfellowship enumerated
He was dressed in a coat of buflidoskin,made
with the hair outward, which
before.
gave Haleybegan a pathetic recital of his peculiar
him a shaggyand fierce appearance, perfectly in troubles. Loker shut up his mouth, and listened
keepingwith the whole air of his physiognomy. to him with gruffand surlyattention. Marks,who