perfect gentleman in his behavior, when drunk he was
the very devil! Then, he would abuse me like a pickpocket, and find all
manner of fault with whatever I did. He would curse me for a d--d
Yankee, and I would give him as good as he sent. I was no more a Yankee
than he was, having been born, as you know, in Maryland.

'Often he drew his bowie-knife, and rushed at me as if he would cut me
into mince-meat; but I met him boldly with my 'cheese-cutter,' and
backed him down. I could have handled him as I would a child, and he
knew it. And if he had ever drawn blood on me, I would have killed him
in an instant; and he knew it.

'One day when he was drunk, he got mad at a niggar woman he kept about
the house, and ordered me to whip her. I told him to whip her himself.
This enraged him terribly. He was just drunk enough to be crazy. Out
came the everlasting bowie-knife, and out came mine, as usual. Then he
turned from me--whom he feared to attack, drunk and insensate as he
was--he turned from me upon the poor black girl. She was standing near,
with her eyes cast down, and did not immediately perceive his intention.

'She was a pretty girl--a dark mulatto--and had long been his favorite.
But he was then perfectly blind with fury, and dashed at her with his
glittering knife raised above his head. She saw him in time to utter a
piercing shriek, and while in the act of turning to fly, the weapon fell
upon her neck, severed the jugular vein, and prostrated her to the
floor.

'The poor girl never spoke again. The blood rushed like water from the
wound, her face paled, her limbs stiffened, and, with a few convulsive
shudders, she was dead. She was taken to one of the huts, and buried by
the blacks on the following night. There was no inquest--no inquiry--it
was nobody's business.

'As for Talbot, as soon as he saw her fall he appeared to be sobered all
at once. He looked at her a moment, glanced at the bloody knife, and
then cast it from him, as if he were purging himself of the offense, or
punishing the offender by the act. He said not a word, but went to his
room. I saw him no more that day.

'On the next, I went to him and told him he must get another overseer,
for I was about to leave. He seemed incredulous at first, then stormed,
then finding me inflexible, he offered to increase my wages if I would
remain. I had but one answer for all. I said to him: 'Mr. Talbot, I
don't want your money. If I would stay with you at all, I