of
surprise at recognising him, until all these thoughts had passed through
my mind!

Almost with equal rapidity was I disabused of the singular delusion. In
another minute I became aware that my suspicions were unjust. I had
been wronging the man who stood before me.

All at once his attitude changed. His uplifted arm fell by his side;
the expression of fierce menace disappeared; and in as mild a tone as
his rough voice was capable of giving utterance to, he said--

"Oh! you mass'--brack man's friend! Dam! thought 'twar da cussed Yankee
driber!"

"And was that why you ran from me?"

"Ye, mass'; ob course it war."

"Then you are--"

"Am runaway; ye, mass', jes so--runaway. Don't mind tell you. Gabr'el
truss you--He know you am poor nigga's friend. Look-ee-dar."

As he uttered this last phrase, he pulled off the scanty copper-coloured
rag of a shirt that covered his shoulders, and bared his back before my
eyes!

A horrid sight it was. Besides the _fleur-de-lis_ and many other old
brands, there were sears of more recent date. Long wales, purple-red
and swollen, traversed the brown skin in every direction, forming
perfect network. Here they were traceable by the darker colour of the
extravasatod blood, while there the flesh itself lay bare, where it had
been exposed to some prominent fold of the spirally-twisted cowskin.
The old shirt itself was stained with black blotches that had once been
red--the blood that had oozed out during the infliction! The sight
sickened me, and called forth the involuntary utterance--

"Poor fellow!"

This expression of sympathy evidently touched the rude heart of the
Bambarra.

"Ah, mass'!" he continued, "you flog me with hoss-whip--dat nuff'n!
Gabr'l bress you for dat. He pump water on ole Zip _'gainst him will_--
glad when young mass' druv im way from de pump."

"Ha! you were forced to it, then?"

"Ye, mass', forced by da Yankee driber. Try make me do so odder time.
I 'fuse punish Zip odder time--dat's why you see dis yeer--dam!"

"You were flogged for refusing to punish Scipio?"

"Jes so, mass' Edwad; 'bused, as you see; but--" here the speaker
hesitated, while his face resumed its fierce expression; "but,"
continued he, "I'se had rebenge on de Yankee--dam!"

"What?--revenge? What have you done to him?"

"Oh, not much, mass'. Knock im down; he drop like a beef to de axe.
Dat's some rebenge to poor nigga. Beside, I'se a runaway, _an' dat's
rebenge_!