, and
shouted, with outrageous officiousness and untiring zeal.

Haley's horse, which was a white one, and very fleet and spirited,
appeared to enter into the spirit of the scene with great gusto; and
having for his coursing ground a lawn of nearly half a mile in extent,
gently sloping down on every side into indefinite woodland, he appeared
to take infinite delight in seeing how near he could allow his pursuers
to approach him, and then, when within a hand's breadth, whisk off with
a start and a snort, like a mischievous beast as he was and career far
down into some alley of the wood-lot. Nothing was further from Sam's
mind than to have any one of the troop taken until such season as
should seem to him most befitting,--and the exertions that he made were
certainly most heroic. Like the sword of Coeur De Lion, which always
blazed in the front and thickest of the battle, Sam's palm-leaf was to
be seen everywhere when there was the least danger that a horse could be
caught; there he would bear down full tilt, shouting, "Now for it! cotch
him! cotch him!" in a way that would set everything to indiscriminate
rout in a moment.

Haley ran up and down, and cursed and swore and stamped miscellaneously.
Mr. Shelby in vain tried to shout directions from the balcony, and Mrs.
Shelby from her chamber window alternately laughed and wondered,--not
without some inkling of what lay at the bottom of all this confusion.

At last, about twelve o'clock, Sam appeared triumphant, mounted on
Jerry, with Haley's horse by his side, reeking with sweat, but with
flashing eyes and dilated nostrils, showing that the spirit of freedom
had not yet entirely subsided.

"He's cotched!" he exclaimed, triumphantly. "If 't hadn't been for me,
they might a bust themselves, all on 'em; but I cotched him!"

"You!" growled Haley, in no amiable mood. "If it hadn't been for you,
this never would have happened."

"Lord bless us, Mas'r," said Sam, in a tone of the deepest concern, "and
me that has been racin' and chasin' till the sweat jest pours off me!"

"Well, well!" said Haley, "you've lost me near three hours, with your
cursed nonsense. Now let's be off, and have no more fooling."

"Why, Mas'r," said Sam, in a deprecating tone, "I believe you mean to
kill us all clar, horses and all. Here we are all just ready to drop
down, and the critters all in a reek of sweat. Why, Mas'r won't think of
startin' on now till arter dinner. Mas'rs' hoss wants rubben d