and all, looked savage as meat-axes, and
began to get too numerous to mention.

[Illustration: "What dat! got pistils in your pocket, eh?" says one of
two big buck Niggers, shying up alongside of the new velocipeding
up-country artisan. "What dat! got de hand-cuffs in he
pocket!"--_Page_ 99.]

"Well, guess I'll be goin'," says Phipps, after fumbling over some of
the shooting-irons, jack-knives, etc.; reaching the street, he was more
fully impressed with the fixed fact, that the niggers were all sorts of
thick. They fairly crowded him; one buck darkey rubbed slap up against
Phipps, as he moved out of the store. "Look here, Mister," says Phipps,
"ain't all this street big enough for you without a crowdin' me?"

The nigger stopped, looked arsenic and chain lightning at Phipps, and
then moved off, saying in a sort of undertone--

"Gorra, I guess you'll be crowded a wus'n dat afore dis day is ober."

"Will, eh?" responded Abner Phipps, slightly mystified as to the why and
wherefore, that _he_ should, in particular, be "crowded," especially by
an Ethiopic gentleman.

"I guess I _won't_ then," resumed Phipps; "if any body ventures to crowd
me, just a purpose, I guess I'll be darn'd apt, and mighty quick to
squash in their heads, or whoop'm on the spot."

"What dat? got pistils in your pocket, eh?" says one of the two big buck
niggers, shying up alongside of the now velocipeding up-country artisan.
Phipps looked back, the negroes were following him. "Pistils? who's
talkin' about pistils, mister?" he ventured to ask.

"Dat's him, watch'm."

"Why, we see'd you goin' in dar, dat pistol shop; want to lay in a stock
of dirks and pistils, eh?" says the negro.

"You--you got any hand-cuffs in you' pocket?" inquired another.

"What dat? got de hand-cuffs in he pocket?"

"Pistils and bowie knibes!" says a third.

"Dat's him! watch'm!"

"Knock'm down, put dat white hat ober his eyes! Hoo-r-r!"

The negroes now fairly beset our victimized friend Phipps; he stopped,
buttoned his coat, the negroes augmented; glared at him like demons; he
fixed his hat firmly upon his head; the negroes began to grin and move
upon him; he spat upon his hands; the negroes began to yell, and to
close in upon him; with one grand effort, one mighty gathering of all
the human faculties called into action by fear and desperation, Phipps
bounded like a Louisiana bull at a gate post; he knocked down two,
_square_; kicked over four, and rushing thro