overseer, ran things with a
heavy hand. Matters reached a crisis one day when, happening to ride
through the quarters, she found him disciplining a refractory black.
She turned sick at the sight. Here was a slave actually being whipped
by another slave while Hicks stood looking on with his hands in his
pockets, and with a brutal satisfied air. When he caught sight of the
girl, he sang out,

"That'll do; he's had enough, I reckon, to learn him!" He added sullenly
to Betty, "Sorry you seen this, Miss!"

"How dare you order such a punishment without authority!" cried Betty
furiously.

Hicks gave her a black scowl.

"I don't need no authority to whip a shirker," he said insolently, as he
turned away.

"Stop!" commanded Betty, her eyes blazing. She strove to keep her voice
steady. "You shall not remain at Belle Plain another hour."

Hicks said nothing. He knew it would take more than her saying so to
get him off the place. Betty turned her horse and galloped back to the
house. She felt that she was in no condition to see Tom just at that
moment, and dismounting at the door ran up-stairs to her room.

Meantime the overseer sought out Ware in his office. His manner
of stating his grievance was singular. He began by swearing at his
employer. He had been insulted before all the quarter--his rage fairly
choked him, he could not speak.

Tom seized the opportunity to swear back. He wanted to know if he
hadn't troubles enough without the overseer's help? If he'd got himself
insulted it was his own affair and he could lump it, generally speaking,
and get out of that office! But Tom's fury quickly spent itself. He
wanted to know what the matter was.

"Sent you off the place, did she; well, you'll have to eat crow. I'll do
all I can. I don't know what girls were ever made for anyhow, damned if
I do!" he added plaintively, as a realization of a stupendous mistake on
the part of nature overwhelmed him.

Hicks consented to eat crow only after Mr. Ware had cursed and cajoled
him into a better and more forgiving frame of mind. Then Tom hurried off
to find Betty and put matters right; a more difficult task than he had
reckoned on, for Betty was obdurate and her indignation flared up at
mention of the incident; all his powers of argument and persuasion were
called into requisition before she would consent to Hicks remaining, and
then only on that most uncertain tenure, his good behavior.

"Now you come up to the house," said To