lking
for the benefit of the girl who waited at table as well as for the
information of any other eavesdropper who might chance to be hanging
around. "But there must be some vessels fitting out at Edenton or
somewhere else in these waters, and we intend to find out before we come
back. We shall set out to morrow as soon as we have had breakfast, and
in order to do that we must provision the _Fairy Belle_ before we go to
bed."

Of course the news of their intended movements got noised among the
servants, as the boys were sure it would, and when they were ready to
set to work, there were any number of volunteers at hand to assist them,
the boy Julius, who took it for granted that he was to be one of the
crew, being particularly active and "bossy." He and another small darkey
were sent off in a skiff to cast the schooner loose from her moorings
and tow her to the shore, and the minute that duty had been performed he
jumped out, seized a bundle which he had left on the bank, and was
climbing back over the side with the agility of a monkey when Jack
called to him:

"Avast, there. What are you about?" cried the sailor.

"Going to stow dis yere dunnage of mine in de fo'castle," replied
Julius, without stopping.

"Well, come back. You can't go this trip."

"Ain't I going to sea with Marse Marcy?" said Julius, who was almost
ready to cry.

"Not this trip, I tell you. You are an Abolitionist, and we can't trust
you. If I should get a chance to go into the navy I shall not want you
around, for you would come back and blab it all over the neighborhood.
Somebody must stay home and take care of mother. Come ashore and lend a
hand with this grub."

"I jes' ain't going to do no such nigger's work as dat," replied Julius
spitefully. "If I can't run on de schooner, I shan't help load her. I
tell you dat for a fac'. I jes' hope she'll go to de bottom 'fore she
sees Seven Mile creek agin."

The darkey emphasized his words by throwing his bundle as far as he
could send it, and by flinging himself over the side as if he had been a
bag of cotton. The moment his feet touched the ground he snatched up his
property again and disappeared in the darkness.

"Sorry he went off mad," said Jack, "but it can't be helped. In times
like these the only persons we can trust are those who can keep still
tongues in their heads, and that is something Julius was never known to
do. Now," he added, turning to the half a dozen blacks who remained, "if