Shelby and Allison will be frightened out of their boots; and, Marcy,"
added Jack, speaking in a still lower whisper, "you needn't go back to
the _Hattie_ if you don't want to."

"Jack, I wish you would tell me just what you mean," said Marcy
impatiently.

"All right. Give me a chance and I will. But, in the first place, what
was Bose barking at while I was gone? He acted as though he was getting
ready to bite something or somebody. Was it Hanson?"

"That's just who it was," replied Marcy.

"And did Bose hold him until you had opportunity to speak to him!"
continued Jack. "All right. That was what I left him for. I don't care
now what Hanson told you, for I don't suppose there was a word of truth
in it; but what did you think when you spoke to him?"

"I said to myself that one eavesdropper had been brought to light, and
that the next thing would be to find out who it is that carries news to
him from the house," replied Marcy.

"Exactly. Well, there's no one that carries news, but there is a little
nig who used to take him a pack of lies every day," replied Jack, "and I
know who it is. That was what I meant when I told those two darkeys
awhile ago that I could put my hand on the talebearer in less than ten
minutes. It's Julius."

"Jack, you are certainly dreaming," exclaimed Marcy, growing more and
more amazed.

"If you should try to take my measure on the ground right here, you
might find that I am tolerably wide awake," replied the sailor, with a
laugh. "I have had several talks with the overseer, all unbeknown to you
and mother, and by taking it for granted that he was a good rebel, I
caught him off his guard a time or two (but that wasn't a hard thing to
do), and learned, to my surprise, that somebody was keeping him very
well _mis_informed regarding the doings in the house. Of course that
excited my curiosity, and after thinking the matter over I took Julius
by the neck one day when I happened to catch him alone, and frightened
the secret out of him."

And this was the secret, which Jack told in as few words as possible,
for he knew that his mother was anxiously awaiting his return. Julius
was one of the few servants who were allowed the freedom of the house;
but, like many others of his race, he was somewhat given to laying
violent hands upon things that did not belong to him. He was rarely
detected, and when he was he generally succeeded in lying out of it, and
of course this made him bolder; so when he