ed Hanson, looking sharply at the
darkey, who met his gaze without flinching.

"If I ain't telling you de fac's ob de case, you kin w'ar dat rawhide o'
your'n out on me quick's you please," said the boy, earnestly. "If you's
Union you best dig out, kase de Missus put de secesh on you suah," added
Julius, hoping that the man would act upon the suggestion and leave
before morning.

"But I don't want to give the Missus warning till I know that she's got
money enough to pay me."

"Oh, yes, sar; she got plenty ob money," declared Julius, whereupon
Hanson began pricking up his ears. "I seen her have as much as a dollah
dis bery day. I seen it wid my own two eyes."

"A dollar," sneered the overseer. "She owes me more'n that, and she's
got more'n that. She's got a bushel basketful hid away somewhere; and
Julius, if you will find out where it is, and tell me and nobody else, I
will give you a piece of money just like that."

As he said this he put his hand into his pocket and brought out a
twenty-dollar gold piece--a portion of the liberal sum Colonel Shelby
had given him for spying upon the family whose bread he ate. Julius
declared, with much earnestness, that he didn't believe Mrs. Gray had
concealed any money, but if she had he could find it out if anybody
could, and he would bring the news straight to the overseer.

When his supposed ally took his departure Hanson was obliged to confess
to himself that he did not know any more about Mrs. Gray and the money
she was thought to nave in the house than he did before. And we may add
that he never did learn anything through the boy Julius. That astute
darkey was altogether too smart for the overseer, and brought him only
such news as he thought the man wanted to hear; and more than half of
that had not a word of truth in it. In the first place his only thought
and desire was to keep the overseer from telling his mistress that he
stole the breastpin; but as Hanson became more communicative and stood
less on his guard, and the boy's eyes were opened to the startling fact
that Mrs. Gray had an enemy in the overseer, he threw the fear of
punishment to the winds, and set himself at work to defeat all the man's
plans. How he managed to keep his secret was a mystery, for never before
had the negro been known to hold his tongue. But he kept it, and kept it
well until sailor Jack frightened it out of him.

CHAPTER XV.

THE