s to send Julius there at once. When
he came, the first thing Jack did was to lock the door and put the key
in his pocket.

"Now, Julius," said he, in his most solemn tones, his face at the same
time taking on a fierce frown, "if you are an innocent boy, if you have
been strictly honest and truthful ever since I have been at sea, if you
have obeyed your mistress and kept your hands off things that do not
belong to you----"

"Oh, Marse Jack," exclaimed the frightened boy. "Suah hope to die I
nevah----"

"Don't interrupt me," commanded Jack, with a still more savage frown.
"I'll show you in a minute that I have it in my power to find out just
what you have done while I have been gone, from the time you stole----"

"Marse Jack, I nevah took dat breastpin; suah hope to die if I did,"
began Julius.

"Hal-lo!" thought Jack. "I've got on to something when I least expected
it. That's what comes of knowing how to handle a darkey. I didn't even
know that mother had lost a breastpin."

"I haven't asked you whether you stole it or not," he said, aloud.
"There is no need that I should ask you any questions, for I have a way
of finding out everything I want to know. If you have been an honest,
truthful boy during the last two years, sit down in that chair; but I
warn you that if you are deceiving me, it will drop to pieces with you
and let you down on the floor. Sit down!"

"Oh, Marse Jack," cried the darkey, backing away from the chair. "Don't
I done tol' you dat I didn't took it?"

"Do you stick to that story?" demanded Jack.

"Yes, sar. I stick to it till I plum dead."

"All right. I hope you are telling me the truth, and I'll very soon find
out whether you are or not. The Yankees are coming right through this
country some day, and I don't want to give you up to them, as I am
afraid I shall have to do. You have heard Aunt Mandy tell her
pickaninnies what awful fellows the Yankees are, have you not? Why,
Julius, it scares me to think of them. If a live Yankee was in this room
this minute,--don't get behind me, for I wouldn't try to help you if one
should walk in and carry you off,--if one came in and sat down in that
chair that will fall to pieces if you touch it, and you should take off
his hat and his right boot, you would find that he had horns and a
cloven hoof--a hoof like an ox instead of a foot like yours."

"Look a hyar, Marse Jack," exclaimed Julius, clinging to the sailor with
one trembling hand while he poi