grows? It must be
a fine country to bring up such backer as this; some o' they Palm
Isles, I reckon."

"Virginia," I told him, "or Carolina, one of the finest countries in
the world where they hold slaves."

"Ah," said he, "they couldn't get white men to mess with backer and
such in a hot country, and in course every one knows that blacks won't
work till they're made. That's why they bothers themselves with 'em, I
reckon. But, Lord! they are useless trash. White convicts is useless
enough; think what black niggers must be!"

How about the gentleman in bed? I thought; but he was snoring
comfortably.

"I am a free man myself," continued the old man. "I never did aught,
ay, or thought o' doing aught, that an honest man should not do. But
I've lived among convicts twenty odd year, and do you know, sir,
sometimes I hardly know richt fra wrang. Sometimes I see things that
whiles I think I should inform of, and then the devil comes and tells
me it would be dishonourable. And then I believe him till the time's
gone by, and after that I am miserable in my conscience. So I haven't
an easy time of it, though I have good times, and money to spare."

I was getting fond of the honest, talkative old fellow; so when Dick
asked him if he wanted to turn in, and he answered no, I was well
pleased.

"Can't you pitch us a yarn, daddy?" said Dick. "Tell us something about
the old country. I should like well to hear what you were at home."

"I'll pitch ye a yarn, lad," he replied, "if the master don't want to
turn in. I'm fond of talking. All old men are, I think," he said,
appealing to me. "The time's coming, ye see, when the gift o' speech
will be gone from me. It's a great gift. But happen we won't lose it
after all."

I said, "No, that I thought not; that I thought on the other side of
the grave we should both speak and hear of higher things than we did in
the flesh."

"Happen so," said he; "I think so too, sometime. I'll give ye my yarn;
I have told it often. Howsever, neither o' ye have heard it, so ye're
the luckier that I tell it better by frequent repetition. Here it is:--

"I was a collier lad, always lean, and not well favoured, though I was
active and strong. I was small, too, and that set my father's heart
agin me somewhat, for he was a gran' man, and a mighty fighter.

"But my elder brother Jack, he was a mighty fellow, God bless him; and
when he was eighteen he weighed twelve stone, and was earning man's
wages, t