that, Sambo? Is that the stuff or not? Will that do,
think ye? Well, you shall soon see. Gentlemen!" he continued, with all
the gravity of a legitimate M.D. "Gentlemen! the arms and legs of this
poor Sambo must be stretched as much as possible, in order that the
sarve may take its full effect. Will you be good enough to assist me?"

Upon the word, the backwoodsmen caught hold of the negro's limbs, and
began pulling and tugging at them till the poor devil roared as if they
had been impaling him.

"Boohoo away!" cried the Yankee. "It's all for your good. If your
shoulder is put out, the stretchin' will put it in ag'in."

The negro continued his lamentations, as well he might, when every one
of his joints was cracking under the force applied.

"All no use your callin' out!" screamed the pedlar, as he stuck the
salved rag upon the ebony hide of the patient. "Better hold yer tongue.
Ain't you lucky to have met with me at a time when all the doctors in
the world--the Browns, and Hossacks, and Sillimans--could not have done
you a cent's worth of good? All their drugs would have had no more
effect than a ladleful of pea-soup. You ought to be rejoicin' in yer
luck, instead of screamin' like a wounded catamount. Keep still, will
you? There, that'll do. Many thanks, gentlemen; I thank you in the name
of this senseless crittur. That's enough. No cause for complaint, man!"
continued he, as he stuck a second plaster on the negro's foot. "All
safe enough when Jared Bundle is there with his Palmyra sarve. You be
the first as was ever know'd to scream after havin' one smell of that
precious 'intment. And I tell you what it is, my man, if both your black
legs had been broken clean off, and were swimmin' down the Mississippi
half rotten--ay, or if they had just come out of the jaws of an
alligator, and you were to stick 'em on, and plaster them up with this
'intment, you may take my word, Jared Bundle's word, that they'd grow to
your body again--the flesh would become your flesh, and the bone your
bone, as sure as I am now here." And he looked round at his auditors
with a world of confidence and veracity depicted upon his countenance.

"There was Aby Sparks to Penobscot--you know, ladies and gentlemen, Aby
Sparks, the son of Enoch Sparks, who married Peggy Heath. Good family
the Sparkses--very good family, as you know, ladies and gentlemen.
Respectable people in a respectable way of business, the general
line--drugs and cutlery, and