s don't like coming home empty-handed.
If it's only a turnip or an egg, it's something. Oh yes, I wrote good
and plenty to Uncle Aurette, and--Dad don't read very quickly--Uncle
used to slip over Newhaven way and tell Dad what was going on in the
tobacco trade.'

'I see--

Aurettes and Lees--
Like as two peas.

Go on, Brother Square-toes,' said Puck. Pharaoh laughed and went on.

'Talleyrand he'd gone up in the world same as me. He'd sailed to France
again, and was a great man in the Government there awhile, but they
had to turn him out on account of some story about bribes from American
shippers. All our poor emigres said he was surely finished this time,
but Red Jacket and me we didn't think it likely, not unless he was quite
dead. Big Hand had made his peace treaty with Great Britain, just as
he said he would, and there was a roaring trade 'twixt England and the
United States for such as 'ud take the risk of being searched by British
and French men-o'-war. Those two was fighting, and just as his gentlemen
told Big Hand 'ud happen--the United States was catching it from both.
If an English man-o'-war met an American ship he'd press half the best
men out of her, and swear they was British subjects. Most of 'em was! If
a Frenchman met her he'd, likely, have the cargo out of her, swearing
it was meant to aid and comfort the English; and if a Spaniard or a
Dutchman met her--they was hanging on to England's coat-tails too--Lord
only knows what they wouldn't do! It came over me that what I wanted in
my tobacco trade was a fast-sailing ship and a man who could be French,
English, or American at a pinch. Luckily I could lay my hands on both
articles. So along towards the end of September in the year 'Ninety-nine
I sailed from Philadelphia with a hundred and eleven hogshead o' good
Virginia tobacco, in the brig BERTHE AURETTE, named after Mother's
maiden name, hoping 'twould bring me luck, which she didn't--and yet she
did.'

'Where was you bound for?' Puck asked.

'Er--any port I found handiest. I didn't tell Toby or the Brethren. They
don't understand the ins and outs of the tobacco trade.'

Puck coughed a small cough as he shifted a piece of wood with his bare
foot.

'It's easy for you to sit and judge,' Pharaoh cried. 'But think o' what
we had to put up with! We spread our wings and run across the broad
Atlantic like a hen through a horse-fair. Even so, we was stopped by an
English frigate, three days