judice against the caste that has so long been held in
servitude in the land. "They call out easily, and shut up oncommon quick,
if there's nothin' gained by yelling. Black blood won't stand cold like
white blood, Captain Gar'ner, any more than white blood will stand heat
like black blood."

"I have heard this before, Stephen; and it has surprised me that Captain
Daggett's cook should be the only one of that party who seems to have had
any voice to-night."

Stimson had a good deal to say now, as the two picked their way across the
field of snow, always walking on the crust, which in most places would
have upheld a loaded vehicle; the subject of his remarks being the
difference between the two races as respects their ability to endure
hardships. The worthy boat-steerer had several tales to relate of cases in
which he had known negroes freeze when whites have escaped. As the fact is
one pretty well established, Roswell listened complacently enough, being
much too earnest in pressing forward toward his object, to debate any of
his companion's theories just then. It was while thus employed that
Roswell fancied he heard one more cry, resembling those which had brought
him on this dangerous undertaking, on a night so fearful. This time,
however, the cry was quite faint; and what was not so easily explained, it
did not appear to come from the precise direction in which the wreck was
known to lie, but from one that diverged considerably from that particular
quarter. Of course, the officer mentioned this circumstance to the
boat-steerer; and the extraordinary part of the information caused some
particular discussion between them.

"To me that last call seemed to come from up yonder, nearer to the cliffs
than the place where we are, and not at all from down there, near to the
sea, where the wrack is," said Stimson, in the course of his remarks. "So
sartain am I of this, that I feel anxious to change our course a little,
to see if it be not possible that one of the Vineyarders has got into some
difficulty in trying to come across to us."

Roswell had the same desire, for he had made the same conjecture; though
he did not believe the black would be the person chosen to be the
messenger on such an occasion.

"I think Captain Daggett would have come himself, or have sent one of his
best men," he observed, "in preference to trusting a negro with a duty so
important."

"We do not know, sir, that it was the nigger we heard, Misery