ellion which had
just begun to arise in his breast. Thus he was conducted ignominiously
into the street and back to the market-square, where he was made to
stand with a number of other men, who, like himself, appeared to be
slaves. For what they were there waiting he could not tell, but he was
soon enlightened, as after half an hour, a dignified-looking Moor in
flowing apparel came forward, examined one of the captives, felt his
muscles, made him open his mouth, and otherwise show his paces, after
which he paid a sum of money for him and a negro attendant led him away.

"I'm to be sold as a slave," Foster involuntarily groaned aloud.

"Like all the rest of us," growled a stout sailor-like man, who stood at
his elbow.

Foster turned quickly to look at him, but a sudden movement in the group
separated them after the first glance at each other.

By way of relieving his overcharged feelings he tried to interest
himself in the passers-by. This, however, he found very difficult,
until he observed a sturdy young Cabyle coming along with two enormous
feathery bundles suspended over his right shoulder, one hanging before,
the other behind. To his surprise these bundles turned out to be living
fowls, tied by the legs and hanging with their heads down. There could
not, he thought, have been fewer than thirty or forty birds in each
bundle, and it occurred to him at once that they had probably been
carried to market thus from some distance in the country. At all
events, the young Cabyle seemed to be dusty and warm with walking. He
even seemed fatigued, for, when about to pass the group of slaves, he
stopped to rest and flung down his load. The shock of the fall must
have snapped a number of legs, for a tremendous cackle burst from the
bundles as they struck the ground.

This raised the thought in Foster's mind that he could hope for no mercy
where such wanton cruelty was not even deemed worthy of notice by the
bystanders; but the sound of a familiar voice put all other thoughts to
flight.

"Dis way, massa, you's sure to git fuss-rate fellers here. We brought
'im in on'y yesterday--all fresh like new-laid eggs."

The speaker was Peter the Great. The man to whom he spoke was a Moor of
tall stature and of somewhat advanced years.

Delighted more than he could express, in his degraded and forlorn
condition, at this unlooked-for meeting with his black friend, Foster
was about to claim acquaintance, when the negro advan