d a loud whistle with
his pouting lips, Mr. Wilmot observed that his master gave the bystanders
a knowing wink, as much as to say, "Isn't he smart?" Then turning to the
boy he said, "How now, you Jim, what are you here for, riding Prince to
death?"

"I begs marster's pardon berry much," said the negro, "but you see how I
done toted all the taters you told me, and missis she 'vise me to ride
Prince a leetle, 'case he's gettin' oneasy like when Miss Carline rides
him."

"Likely story," said Mr. Edson; "but for once you are in the way when I
want you. You know where Mr. Middleton lives?"

"Yes, marster, reckon I does."

"Well, this young man wants to go there. Now jump down quick and help him
on. Do you hear?"

"Yes, marster," said the negro, and in a moment he was on the ground,
holding the stirrup for Mr. Wilmot to mount.

Wilmot hesitated for two causes. The first was, he was not a good horseman
and did not like to attempt mounting the spirited animal before so many
pairs of eyes. He looked wistfully at the horse block, but did not dare
propose having the horse led up to it. The second reason was he did not
know whether to accept or decline the kindness of Mr. Edson; but that man
reassured him by saying:

"Come! What are you waiting for? Jump up. I'd a heap rather Jim would go
with you than ride Prince to death."

Here Mr. Woodburn spoke. He knew that New York people were, comparatively
speaking, inferior riders, and he conjectured why Mr. Wilmot hesitated; so
he said:

"Here, Jim, lead the horse up to the block for the gentleman"; then
turning to the bystanders, said, as if apologizing for Wilmot: "You know
it is so thickly settled in New York that they do not ride as much as we
do, and probably the young man has always been at school."

This was satisfactory to the white portion of the audience, but not to the
group of blacks, who were assembled at the corner of the house. They
thought it a shame not to be a good rider and when they saw the awkward
manner in which Mr. Wilmot finally mounted the horse and the ludicrous
face of Jim Crow as he sprang up behind him, they were, as they afterward
told Aunt Esther, "dreffully tickled and would have larfed, sartin, if
they hadn't knowed marster would have slapped their jaws."

"And sarved you right," was the rejoinder of Aunt Esther.

But to return to Mr. Edson. As soon as Mr. Wilmot, Jim and Prince had
disappeared, he felt a return of his fears concerning the