324 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



" Why, you stupid fellow ! did you never see a wheel, 

 Tom ?" 



" Yes, Massa, but den dem aint' cart-weels !' 



"Fellow!" said I, provoked at his tenacious stupidity, 

 " those are parts of small machines, and can hurt neither you 

 nor me. Come in, this moment, without another word, and 

 assist your master to hold the woman !" 



I seized him by the collar and pushed him in, saying, as I 

 looked significantly at my rifle 



" Do as you are ordered, or remember this !" 



The Planter, who was nearly exhausted by the continued 

 violence of the convulsions, when he saw the cowering negro 

 enter, saluted him with a wrathful oath, which we will be 

 excused from repeating, and in a voice of thunder, ordered him 

 to seize the woman's arms, enforcing his command with a 

 furious kick, followed by gentle insinuation that he would 

 dash his brains out, if he dared to let her up. Tom took 

 hold evidently with fear and trembling, but still with all his 

 might. 



" What are we to do with this she-dragon ?" gasped the 

 poor Planter, wiping the sweat from his brow. " It will take 

 half-a-dozen men to hold her at this rate we shall have to 

 tie her !" 



At this moment an extraordinary change came over the 

 face of the raving woman. The face of the negro as he 

 stooped above her, holding her arms and body down was, of 

 course, immediately over hers. The moment her eyes rested 

 upon it she ceased to struggle, and lay gazing fixedly up at 

 it without moving lip or muscle. We both noticed it at the 

 same moment, and almost held our breath to watch the result. 



After some little while, she began to speak in nearly her 

 ordinary tone, except that it was more measured. It had 

 before been so shriekingly incoherent, that we could only dis- 

 tinguish here and there a phrase. 



" Yes ! yes ! Poor child of persecution, you are here ! 



