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Show 186 UNCLE '!'OM'S CABIN : OR, a moment, still, he kept his mother constantly busy in holding him, and guarding his springing activity. "l1hat 's a fine chap ! " said a man, suddenly stopping opposite to him, with his hands in his pockets. " How old is he?" "Ten months nnd a half," said the mother. Tho man whistled to tho boy, and offered him part of a stick of candy, which he eagerly grabbed at, and very soon had it in a baby's gcncrn.l deposit-ary, to ·wit, his mouth. "Rum fellow! " sa.id the man. "Knows what's what! , and he whistled, and walked on. When ho had got to the other side of tho boat, be came across Ilaloy, who was smoking on top of a pile of boxes. 'L'hc stranger produced a match, and lighted a cigar, saying, as he did so, "Dcccntish kind o' wench you 'vc got round there, stranger.'' 11 ·why, I reckon she is toP able fair," said Haley, blowing the smoke out of his mouth. " Taking her down south?" said the man. Haley nodded, and smoked on. " Planta,tion hand? " said the man. n 'Val," said Haley," I 'm fillin' out an order for a plant..'Ltion, and I think I shall put her in. They tolled me sho was a good cook; and they can uso her for that, or set her at tl10 cotton-picking. She's got tho right fingers for that; I looked at 'em. Soli well, either way;" and Haley resumed his cigar. "They won't want the young 'un on a plantation," sn.id tho man. " I shall sell-him, first chance I find," said Haley, lighting another cigar. "S'poso you'd he selling him tol'ablo cheap," said the l,Jli'E AM(INIJ 'l'IIE J,OWJS. 187 stranger, mounting the pile of boxes, and sitting down comfortably. " Don't know 'bout that," sa.id Haley; '' he's a pretty smart young 'un,-straight, fat, strong ; flesh as hard a.s a brick!" "V cry true, but then there's all the bother and ex1Jcnse of raisin'." ''Nonsense ! '' said Haley; ''they ls raised as easy as any kind of critter there is going; they an't a bit more trouble than pups. ~J.lhis ycr chap will be running nil round, in a month." "I 'vc got a goed place for raisin', and I thought of lakin' in a little more stock," said the man. " One cook lost a young 'un last week,- got drownded in a washwtub, while she was a hangin' out clothes,- and I reckon it would bo well enough to set her to raisin' this yer." Haley and the stranger smoked a while in silence, neither seeming willing to broach the test question or'"" the interview. At last tho man resumed : " Yon wouldn't think of wan tin' more than ten dollars for that ar chap, seeing you must get him off ycr hand, any how1" Haley shook his head, and spit impressively. 11 ~rhat won't do, no ways," he said, and began h.is smoking again. " '\\'ell, stranger, what will you take 1 " " Well, now," &'lid Haley, " I could raise that ar chap myself, or get him raised; he 's oncommon likely and healthy, and he 'd fetch a hundred dollars, six months hence; and, in a year or two, he 1d bring two hundred, if I had him in the right spot;- so I shan't L1ke n cent less nor fifty for him now.'' |