OCR Text |
Show 170 UNCLE TOM'S CADIN: OR, In Tom's hurried exchange, he lw.d not forgotten to transfer his cherished J3ible to his pocket. It was well be did so ; for :Mr. Legree~ having refitted '11om's handcuff5, proceeded deliberately to investigate the contents of his pockets. He drew out a silk handkerchief, and put it into his own pocket. Several little trifles, which Tom had treasured, chiefly because they had amused Eva, he looked upon with a contemptuous grunt, and tossed them over his shoulder into the river. Tom's Methodist hymn-book, which, in his hurry, he had forgotten, he now held up and turned over. "Humph! pious, to be sure. So, what 'a yer name,you belong to the church, eh 1 '' "Yes, Mas'r," said Tom, firmly. "Well, I'll soon have that out of you. I have none o' ycr bawling, praying, singing niggers on my place; so remember. Now, mind yourself," he said, with a stamp and a fierce glance of his gray eye, directed at Tom, "I'm your church now! You understand,-you 've got to be as I say.'' Something within the silent black man answered l'lo! and, ns if repeated by an invisible voice, came the words of an old prophetic scroll, ns Eva had often read them to him,-" Fear not! for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by my name. Thou art MIYE ! l' But Simon Legree heard no voice. That voice is one he never shall hear. He only glared for a moment on the downcast face of Tom, and walked off. l-Ie took Tom's trunk, which containeu a very neat end abundant wardrobe, to tho forecastle, where it was soon surrounded by various hands of tho boat. With much laughing, at tho expense of niggors who tried to be gentlemen, the articles very readily were sold to one and another, and the empty trunk finally put up at auction. It was a good joke, they all thought, especially to aeo LUE AMONG THB LOWLY. 171 how ~rom looked after l1is things, as they were going tills way and tlmt ; and then the auction of tl1c trunk, that was funn. icr than all, and occasioned abundant witticisms. 'This little affair being over, Simon sauntered up again to ld.> propcr\y. "Now, ~l_lom, I 've relieved you of any extra. baggage, you sec. ~l'ake mighty good care of them clothes. It 'll bo long enough 'fore you get more. I go in for making niggcrs careful; one suit has to do for one year, on my place." Simon next walked up to the place where Emmeline was sitting, chained to another woman. " "\Veil, my dcar,n he said, chucking her under tho chin, n keep up your spirits." ~'he involuntary look of horror, fright and n.vcrsion, with which the girl regarded him, did not escape his eye. He frowned fierce] y. "None o' your shines, gal ! you 's got to keep a. pleasant face, when I speak to yc,- d'yc hear 1 And you, you old yellow poco moonshine! " he snid, giving a. shove to the mulatto woman to whom Emmeline was chained, "don't you carry that sort of face ! You 's got to look chipper, I tell yc!" " I say, all on yc," he said retreating a. pace or two back, " look at me,-look at me,-look me right in the cyc,straight, now! " said he, stamping his foot at every pause. As by a fuscination, every eye was now directed to tho glaring greenish-gray eye of Simon. "Now," said he, doubling his great, heavy fist into something resembling a blacksmith's hammer, "tFye sec this fist? Heft it!" he said, bringing it down on ~1 om 's hand. "Look at these yer bones ! Well, I tell ye this ycr fist has got as hard as iron knocking down niggers. I never sec the |