"Never mind your excuse; here," said he, throwing him a dollar, "hitch
up as quick as possible, and take me there without any 'buts' or 'ifs.'"

"All right, massa," said Sam, grinning with delight. "I'll have you over
there in short order."

The carriage harnessed, Samuel found no difficulty with his horses, and
reached the depot almost a half hour before the time.

Louis arrived in the city after midnight, and the next day he devoted to
hunting for Ellen. He searched through different slave pens, inquired of
all the traders, until at last, ready to abandon his search in
hopelessness, he heard of a private jail in the suburbs of the city.
Nothing daunted by his failure, he found the place and Ellen also.

The trader eyed him keenly, and saw from his manner that he was in
earnest about having the girl.

"She is not for sale in this city. Whoever buys her must give me a
pledge to take her out of this city. That was the bargain I made with
her mistress. She made me promise her that I would sell her to no one in
the vicinity of the city. In fact, she wanted me to sell her out of the
way of her son. His mother said she had dedicated him to the Blessed
Virgin, and I reckon she wanted to keep him out of the way of
temptation. Now what will you give me for her?"

"Will you take a thousand for her?"

"Now you ain't saying nothing," said the trader, shutting one eye, and