there that night. I very politely said Dick was not well, and I had come
in his place. He then asked me if Mr. Cobb got his note, I answered, yes,
sir. He then asked me how I felt, and I said first rate, sir. "The d---l
you do," said he. I said, yes sir. He said "nigger, did Mr. Cobb flog
you?" No sir. I have done nothing wrong. "You never do," he answered; and
said no more until he got home. Being a man who could not bear to have any
order of his disobeyed or unfulfilled, he immediately called for Mr. Cobb,
and was told he was in bed; and when he appeared, the master asked if he
got the note sent by the nigger. Mr. Cobb said "Yes." "Then why," said
master, "did you not perform my orders in the note?" "I did, sir," replied
Cobb; when the master said, "I told you to give that nigger thirty-nine
lashes," Mr. Cobb says, "So I did, sir;" when master replied, "He says you
never licked him at all." Upon which Cobb said, "He is a liar;" when my
master called for me (who had been hearing the whole dialogue at the
door), I turned on my toes and went a short distance, and I shouted with a
loud voice that I was coming, (to prevent them knowing that I had been
listening) and appeared before them and said "here I am master, do you
want me?" He said "Yes. Did you not tell me that Mr. Cobb had not flogged
you," and I said "yes I did; he has not flogged me to-day, sir." Mr. Cobb
answered, "I did not flog him. You did not tell me to flog him. You told
me to flog that other nigger." "What other nigger," enquired Master. Cobb
said, "Dick." Master then said, "I did not. I told you to flog this nigger
here." Cobb then produced the letter, and read it as follows:

"Mr. Cobb will give the bearer 39 lashes on delivery." R.T. EARLE.

I then left the room and explanations took place. When I was again called
in. "How came Dick to have had the letter," and I then said I had forgot
to deliver it until Dick wanted me to go to Baltimore in his place, and I
agreed providing he would take the letter. Master then said "you lie, you