hanging about his ears and neck in shaggy points, rolling a large
quid of tobacco in his mouth, and dangling a little whip in his
right hand, you saw the index to his office. As he raised his voice--
which he did by twisting his mouth on one side, and working his chin
to adjust his enormous quid--the drawling tone in which he spoke gave
a picture not easily forgotten.

"You must pay more attention to the arrivals," said he in a
commanding tone. "The loss of one of these fellers is a serious
drawback to my pocket; and that British consul's using the
infernalest means to destroy our business, that ever was. He's worse
than the vilest abolitionist, because he thinks he's protected by
that flag of their'n. If he don't take care, we'll tar-and-feather
him; and if his government says much about it, she'll larn what and
who South Carolina is. We can turn out a dozen Palmetto regiments
that'd lick any thing John Bull could send here, and a troop o' them
d--d Yankee abolitionists besides. South Carolina's got to show her
hand yet against these fellers, afore they'll respect the honor and
standing of her institutions. They can't send their navy to hurt us.
And it shows that I always predicts right; for while these
commercial fellers about the wharves are telling about digging out
the channel, I've al'ays said they didn't think how much injury they
were doing; for it was our very best protection in war-time. South
Carolina can lick John Bull, single-fisted, any time; but if that
pack of inconsiderate traders on the wharves get their own way, away
goes our protection, and John Bull would bring his big ships in and
blow us up. And these fellows that own ships are getting so bold,
that a great many are beginning to side with Mathew, the consul.
Yes, they even swear that 'tis the officials that stick to the law
for the sake of the fees. Now, if I only knew that the consul was