at the steamboat landing and acquaint him with the fact that with
his assistance we wish completely to furnish the jail."

"I protest--" cried the judge. "I protest--" he repeated
vigorously. "Pride of race forbids that I should be a party to
the degradation of the best of civilization! Is your jail to be
christened to its high office by a nigger? Is this to be the
law's apotheosis? No, sir! No nigger is worthy the honor of
being the first prisoner here!" This was a new and striking
idea. The crowd regarded the judge admiringly. Certainly here
was a man of refined feeling.

"That's just the way I feel about it," said the sheriff. "If I'd
athought there was any call for him I wouldn't have let him go
fishing, I'd have kept him about."

"Oh, let the nigger fish--he has powerful luck. What's he usin',
Sheriff; worms or minnies?"

"Worms," said the sheriff shortly.

Presently the crowd drifted away in the direction of the tavern.
Hannibal meantime had gone down to the river. He haunted its
banks as though he expected to see his Uncle Bob appear any
moment. The judge and Mahaffy had mingled with the others in the
hope of free drinks, but in this hope there lurked the germ of a
bitter disappointment. There was plenty of drinking, but they
were not invited to join in this pleasing rite, and after a
period of great mental anguish Mahaffy parted with the last stray
coin in the pocket of his respectable black trousers, and while