Small, pale and bloodless as "ole miss" appeared, none of her
domestics dared to rebel openly; but if any little darky came within
the reach of Aun' Suke's wooden spoon, she relieved her feelings
promptly. In dining-room and kitchen, therefore, was seething and
repressed excitement. The very air was electric and charged with
rumors.

Perkins, the overseer, was at his wits' end, also, about the field-
hands. They were impassive or sullen before his face, and abounding
in whispers and significant glances behind his back. What they knew,
how much they knew, he could not discover by any ingenuity of
questioning or threatening, and he was made to feel that excessive
harshness might lead to serious trouble. Disturbing elements were on
all sides, in the air, everywhere, yet he could not lay his finger
on any particular culprit.

Of all the slaves on the plantation, Chunk appeared the most docile
and ready to oblige every one. He waited on the Confederate troopers
with alacrity, and grinned at their chaffing with unflagging good-
nature. In all the little community, which included an anxious Union
scout, Chunk was about the most serene and even-pulsed individual.
Nature had endowed him with more muscle than nerves, more shrewdness
than intellect, and had quite left out the elements of fear and
imagination. He lived intensely in the present; excitement and
bustle were congenial conditions, and his soul exulted in the
prospect of freedom. Moreover, the fact that he had proved himself
to Zany to be no longer a mere object for ridicule added not a
little to his elation. Shrewd as himself, she was true to her word
of keeping an eye on him, and she was compelled to see that he was
acting his part well.