"Don't you be skeered," said Estralla softly, "'cause I ain' gwine to
let you be carried off. I knows jes' how slaves are ketched. Yas'm, I
does. My mammy tole me. They gits folks in ships and carries 'em off an'
sells 'em to folks. An' I ain' gwine to let 'em have you, Missy." There
were tears in Estralla's eyes. She knew that her own brother had been
sold the previous year and taken to a plantation in Florida. She had
heard her mother say that she, Estralla, might be sold any time. She
knew that slavery was a dreadful thing.

"Where are they taking us?" questioned Sylvia, for she realized that the
vessel was moving swiftly through the water. She wondered why Captain
Carleton had gone away. Seeing Estralla there gave her a dreadful
certainty that what the little darky said might be true. Perhaps the
vessel might have others on board who were being taken off to be sold,
as Estralla declared.

"Yas, Missy. My mammy's tole me jes' how white folks gets black folks
fer slaves. Takes 'em away from their mammies, an' never lets 'em go
back. Yas!" And Estralla's big eyes grew round with terror.

"But I am a white girl, Estralla," said Sylvia.

Estralla shook her head dolefully.

"Yas, Missy. But I'se gwine to git you safe home. You do jes' as I tell
you an' you'll be safe back with your mammy by ter-morrow!" she
declared.

"You lay down and keep your eyes tight shut till I comes back," she
added, and Sylvia, tired and frightened, obeyed.