"MR BUNGO.-Sir,-This is to inform you that I have purchased a black slave calling herself Indolence Bungo, aged 25, sound in limb and wind, no marks, white teeth, and likely for domestic work, from Haman S. Walker of Charleston. Said Indolence Bungo describing herself as your daughter, I have to state that I am willing to allow you to purchase her freedom, for the sum, which is the lowest I can take, of 1800 dollars, money to be paid down here at Charleston. If I do not hear from you within three weeks from this date, I shall put her up for public auction, as I do not want such an article for myself, and her keep is expensive. -Yours, CYRUS J. FLINTER.'

""Goramighty!' shouted Daddy Bungo. 'Dat not my daughter! She married woman. Who be dat

Walker?'

"That's explained in the postscript,' said the lawyer, and he read—

"P.S.-For your better information, I may state that Haman S. Walker above referred to, was, I am given to understand, known in Toronto by the name of Issachar Quail.'

'It's no use trying to describe the scene that followed. Daddy howled like a wolf in a trap, or a Methody minister when he gets on the subject of brimstone; hopped round the room like a ball of Injunrubber, tore out his wool by handfuls, and upset the ink over bundles of papers, for which he had afterwards

to pay considerable smart-money to the lawyer. It's my belief that, but for a bottle of brandy which the lawyer happened to have in his desk, he'd ha' gone stark staring mad, and they must have clapped a strait-jacket on him. As it was, they had to send for Jake and Juba to carry him home, which they did with great difficulty, for he bit viciously, and kicked as hard as a mustang.

There was no help for it; so he had to draw all his ready-money out of the bank, and with it he started for Charleston, thinking he was safe enough, for he had been thirty years and more in Canada, and had certificates from the first-chop men in Toronto as to his character and occupation. When he gets to Charleston he goes direct to Judge Flinter's, who was quite cool and pleasant like, and said he was rael sorry to have given him the trouble of coming so far.

"Fact is,' said the Judge, 'I wasn't quite sure about the gal's being your daughter, for Haman is an almighty deep file, and it ain't a'most possible to fix him. I s'pose,' says he, 'it wasn't a lie of Haman's that the gal was born afore you bought your freedom?' and he squinted at Daddy Bungo like a rattlesnake.

"No, sar,' says Daddy, 'dat no lie.' But he felt particularly uncomfortable, and his knees began to fail him.

666

"Wall, in that case,' said the Judge, 'you jest step into that 'ere room, and see if it be your daughter. She's been well cared for; corned to the lips, I can

tell you, and I'll charge nothin' for her feeds. I'm apt to be soft in these matters, but I hope for a blessin'; so get through it, will you, as smart as you can, for I may chance to be wanted in court. There's some talk

of lynching a nigger this arternoon.'

"You may guess that the interview between Daddy Bungo and Indolence was very short. Heaven knows what they'd not ha' given to be set down safe in

Toronto.

666

'All right?' said the Judge.

Iss, sar, all right. Dat my daughter,' said Daddy. 'There um dollars. Where um paper?'

"Here it is,' said the Judge. But we need a witness,' and so saying he rung a hand-bell; the door opened, and Haman S. Walker appeared.

"Good morning, Daddy Bungo!' says he, as cool as a block of Wenham Lake ice.

"You dam villian!' shouts Daddy, up to the point o' bursting.

"You tarnation nigger!' says Haman, hitting him a whack with a supple-jack across his cucumber shanks, which made him dance like a dead frog at the touch of a galvanic battery-'You tarnation nigger, do you dare to speak in that way to your owner? Darn me, if I haven't a strong mind to give you ten dozen of the cowskin!'

"What dat you say, you dam scoundrel? Me free Canadian-me British subject-write to the Gubberner, sar, and make um civil war! You no owner of mine. I horse-dealer in Toronto.'

Haman, with some self-control, did not apply the supple-jack at this second provocation.

Bungo,' says he, 'you stupid old nigger, don't make the game worse for you than I like; for I'm a quiet and raisonable kind of man, and am disposed to let you off easy. I've bought you. I guess you may remember telling me the plantation from which you absquatulated; and as you were long wiped off the books as a bad debt, I bought you for twenty dollars. Here are the papers, old darkey, and you're my nigger now. The Judge here sacks two hundred dollars as commission on the sale of Indolence; and I'll trouble

you to make up three thousand dollars to buy your own freedom, else Jake and Juba will have the letting-out of all the horses in Toronto. It ain't no use your making a row about it, for I know to a cent what you're worth in the world, and I reckon I am unkimmon liberal in not piling you altogether. Daddy Bungo !— if a nigger ever can be a Christian, you ought to remember me in your prayers.'

"The upshot of the matter was, that Daddy Bungo had to put his mark to a letter directing the Toronto lawyer to sell off his stock; and, till the money was paid, he and Indolence were handsomely boarded by the Judge at the rate of two dollars a-day. Now, that's what I call smartness. I guess you'll allow that no Britisher ever born could hold a candle to Haman S. Walker, who, besides a handsome subscription, got a black wife and a span of horses, and sold them both, and his father-in-law into the bargain."

CHAPTER III.

A NEW PROSPECT.

PARLIAMENT met at last; and everything betokened a most busy and animated session. Not only was it known that public measures of vast importance, and likely to provoke vehement opposition, were to be propounded, but never in the recollection of the oldest solicitor had there been such an accumulation of private business as was now thrust upon both Houses, and which threatened to change the whole character of the legislative body, by converting it into an aggregate of permanent committees. Enterprise had for many months been running riot; and the result was a perfect avalanche of bills that struck terror into the hearts of the officials. Nor were they of a kind that could be easily adjusted or disposed of, like the ancient roadbills, which passed almost as a matter of form; for now, company was arrayed against company in fierce and deadly antagonism-each projected line had at least one direct competitor; and then, beyond the question of comparative advantage of route, lay the