‘He will, my good Pomp, he will!’ said the Colonel, laying his hand tenderly on the old man’s shoulder.  ’The Lord will forgive you, for the sake of the Christian example you’ve set your master, if for nothing else;’ and then the proud, strong man’s feelings overpowering him, his tears fell in great drops on the breast of the old slave, as they had fallen there when he was a child.

Such scenes are not for the eye of a stranger, and turning away, I left the room.

The family met at the breakfast-table at the customary hour on the following morning; but I noticed that Jim was not in his accustomed place behind the Colonel’s chair.  That gentleman exhibited his usual good spirits, but Madam P——­ looked sad and anxious, and I had not forgotten the scene of the previous evening.

While we were seated at the meal, the negro Junius hastily entered the room, and in an excited manner exclaimed: 

’O massa, massa! you muss cum ter de cabin—­Jim hab draw’d his knife, and he swar he’ll kill de fuss un dat touch him!’

‘He does, does he!’ said his master, springing from his seat, and abruptly leaving the apartment.

Remembering the fierce burst of passion I had seen in the negro, and fearing there was danger a-foot, I rose to follow, saying as I did so: 

‘Madam, can not you prevent this?’

’I can not, sir; I have already done all I can.  Go and try to pacify the Colonel.  Jim will die before he’ll be whipped.’

Jim was standing at the farther end of the old cabin, with his back to the wall, and the large spring-knife in his hand.  Some half-dozen negroes were in the centre of the room, apparently cowed by his fierce and desperate looks, and his master stood within a few feet of him.

‘I tell you, Cunnel,’ cried the negro, as I entered, ’you touch me at your peril.’

‘You d—­d nigger, do you dare to speak so to me?’ said his master, taking a step toward him.

The knife rose in the air, and the black, in a cool, sneering tone, replied:  ’Say your prayers ’fore you come ony nigher, for, so help me God, you’re a dead man!’

I laid my hand on the Colonel’s arm, to draw him back, saying as I did so:  ’There’s danger in him!  I know it Let him go, and he shall ask your pardon.’

‘I shan’t ax his pardon,’ cried the black, ’leff him and me be, sar; we’ll fix dis ourselfs.’

‘Don’t interfere, Mr. K——­,’ said my host, with perfect coolness, but with a face pallid with rage.  ‘Let me govern my own plantation.’

‘As you say, sir,’ I replied, stepping back a few paces; ’but I warn you—­there is danger in him!’

Taking no notice of my remark, the Colonel turned to the trembling negroes, and said:  ‘One of you go to the house and bring my pistols.’

‘You kin shoot me, ef you likes,’ said Jim, with a fierce, grim smile; ’but I’ll take you to h—­l wid me, shore.  You knows WE won’t stand a blow!’