little ob her looks, 'nough to make her go for a hundred or so. But
massa, he not like to gib her up, and dey talk a long time togeder, and
I hears de trader say,--'de gal should square off all de old affair, wid
five hundred to boot;' till by and by massa gibs in, and de bargain was
closed, bery much to de satisfaction ob both parties. But dey not stop
to ask how we like de idea ob being separated for life! dey not tink
dat perhaps de mother find it hard to leabe her chil'en. De trader 'pear
bery much pleased wid his bargain, and he slipped a cord round Phillis's
arm, and tell her to go wid him. O, missy, dat was de awfullest minute
in my life! Poor Phillis look at de chil'en, den at me, and wid one
long, piercing shriek, dat I hear many times since, she clung round my
neck, begging me to go wid her, to sabe her from de dreadful place where
dey would take her! But afore I could say one word, the trader, wid a
dreadful curse, seize her by de throat, and in his hurry to get her
away, stumbled ober one ob de young uns wid his great heaby boots, dat
was made 'spressly to kick de fractious niggars, as he called it, and de
chile neber breathe again! he had step clean on to its neck, strangling
it in an instant! At de sight ob her chile, all bleedin', and still,
poor Phillis become all quiet, and her eyes were shut, just like good
missus, when she find massa Harry take hesef away. Ole massa he 'pear
rather sober like, when he find one ob his niggars killed, for he sot a
heap on de young uns dat was comin' up, 'cause dey be big enough soon to
be ob some 'count; but de trader hand ober fifty dollar bill, to make
de accident good, and took de opportunity to get away, 'fore Phillis
come to again; but dey not say any ting to me 'bout my loss, and 'pears
like dey could not cober de great break in my heart, wid all de fifty
dollar bills in Berginny. Dat was de last time I eber sees my Phillis. I
specks by dis time dey hab got de work all out ob her, and I hopes dey
hab, missy; for though she neber hear ob dat place where all are made
bright, I know she good enough to find de way; but I hopes she not be