I'm 'most dead with cold."

"You must promise nebber to say any ting about dis night. Dere's
'spicious folks round, like de doctor, and when dey hear you git catch
like a rat in a trap, dey is likely to say, 'Ah, dat is dat old niggur
Primus's work,' and so I lose my good character. De innocent man must
be like de weasel dat is nebber catch asleep."

It went hard against the grain, for the constable to make the promise,
but there was no alternative except remaining there, he knew not how
long, finally to be extricated by a laughing crowd. With a very ill
grace, therefore, he promised all that Primus required, and would have
bound himself to ten times more, if necessary; but the General was
generous, and asked only security for the future, having no indemnity
to demand for the past. Planting his sound foot firmly in the snow,
the General extended his hand, which being grasped by Basset, he was
soon delivered from thraldom.

"What's to hender me now, you infernal darkey," exclaimed the
exasperated constable, as soon as he found himself in the upper air,
"from throwing you into the well, and letting you rot there!"

"What to hender, Missa Basset?" returned the General, stepping back.
"You own feelings, Missa Basset. But you can try it if you please," he
added, letting fall his arms by his sides, which, at the threatening
tone of the constable, he had raised instinctively in self-defence.

But the other seemed more disposed to allow his anger to explode in
words than to resort to violence.