"Let him go," I cried, "and I will give you money--twenty dollars."

"No!"

"Thirty--forty dollars!"

"No!"

"Forty dollars is a great big lot," said Uncle Moses, who had
joined us and saw my desperate eagerness to save the man.

"No!" said Noah again, his mouth tightening with inflexible
determination.

"Uncle Moses," I said, "can't you bend him? I will give anything if
he will but spare the man. I am a king's officer; you know that
what I promise I will do; and he is your mistress' cousin."

"Noah, my son," said the old negro, "listen to Massa. S'pose you
burn de white man, what good to you? He die, oh course, and nebber
can do nuffin' to black mans no mo'; but you will only be pleased a
lill tiny while, and if you let him go you gwine hab dollars what
will last long, long time."

"No!" returned Noah. "I will teach him lesson, and be pleased for
ebber and ebber."

And he walked away and began to gather up some sticks and carry
them to the tree where Cludde, utterly exhausted, seemed to have