Down the River; Or, Buck Bradford and His Tyrants
amount of food. I pitied him, as I did any one who was kept on short allowance, and I hastened to the house as quickly as I could, in order
sun herself in the smiles of the senator. She never liked to be left at home when there was anything going on. In the buttery I found plenty of cooked provisions; for, whatever else may be s
ham left. I took a paper bag, and put into it half the meat and as much cold corned beef as would have fed me for two days, with a plentiful supply of biscuits, crackers, and brown brea
asser-by. Sim looked piteously sad and sorrowful; he glanced wistfully at the paper bag, and seemed to begrudge every moment of delay. At the tree, I took out the content
as soon as I had spr
replied he, warmly. "I knowed you'd help m
s in the eating. Though I was amused at his greediness, and enjoyed his appetite almost as much as he did himself, I did not wish to embarrass him; and, mounting the fallen tree, I walked upon its trunk
cannot exactly explain how it was, but that pile of senseless lumber seemed, in some indefinite manner, to connect itself with my affairs at the house. The thrashing I had just rece
ake a trip in her. Ever since my brother wrote that he should take us down to New Orleans in the fall, I had looked forward with intense joy to the voyage down the r
only my poor sister had prevented me from acting upon the suggestion. I had some money now. Why could I not go, and take her with me? But I had not enough to pay our fares
one so loud that Sim was disturb
e, with his mouth filled with food, his j
k to me, Buck
ied, walking
he felt it to be a duty to eat all he could; but he had already disposed of the majo
" added Sim, jumbling the word
I hav
of victuals I've had for a year
get hung
the rest of
that is gone, I will
you'd help me, and that's w
that before. Now, Sim,
w," he repli
kspear's. Are you
at's what I wante
y idea what you
he world. That's what I want
ish to do
don't make no difference to me. I shan't g
work hard for enough to eat. He was not a dandy, and the clothe
g to run away
y's?" he demanded,
rom Fis
give you eno
ent
d, if the provision question was all right, he did not
ell, and they don't
ive you eno
y brother Clarence is going to take us away in the fa
one of the wales of the cowhide whi
rags from his shoulder, and exhibiting some marks like my own. "I don'
as all stomach. Blows were n
been since yes
looking for som
t build a ra
his eyes, as he always did when
Do you see those
ee t
ith a house on it,-a place to live in,
his mouth wide enough to take
on the raft, we must
ugh?" he asked,
have all
!" sho
about it, and not s
of sight, or Barkspear will catch me.
se ready for you to live in; and I
s all
e raft, and I will
ght till dark, if I onl
building it; and really this was all I expected to do. If worse came to worst, I could get away from the town with my sister better by the way of the swamp than by the road. I explained to Sim more clearly what I intended to do, and how to construct the raft. H
winter term had closed, and the summer one had not commenced, and I had nothing to do but work about the place. I went into the house, and talk
o all they tell me, Flora," I replie
y sister. Captain Fishley gave me an ugly look; but I knew he would not say anything before his brother, and he did not. He t
ds of ten-penny nails. I wrote down the articles on a piece of paper, and carried it, with the five-dollar bill taken from my roll, to the captain. He gave me the change, without knowing