and shook us, and run off down the river.'” “I wouldn't shake my _nigger_, would I?--the only nigger I had in the world, and the only property.” “We never thought of that.  Fact is, I reckon we'd come to consider him _our_ nigger; yes, we did consider him so--goodness knows we had trouble enough for him.  So when we see the raft was gone and we flat broke, there warn't anything for it but to try the Royal Nonesuch another shake. And I've pegged along ever since, dry as a powder-horn.  Where's that ten cents? Give it here.” I had considerable money, so I give him ten cents, but begged him to spend it for something to eat, and give me some, because it was all the money I had, and I hadn't had nothing to eat since yesterday.  He never said nothing.  The next minute he whirls on me and says: “Do you reckon that nigger would blow on us?  We'd skin him if he done that!” “How can he blow?  Hain't he run off?” “No!  That old fool sold him, and never divided with me, and the money's gone.” “_Sold_ him?”  I says, and begun to cry; “why, he was _my_ nigger, and that was my money.  Where is he?--I want my nigger.” “Well, you can't _get_ your nigger, that's all--so dry up your blubbering. Looky here--do you think _you'd_ venture to blow on us?  Blamed if I think I'd trust you.  Why, if you _was_ to blow on us--” He stopped, but I never see the duke look so ugly out of his eyes before. I went on a-whimpering, and says: “I don't want to blow on nobody; and I ain't got no time to blow, nohow. I got to turn out and find my nigger.” He looked kinder bothered, and stood there with his bills fluttering on his arm, thinking, and wrinkling up his forehead.  At last he says: “I'll tell you something.  We got to be here three days.  If you'll promise you won't blow, and won't let the nigger blow, I'll tell you where to find him.” So I promised, and he says: “A farmer by the name of Silas Ph--” and then he stopped.  You see, he started to tell me the truth; but when he stoppe