“That’s what I was coming at.  Ye see, whenever ye makes white trash what ain’t slaved a nuisance, you makes it mightily unpopular; and when folks is unpopular the nuisance is easily removed, especially when ye can get pay for removing it.  The law will be as tame as a mouse-nobody ‘ll say nothin’?  Ingin and white rubbish is just alike-one’s worth as little as t’other.  Both’s only fit to sell, sir!-worthless for any other purpose.  Ye see, gentlemen, I’m something of a philosopher, and has strong faith in the doctrine of our popular governor, who believes it better to sell all poor whites into slavery.  ’Tain’t a free country where ye don’t have the right to sell folks what don’t provide for number one.  I likes to hear our big folks talk so"-Anthony’s face brightens-"’cause it gives a feller a chance for a free speculation in them lank, lean rascals; and, too, it would stop their rifle-shooting and corn-stealing-”

“You never try your hand at such hits-do you, Nathe?” Bengal interrupts, his fore-finger poised on his nose.

“Now, Dan,” Anthony quaintly replies, “none o’ yer pointed insinuations.  ’Twouldn’t be much harm if the varmin would only keep its mouth shut along the road.  But when the critturs ar’ got schoolmaster gumption it’s mighty apt to get a feller into a tarnation snarl.  Schoolmaster gumption makes d-d bad niggers; and there’s why I say it’s best to hang schoolmasters.  It’s dangerous, ‘cos it larns the critturs to writin’ a scrawl now and then; and, unless ye knows just how much talent he’s got, and can whitewash him yaller, it’s plaguy ticklish.  When the brutes have larnin’, and can write a little, they won’t stay sold when ye sell ’em-that is, I mean, white riff-raff stuff; they ain’t a bit like niggers and Ingins.  And there’s just as much difference a’tween the human natur of a white nigger and a poverty-bloated white as there is a’twixt philosophy and water-melons.”

“You’re drawing a long bow, Anthony,” interrupts Graspum, with a suggestion that it were better to come to the point; and concludes by saying:  “We don’t care sevenpence about the worthless whites all over the State.  They can’t read nor write-except a few on ’em-and everybody knows it wouldn’t do to give them learning-that wouldn’t do!  We want the way you cleared that nuisance out of Beaufort district so quick-that’s what we want to hear.”

“Well, ye’h sees, it took some keen play, some sly play, some dignity, and some talent; but the best thing of the whole was the squire’s honour.  He and me, ye see, joined partners—­that is, he gets places for ’em away out o’ town—­you understand—­places where I keeps a couple of the very best nags that ever stepped turf.  And then he puts on the soft sauder, an’ is so friendly to the critturs—­gets ’em to come out with him to where he will make ’um nice house servants, and such things.  He is good at planin’, as all justices is, and would time it to arrive at midnight.  I, havin’ got