concait that you don’t understand us.  But, said he, (evading the subject with his usual dexterity,) we deal only in niggers,—­and those thick skulled, crooked shanked, flat footed, long heeled, wooly headed gentlemen, don’t seem fit for much else but slavery, I do suppose.  They aint fit to contrive for themselves.  They are jist like grasshoppers; they dance and sing all summer, and when winter comes they have nothin provided for it, and lay down and die.  They require some one to see arter them.  Now, we deal in black niggers only, but the Blue Noses sell their own species—­they trade in white slaves.  Thank God, said I, slavery does not exist in any part of his Majesty’s dominions now, we have at last wiped off that national stain.  Not quite, I guess, said he, with an air of triumph, it tante done with in Nova Scotia, for I have seed these human cattle sales with my own eyes—­I was availed of the truth of it up here to old Furlong’s, last November.  I’ll tell you the story, said he; and as this story of the Clockmaker’s contained some extraordinary statements, which I had never heard of before, I noted it in my journal, for the purpose of ascertaining their truth; and, if founded on fact, of laying them before the proper authorities.

Last fall, said he, I was on my way to Partridge Island, to ship off some truck and produce I had taken in, in the way of trade; and as I neared old Furlong’s house, I seed an amazin crowd of folks about the door; I said to myself, says I, whose dead, and what’s to pay now —­what on airth is the meanin of all this?  Is it a vandew, or a weddin, or a rolin frolick, or a religious stir, or what is it?  Thinks I, I’ll see, so I hitches Old Clay to the fence, and walks in.  It was some time afore I was able to swiggle my way thro’ the crowd, and get into the house.  And when I did, who should I see but deacon Westfall, a smooth faced, slick haired, meechin lookin chap as you’d see in a hundred, a standin on a stool, with an auctioneer’s hammer in his hand; and afore him was one Jerry Oaks and his wife, and two little orphan children, the prettiest little toads I ever beheld in all my born days.  Gentlemen, said he, I will begin the sale by putting up Jerry Oaks, of Apple River, he’s a considerable of a smart man yet, and can do many little chores besides feedin the children and pigs, I guess he’s near about worth his keep.  Will you warrant him sound, wind and limb? says a tall ragged lookin countryman, for he looks to me as if he was foundered in both feet, and had a string halt into the bargain.  When you are as old as I be, says Jerry, mayhap you may be foundered too, young man.  I have seen the day when you wouldn’t dare to pass that joke on me, big as you be.  Will any gentleman bid for him, says the deacon, he’s cheap at 7s. 6d.  Why deacon, said Jerry, why surely your honor isn’t a goin for to sell me separate from my poor old wife, are you?  Fifty years have we lived together as man and wife, and a good wife has she