Bad Hugh

"Five dollars," he called out, and Sam's "God bless you," was sounding

in his ears, when a voice from another part of the building doubled the

bid, and with a moan Uncle Sam turned imploringly toward Hugh.

"A leetle more, mas'r, an' you fotches 'em; a leetle more," he

whispered, coaxingly, and Hugh faltered out "Twelve."

"Thirteen," came again from the corner, and Hugh caught sight of the

bidder, a sour-grained fellow, whose wife had ten young children, and so

could find use for Sam.

"Thirteen and a half," cried Hugh.

"Fourteen," responded his opponent.

"Leetle more, mas'r, berry leetle," whispered Uncle Sam.

"Fourteen and a quarter," said Hugh, the perspiration starting out about

his lips, as he thought how fast his pile was diminishing, and that he

could not go beyond it.

"Fourteen and a half," from the corner.

"Leetle more, mas'r," from Uncle Sam.

"Fourteen, seventy-five," from Hugh.

"Fifteen," from the man in the corner, and Hugh groaned aloud.

"That's every dime I've got."

Quick as thought an acquaintance beside him slipped a bill into his

hand, whispering as he did so: "It's a V. I'll double it if necessary. I'm sorry for the darky."

It was very exciting now, each bidder raising a quarter each time, while

Sam's "a leetle more, mas'r," and the vociferous cheers of the crowd,

whenever Hugh's voice was heard, showed him to be the popular party.

"Nineteen, seventy-five," from the corner, and Hugh felt his courage

giving way as he faintly called out: "Twenty."

Only an instant did the auctioneer wait, and then his decision, "Gone!"

made Hugh the owner of Uncle Sam, who, crouching down before him,

blessed him with tears and prayers.

"I knows you're good," he said; "I knows it by yer face; and mebby, when

the rheumatics gits out of my ole legs I kin work for mas'r a heap. Does

you live fur from here?"

"Look here, Sam," and Hugh laughed heartily at the negro's forlorn

appearance, as, regaining his feet, he assumed a most deprecating

attitude, asking pardon for tumbling down, and charging it all to his

shaky knees. "Look here, there's no other way, except for you to ride,

and me to walk. Rocket won't carry double," and ere Sam could

remonstrate, Hugh had dismounted and placed him in the saddle.

Rocket did not fancy the exchange, as was manifest by an indignant

snort, and an attempt to shake Sam off, but a word from Hugh quieted

him, and the latter offered the reins to Sam, who was never a skillful

horseman, and felt a mortal terror of the high-mettled steed beneath

him. With a most frightened expression upon his face, he grasped the

saddle pommel with both hands, and bending nearly double, gasped out: "Sam ain't much use't to gemman's horses. Kind of bold me on, mas'r,

till I gits de hang of de critter. He hists me around mightily."