If South Carolina would awake to her own interest, she would find
more to fear from the stringency of her own laws than from the
influence of a few men coming from abroad.
CHAPTER X.
THE PROSPECT DARKENING.
AFTER the Colonel and little George left the Captain, as we have
stated in the foregoing chapter, he descended into the cabin, and
found Manuel sitting upon one of the lockers, apparently in great
anxiety. He, however, waited for the mate to speak before he
addressed the Captain. The mate awoke and informed the Captain that
a slender, dark-complexioned man had been aboard a few minutes after
he left, making particular inquiries about the steward; that he
spoke like an official man, was dressed in black clothes, and wore
spectacles.
"I asked him if we'd have any trouble with Manuel, and tried to make
him understand that he wasn't a black, and that our situation might
excuse us from any annoyance through their peculiar laws. But the
old chap seemed mighty stupid about every thing, and talked just as
if he didn't know any thing about nothing. 'A nigger's a nigger in
South Carolina,' said he dryly, and inquired for a quid of tobacco,
which I handed him, and he took one big enough for six. Said I,
'Mister, do you call a man a nigger what's a Portugee and a'n't
black?' 'It depends on how he was born,' says he.
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