The emigrant was a stout, burly, bluff old fellow, with
full round cheeks, a quick, twinkling eye, and limbs rather Herculean
than human. He might have been fifty-five years or so; and his two sons,
one of them a man grown, the other a tall and goodly youth of eighteen,
promised well to be just such vigorous and healthy-looking personages as
their father. The old woman, by whom we mean--in the manner of speech
common to the same class and region--to indicate the spouse of the
wayfarer, and mother of the two youths, was busied about the fire,
boiling a pot of coffee, and preparing the family repast for the night.
A somewhat late hour for supper and such employment, thought our
wanderer; but the difficulty soon explained itself in the condition of
their wagon, and the conversation which ensued among the travellers.
There was yet another personage in the assembly, who must be left to
introduce himself to the reader.
The _force_ of the traveller--for such is the term by which the number
of his slaves are understood--was small, consisting of some six
_workers_, and three or four little negro children asleep under the
wagon.
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