you fa'r; I an't never hard on my niggers. Calculates to
do the best for 'em I can. Now, ye see, you 'd better jest
settle down comfortable, and not be tryin' no tricks; be-
cause nigger's tricks of all sorts I 'm up to, and it 's no
use. If niggers is quiet, and don't try to get off, they has
good times with me; and if they don't, why, it's thar fault,
and not mine."

Tom assured Haley that he had no present intentions of
running off. In fact, the exhortation seemed rather a su-
perfluous one to a man with a great pair of iron fetters on
his feet. But Mr. Haley had got in the habit of commen-
cing his relations with his stock with little exhortations of
this nature, calculated, as he deemed, to inspire cheerfulness
and confidence, and prevent the necessity of any unpleasant
scenes.

And here, for the present, we take our leave of Tom, to
pursue the fortunes of other characters in our story.

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