Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/336

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322
OLD RELIABLE IN AFRICA

rests a while. He puts in de seed an' rests some mo'; when he chops out de young cotton, he kin set down in de shade an' watch it fer de longes'. Den he lays by de crop, an' rests a whole lot; dat ends it until pickin' time comes; an' at pickin' time de boss hires a passel o' town niggers to he'p him. Dem niggers back home wouldn't like dis—I been here gwine on six months, an' ain't never seed nary Saddy, nor yit nary Sunday. What time is a nigger got to go to town? And d'aint no town fer him to go to."

McDonald paid strict attention to every word. "Then you are of the opinion that the employment of labor imported from America would not be feasible?"

"I dunno what you signify by all dat, Mister Bim, but dem niggers ain't comin'. Dey couldn't act like dey does at home; an' 'twouldn't be long befo' dey'd be runnin' naked in de woods, same ez dese niggers does."

Both the eager Britishers turned to Colonel Spottiswoode, who got redder and redder in the face, until he broke out laughing.

"My dear Colonel Spottiswoode, what do you think?"

"I reckon Zack's got the situation sized up about right," which endorsement started Zack's tongue again.

"Mister Bim, I wouldn't stay here—not fer all