_Mr. White._ Will you stop your confounded talk, and let me alone? Don’t you see that I am sketching? You’ve spoiled a beautiful scene for me, with your nonsense.
_2d Pedlar._ Want any bead bags, or money purses? These are all real Ingen bags, made by the Black Hawk Ingens. Here’s a pretty bag, sir, only 75 cents. Here’s a money purse, 50 cents. Please, sir, buy something! My wife’s got the fever and ague, and the house is full of children, and they’re all sick. Come, sir, do help a worthy man!
_Mr. White._ Will you hold your tongue? You’ve spoiled some of the finest pictures in the world. Don’t you see that I am sketching?
I am glad those fellows have gone; now I’ll go a little further up the shore, and see if I can find another boat. I want to get over.
_Enter DR. GAINES, SCRAGG, and an OFFICER._
_Officer._ I don’t think that your slaves have crossed yet, and my officers will watch the shore below here, while we stroll up the river. If I once get my hands on them, all the Abolitionists in the State shall not take them from me.
_Dr. G._ I hope they have not got over, for I would not lose them for two thousand dollars, especially the gal.
_Pedlar._ Wish to get a good cane, sir? This stick was cut on the very spot where Sam Patch jumped over the falls. Only fifty cents. I have a sick wife and thirteen children. Please buy a cane; I ain’t had no dinner.
_Officer._ Get out of the way! Gentlemen, we’ll go up the shore.
_Cato._ I is loss fum de cumpny, but dis is de ferry, and I spec dey’ll soon come. But didn’t we have a good time las’ night in Buffalo? Dem dar Buffalo gals make my heart flutter, dat dey did. But, tanks be to de Lord, I is got religion. I got it las’ night in de meetin.’ Before I got religion, I was a great sinner; I got drunk, an’ took de name of de Lord in vain. But now I is a conwerted man; I is bound for hebben; I toats de witness in my bosom; I feel dat my name is rote in de book of life. But dem niggers in de Vine Street Church las’ night shout an’ make sich a fuss, dey give me de headache. But, tank de Lord, I is got religion, an’ now I’ll be a preacher, and den dey’ll call me de Rev. Alexander Washinton Napoleon Pompey Cæsar. Now I’ll preach and pull teef, bofe at de same time. Oh, how I wish I had Hannah wid me! Cuss ole massa, fer ef it warn’t for him, I could have my wife wid me. Ef I hadn’t religion, I’d say “Damn ole massa!” but as I is a religious man, an’ belongs to de church, I won’t say no sich a thing. But who is dat I see comin’? Oh, it’s a whole heap of people. Good Lord! what is de matter?