Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/53

 39 THE SURVIVORS OF THE "WALDECK." all free American citizens, belonging to the state of Penn- sylvania. "Then, let me assure you, my friend," said the captain, "you have by no means compromised your liberty in having been brought on board the American schooner Pilgrim.'"

Not merely, as it seemed, on account of his age and experience, but rather because of a certain superiority and greater energy of character, this old man was tacitly recognized as the spokesman of his party; he freely com- municated all the information that Captain Hull required to hear, and by degrees he related all the details of his adventures.

He said that his name was Tom, and that when he was only six years of age he had been sold as a slave, and brought from his home in Africa to the United States; but by the act of emancipation he had long since recovered his freedom. His companions, who were all much younger than himself, their ages ranging from twenty-five to thirty, were all free-born, their parents having been emancipated before their birth, so that no white man had ever exercised upon them the rights of ownership. One of them was his own son; his name was Bat (an abbreviation of Bartholo- mew); and there were three others, named Austin, , and Hercules. All four of them were specimens of that stalwart race that commands so high a pruce in the African market, and in spite of the emaciation induced by their recent sufferings, their muscular, well- a strong and healthy constitution. impress of that solid education which is American schools, and their speech had “nigger-tongue,” a dialect without which since the anti-slavery war has

Three years ago, old Tom stated, engaged by an Englishman who had South Australia, to work upon his estate Here they had realized a considerable engagement they o America. Accordingy,