Oh! valuable remnant of a life, how soon it
may be exhausted-forgotten!
Bidders have some doubts about the amount of labour she can yet
perform; and, after much manifest hesitancy, she is knocked down to
Romescos for the sum of two hundred and seventy dollars. "There!
'tain't a bad price for ye, nohow!" says the vender, laconically.
"Get down, old woman." Rachel moves to the steps, and is received by
Romescos, who, taking his purchase by the arm, very mechanically
sets it on one side. "Come, Auntie, we'll make a corn-cracker a'
you, until such time as we can put yer old bones in trim to send
south. Generousness, ye see, made me gin more nor ye war' worth-not
much work in ye when ye take it on the square;--but a feller what
understands the trimmin' a' niggers like I can do ye up young, and
put an honest face on while he's cheatin' some green chap with yer
old bones." Romescos, very clever in his profession, is not quite
sure that his newly-purchased property will "stay put." He turns
about suddenly, approaches Rachel-crouched in a corner-mumbling over
some incomprehensible jargon, evidently very much disturbed in her
feelings, saying, "I kind a' think I see devil in yer eye, old
woman." Rachel turns her head aside, but makes no answer. Mr.
Romescos will make everything certain; so, drawing a cord, similar
to a small sized clothes line, from his pocket, she holds up her
hands at his bidding: he winds it several times round her wrists,
then ties it securely.
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