slave-dealer was making difficulties. I thought he would jump at the chance of getting rid of what was only a burden, and plainly could never be anything else to anybody; but no; he said he could not sell the boy, and seemed to mean it. Harry is too much used to having his own way to give it up very easily, but I don't know whether he would have got it this time, if I had not interfered with my remonstrances:-- "'What are you going to do with him? Where are you going to take him? Who's to be his nurse on the road?' "I meant to bring Harry to his senses. I only brought the slave-dealer to his. "'Do you belong in this State?' asked he, growing reasonable as he saw a reasonable man to deal with. "'No; in Massachusetts.' "'Do you mean to take him off there?' "'Yes!' cried Harry, without giving me a chance to answer. "'How soon?' "'In a few weeks.' "'And what will you do with him in the mean while?' "Harry seemed now to remember that I was a party concerned. He turned to me with a deprecating and inquiring look, but I was not prepared to make any suggestion. "'If you care enough about having the boy to pay part of his price in trouble,' says the dealer, 'perhaps we may manage it. I bought him with conditions. If I sell him to you, I make them over to you, too. If you'll engage to take him as far as Omocqua to-day, and never bring him, or let him be brought, within twenty miles of Tenpinville in any direction, you shall have him for fifty dollars; that will give me back what he's cost me. I don't want to make anything on him. I only took him to oblige.' "I knew by experience that there was no use in opposing Harry in anything he had made up his mind about. I looked grim, but said nothing. So the bargain was struck; the money was paid; the boy unfettered. The slave-dealer moved on with his drove, leaving us his parting words of encouragement,-- "'If he lives, he'll be worth something to you.' "And there we were in the middle of the road, with a dying boy on our hands. "'_If he lives!_' Harry's look answered,--'He will live!' "For my own part, I hoped it very little, and was not sure that I ought to hope it at all.