It was, to be sure, nothing else; but that of itself was sufficient to prevent any farther progress for the time being. Caesar and his master were soon down; the horses detached from the carriage, and the wheel picked up and brought to its place. ''Tis all right, Massa George, only de linch-pin is gone; may be me find um.' And very diligent was the search for the lost pin, but to no purpose; the prospect, indeed, was not the most agreeable; for a long road must be retraced ere home could be reached. A young man from an adjoining field, seeing their dilemma, hastened to offer his aid. Very soon rails were procured, and by means of them the heavy coach was raised, and the recusant wheel replaced; and then the young man who showed much readiness to assist, as well as ingenuity, procuring a bit of hard wood, began whittling it into the shape of a pin. 'Mister, what a' yo goin' to do wid dat 'tick?' 'I'm making a pin for you, daddy.' 'My golly! you no t'ink dat hold dem big wheel on. No blacksmith nowhere here?' 'Yes; there is one not far off; but you want something to keep your wheel on until you can get the carriage there.' 'Why me no bring him here when he makes de pin?' 'Why, you see, daddy, he will want the measure of the hole to make it by; and the old man does not like to walk very much, as he is fat and clumsy. It will be as much as we can do to get him to make the pin at all; he don't like to work such hot weather.' 'Ay, ay. Well, den; you right, bubby.' With that Caesar prepared to attach the horses to the carriage, while the family walked on towards the little low building with a high chimney, which was pointed out to them. As the carriage drove up, a very fleshy person was seen waddling towards the door, and putting one arm out on each side, supported himself in the doorway. He looked at the coach, and the horses, and the driver, alternately, in great astonishment. He saw the old black smile, but took no notice of it; and fixed his eye at length on the long sweeping braces, as though wondering where such powerful springs were made. 'Massa Cutter forget me.' The old man cast his eye up. 'Massa Cutter no 'member Caesar?' 'Caesar--Caesar--what, not Caesar Rutherford? No--yes--so it is--why, you old rascal, how do you do? Give us your fist. I thought, when you showed your teeth at me, that I'd seen you before. But you grow old, man--your head is all getting white.' 'Ha, ha, ha; Massa Cutter growin' old, too, and big! My! what a sight! Good livin' I 'tink here, Massa Cutter.' 'Good living--there's no living at all--it's too hot to live; nothing but salamanders could stand it. But what's brought you here?' 'Oh, you see, Massa Cutter, me lose de linch-pin; so dis young gemman tell me de blacksmith close by; but I no 'spect to see Massa Cutter--ha, ha, ha!' 'And you want me to make a new one, do you?' 'If you please.'