“Look at this,” he snorted. “For fifteen minutes these good-for-nothing niggers of mine have been standing around waiting for some one to fetch a plank so that they can roll a barrel of indigo on to this wagon. The _Maid of Camberwell_ sails on the next tide, and we have to haul the goods a mile to where her lighter is moored. If these blankety-blank sons of Ham were worth their salt, they could hoist the barrel up by hand, and I’d have some chance of making this ship. The next cargo for Liverpool may not go out for a month.” Abe strolled up to the huge blue-stained barrel and tipped it a little with his hand. “How much is it worth to you to git it loaded?” he asked the owner. “How much! I’d give a dollar to have that indigo on the dray,” he replied. “All right,” said Abe, “that’s a bargain.” He rolled the barrel up to the rear of the wagon, spat on his hands, placed his feet carefully and put his arms, back, and knees into a single mighty heave. With a resounding thump, five hundred pounds of indigo landed on the tailboard and were rolled forward to stand beside the rest of the load. Abe dusted off his hands and jumped lightly to the ground. He was not even breathing hard. The merchant was still standing in the same spot, open-mouthed with astonishment. “Great heavens, man!” he stammered, when he could find words. “Why, it’s amazing, sir--astounding! I can’t believe my eyes! Here--” and he thrust a hand into his pocket--“I’ll be better than my word. Here’s a two-dollar note.” Abe hesitated. “I ’greed to do it fer one,” he said. “Still, if you mean it, I’ll accept your offer. The boy, here, an’ I--we kin sure use it.” He took the bill, thanked the merchant, and they went on. “Tad,” grinned the long-shanked Hoosier, as he gave the boy’s arm a squeeze, “by the sun an’ by my in’ard feelin’s it ’pears to be past noon. I vote we head straight fer one o’ those rice an’ gumbo places.” They retraced their steps and were soon served with bowls of the savory stuff, ladled out of a huge copper pot by a motherly-looking quadroon woman. Tad smacked his lips. “Mm, tastes good, doesn’t it?” he said. “How much did it cost?” “Four cents apiece,” Abe answered. “We could live ashore quite a spell on our two dollars, couldn’t we? Golly! Two dollars! That’s the easiest money I ever made. Why, think--it’s the same as a whole week’s pay navigatin’ the _Katy Roby_!” They bought half a dozen oranges as a special treat--Abe had never eaten one in his life--and went back to the place where their flatboat was tied up. Allen looked up in surprise from the pans he was washing. “You back, Tad?” he exclaimed. “I figgered nex’ time I saw you, it would be in one o’ them shiny two-hoss carriages with a brass-buttoned nigger up in front.”