But I sez, “Most probable this Nation will fit out some ships and carry you back to your old home.” Sez I, “More than probable Uncle Sam will be glad of the chance to pay some of his debts, and clear the slate that hangs up behind the Capitol door, of one of the worst and meanest debts it ever had ciphered out on it, and held up aginst him.” But Victor smiled ruther sadly and looked dubersome. He thought after the colony there wuz a assured success, thousands and thousands would go with their own money and help poorer ones to new homes there; but he didn’t seem to put much dependence on Uncle Samuel’s ever hitchin’ up his steamships and carryin’ ’em over. But I sez real warmly, for I cannot bear any animyversions aginst that poor old man (only what I make myself in the cause of Duty)—sez I, “You wrong Uncle Samuel;” sez I, “You’ll find out that he will brace up and do the right thing if the case is presented to him in the right light, and he brings his spectacles to bear on it. “Why,” sez I, “if I borry a cup of tea of Miss Gowdey, do I spoze that she will trapise over to my house after it?—and the same with flat-irons, pressboards, bluin’ bags, etc. “No, I carry ’em back agin, honorable. “And if Josiah Allen borrys a plough or a fannin’ mill, do you spoze he expects the neighborin’ men he borrys ’em of to harness up and come after ’em? No, he carries ’em back. “And how much more would he feel obligated if he had stole ’em, and me too; why we should expect to carry ’em back, or else get shot up, and good enough for us. “Now,” sez I, “you and your people wuz stole from Africa by Uncle Samuel, or, I don’t spoze the old man did the stealin’ with his own hands, but he stood by and see it done and winked at it, and allowed it; and so, he is responsible, bein’ the head of the family. [Illustration: DEACON HUFFER.] “And if that old man ever calculates to make any appearance at all before the nations of the earth, if he ever calculates to neighbor with ’em to any advantage, he will jest carry them stolen creeters back and put ’em down onharmed on the sile he dragged ’em from. “Good land! it won’t be no job for him; it won’t be no more for him than it would for my companion to take back a hen he had borryed from Deacon Huffer up to Zoar—or stole from him, I spoze I ort to say, in order to carry out the metafor as metafors ort to be carried.” I sez this in a real enthusiastic axent, and a very friendly one too towards Uncle Samuel; for I love that noble-minded but sometimes misguided old creeter—I love him dearly. But Victor smiled agin that sort of a amused smile, and yet a sort of a sad one too. And sez he: “I am afraid this Nation has not got your sense of honor.” He couldn’t help, I see, a kinder wishin’ that the Government would brace up and take over a few cargoes of ’em. But he wuz dubersome.