Produced by Joshua Hutchinson, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by Cornell University Digital Collections) THE CONTINENTAL MONTHLY: DEVOTED TO LITERATURE AND NATIONAL POLICY. * * * * * VOL. II.--AUGUST, 1862.--No. II. * * * * * AMONG THE PINES. [CONCLUDED.] 'My God! drowned herself and her child!' exclaimed the Colonel, with deep emotion. 'Come, my friend, let us go to them at once,' I said, laying my hand on his arm, and drawing him unresistingly away. A pair of mules was speedily harnessed to a large turpentine-wagon, and the horses we had ridden the day before were soon at the door. When the Colonel, who had been closeted for a few minutes with Madam P--, came out of the house, we mounted and rode off with the 'corn-cracker.' The native's farm was located on the stream which watered my friend's plantation, and was about ten miles distant. Taking a by-road which led to it through the woods, we rode rapidly on in advance of the wagon. 'Sort o' likely gal, thet, warn't she?' remarked the turpentine-maker, after a while. 'Yes, she was,' replied the Colonel, in a half-abstracted manner, '_very_ likely.' 'Kill harself 'case har man war shot by thet han'som overseer uv yourn?' 'Not altogether for that, I reckon,' replied my host,' I fear the main reason was her being put at field-work, and abused by the driver.' 'Thet comes uv not lookin' arter things yerself, Cunnel. I 'tend ter my niggers parsonally, and they keer a durned sight more fur this world then fur kingdom-cum. Ye cudn't hire 'em ter kill 'emselves fur no price.' 'Well,' replied the Colonel, in a low tone, 'I _did_ look after her. I put her at full field-work myself.' 'By--!' cried the native, reining his horse to a dead stop, and speaking in an excited manner; 'I doan't b'lieve it, 'taint 't all like ye; yer a d--d seceshener--thet comes uv yer bringin'-up; but ye've a soul bigger'n a meetin'-house, and ye cudn't hev put thet slim, weakly gal inter th' woods, no how!' The Colonel and I instinctively halted our horses, as the 'corn-cracker' stopped his. 'It is true, Barnes,' said my host, in a low voice, 'I _did_ do it!' 'May God Almighty furgive ye, Cunnel,' said the native, starting his horse forward, '_I_ wudn't hev dun it fur all yer niggers, by----.' The Colonel made no reply, and we rode on the rest of the way in silence.