"Yer'l surely excuse me, sah," he said at last, humbly, his voice with a note of pleading in it. "Ah's feelin' friendly 'nough, an' all dat, sah, but still yer mus' 'member dat Ah's talkin' ter a perfict stranger. If yer wud sure tell me furst just whut yer was aimin' at, then maybe Ah'd know a heap mor'n Ah do now." "I guess you are right, Sam. I'll tell you the whole of it. I am endeavoring to help this young woman to escape from those men back yonder. You must know why they were there; no doubt you overhead them talk coming up?" "Yas, sah; Massa Donaldson he was goin' up fer ter serve sum papers fer Massa Kirby, so he cud run off de Beaucaire niggers. But dis yere gal, she ain't no nigger--she's just a white pusson." "She is a slave under the law," I said, gravely, as she made no effort to move, "and the man, Kirby, claims her." I could see his mouth fly open, but the surprise of this statement halted his efforts at speech. "That explains the whole situation," I went on. "Now will you answer me?" "'Bout dis yere Massa Shrunk?" "Yes--you have heard of him before?" "Ah reckon as how maybe Ah has, sah. Mos' all de niggers down dis way has bin tol' 'bout him--som'how dey has, sah." "So I thought. Well, do you know where he can be found?" "Not perzackly, sah. Ah ain't never onct bin thar, but Ah sorter seems fer ter recollec' sum'thin' 'bout whar he mought be. Ah reckon maybe Ah cud go thar, if Ah just hed to. Ah reckon if yer all held dat pistol plum 'gainst mah hed, Ah'd mos' likely find dis Amos Shrunk. Good Lord, sah!" and his voice sank to a whisper, "Ah just can't git hol' o' all dis--Ah sure can't, sah--'bout her bein' a nigger." Rene turned about, lifting her face into the starlight. "Whether I am white or colored, Sam," she said, quietly, "can make little difference to you now. I am a woman, and am asking your help. I can trust you, can I not?" The negro on his knees stared at her, the whites of his eyes conspicuous. Then suddenly he jerked off his old hat. "Ah 'spects yer kin, Missus," he pledged himself in a tone of conviction which made my heart leap. "Ah's bin a slave-nigger fer forty-five years, but just de same, Ah ain't never bin mean ter no woman. Yas, sah, yer don't neither one ob yer eber need ter ask Sam no mor'--he's a goin' thro' wid yer all ter de end--he sure am, Ma'm."