But  sly  and  stealthy  as  had  been  his  approach,  it
had  not  been  wholly  unperceived ;  for  Uncle  Nick,  the
major's  valet,  though  stunned,  was  not  killed  by  his
fall  over  the  balusters,  but  subsequently  revived,  and
crawled  out,  bruised  and  bleeding,  to  be  a  vengeful  wit
ness  of  deeds  that  set  his  blood  aflame  with  the  fires  of
vengeance.  His  clear  intellect  at  once  comprehended
the  facts.  He  knew,  from  what  he  had  gathered  from
the  slaves  as  well  as  their  dying  master,  that  they  had
been  betrayed  by  the  wily  overseer,  whom  they  all
hated.  Nick  would  almost  have  laid  down  his  life  for
his  master;  but  what  could  he  and  the  few  sober  slaves


DEATH   OF  MAJOR   HUNTER.  Ill

do,  unarmed,  against  thirty  or  forty  bloodthirsty  despe
radoes  armed  to  the  teeth  ?  As  he  could  not  look  on
coolly  and  see  his  master  and  darling  little  Walter  mur
dered,  he  crawled  off  to  the  slave-cabins,  roused  a  few
old  men  and  women,  and  armed  them  with  clubs  and
pitchforks.  They  were  just  coming  up  to  the  rear  of
the  house,  undecided  as  to  what  they  could  do,  when
they  saw  Sweep  stealthily  enter  it.
