ought to know, Captain Passford, I will take it in and bury it away down at the bottom of my bosom; and I will give the whole state of Louisiana to any one that will dig it out of me." 71 "That's enough, Dave; and I am willing to trust you without any oath on the Bible, and without even a Quaker's affirmation. I believe you will be prudent, discreet, and silent for my sake." "Certainly I will be all that, Captain Passford, for I think you are a bigger man than Jeff Davis," protested Dave. "That is because you do not know the President of the Confederate States, and you do know me; but Mr. Davis is a man of transcendent ability, and I am only sorry that he is engaged in a bad cause, though he believes with all his heart and soul that it is a good cause." "He never treated me like a gentleman, as you have, sir." "And he never treated you unkindly, I am very sure." "He never treated me any way, for I never saw him; and I would not walk a hundred miles barefooted 72 to see him, either. I am no gentleman or anything of that sort, Massa— Captain Passford, but if I ever go back on you by the breadth of a hair, then the Alabama River will run up hill." 72 "I am satisfied with you, Dave; and here is my hand," added Christy, extending it to the steward, who shook it warmly, displaying a good deal of emotion as he did so. "Now, Dave, you know Mulgrum, or Pink, as you call him?" "Well, sir, I know him as I do the rest of the people on board; but we are not sworn friends yet," replied Dave, rather puzzled to know what duty was required of him in connection with the scullion. "You know him; that is enough. What do you think of him?" "I haven't had any long talks with him, sir, and I don't know what to think of him." "You know that he is dumb?" "I expect he is, sir; but he never said anything to me about it," replied Dave. "He never told me he couldn't speak, and I never heard him speak to any one on board." "Did you ever speak to him?"
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