"
"Off with you, for a hypocritical, psalm-singing, canting rogue in
disguise," said Mason scornfully. "By the life of Washington! it worries
an honest fellow to see such voracious beasts of prey ravaging a country
for which he sheds his blood. If I had you on a Virginia plantation for
a quarter of an hour, I'd teach you to worm the tobacco with
the turkeys."
"I leave you, and shake the dust off my shoes, that no remnant of this
wicked hole may tarnish the vestments of the godly."
"Start, or I will shake the dust from your jacket, designing knave! A
fellow to be preaching to my men! There's Hollister put the devil in
them by his exhorting; the rascals were getting too conscientious to
strike a blow that would raze the skin. But hold! Whither do you travel,
Master Blackey, in such godly company?"
"He goes," said the minister, hastily speaking for his companion, "to
return with a book of much condolence and virtue to the sinful youth
above, whose soul will speedily become white, even as his outwards are
black and unseemly. Would you deprive a dying man of the consolation of
religion?"
"No, no, poor fellow, his fate is bad enough; a famous good breakfast
his prim body of an aunt gave us. But harkee, Mr. Revelation, if the
youth must die _secundum arlem_, let it be under a gentleman's
directions, and my advice is, that you never trust that skeleton of
yours among us again, or I will take the skin off and leave you naked.
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