"How do you know that?"
"Sometime, when hurricane months come, no vessel. Me go to de houses, sell de candles me buy ob de 'Merican sailors; me go to Pierre Lallemont's house; hear him tell de wife dat man no dead; he sold to de Frenchman on de plantation."
"What Frenchman?"
"Dunno, massa; no 'member."
"Who is Pierre Lallemont?"
"He free nigger; cooper; make much money; hab niggers hisself. Eberybody know Pierre."
"I guess that's a story, Solomon, that somebody got up to hear themselves talk. The captain and crew all said he was drowned. It is likely they knew best."
"S'pose so, massa."
Here ended Walter's questioning of Solomon, who certainly did not resemble his namesake in wisdom. Walter told Nep to give Solomon half a dozen biscuit, and send him ashore. After the old man had been gone a while, he said to Cameron,—
"Dick, take the cook's axe, and stave in the head of that empty water-cask that stands on end abreast the main batch."