"'Gold!' Sidney called out, and held it up in a black stocking, so high that every one laughed."
"Not Mingo, I fancy."
"Ah, no, nor the keeper of the gang."
"--Wonder how Mingo was behaving."
"He? he was shaking and weeping, and begging this and that of the man who held and threatened him, to keep him quiet. So then the auctioneer began to call Sidney's bid. You know how that would be: 'Gentlemen, I'm offered five hundred dollars. Cinq cent piastres, messieurs! Only five hundred for this likely boy worth all of nine! Who'll say six? Going at five hundred, what do I hear?' But he heard nothing till--'third and last call!' Then the owner of the gang nodded and the auctioneer called out, 'six hundred!"'
"And did Sidney raise it?"
"No, she wept aloud. 'Oh, my brotheh!' she cried, 'Lawd save my po' brotheh! I's los' him ag'in! I done bid my las' dollah at de fust call!'"
"And Mingo knew her voice, spied her out?"
"Yes, and holloed, 'Sidney! sisteh!' till grand-mère wept too and a man called out, 'No one bid that six hundred!' But grandpère said: 'I bid six-fifty and will tell all about this unlikely boy if his owner bids again.'
"So Mingo was sold to grandpère. 'And now,' grandpère whispered to grand-mère and her friends, 'go pack trunks for the ship as fast as you can.'"