"Not wery much," replied Carl. "I can go mit you or anypody you vill send, and show vair the cave is. I remember. But if you vill have me whipped, I shouldn't be wery much surprised if that vould make me to forget. Whippins," he added, significantly, "is wery pad for the memory."
"You mean to say, if you are licked, then you won't tell?"
"That ish the idea I vished to conwey."
"We'll see about that." Silas laughed. "In the mean time we'll try what can be got out of this nigger."
Toby, who had had a gleam of hope, now fell again into despair. Just then Captain Sprowl came in.
"Hold! What are you doing with that nigger?"
Silas explained, and Carl repeated his proposal. Lysander caught eagerly at it. He remembered Salina's warning, and was glad of any excuse to liberate the old negro.
"You promise to take me to the cave?" Carl assented. "Why, then, lieutenant, that's all we want, and I order this boy to be set free."
"This boy" was Toby, who was accordingly let off, to his own inexpressible joy and Ropes's infinite disgust.
"If Carl he take de responsumbility to show de cave, dat ain't my fault. 'Sides, dat boy am bright, he am; de secesh can't git much de start o' him!"