"My 'spectability," repeated Primus, gravely. "You see, when I was a young man I sociate wid da best company in de country. I members de time when General Wayne (dey called him Mad Antony cause he fight so like de dibble) say afore de whole army dat haansome fellow—meaning me—look like anoder Anibal (Anibal I guess was a French General). Ah," sighed Primus, "dey made more 'count ob colored pussons den, dan dey does now."
"What has all this to do with your respectability?" inquired Basset who began to be a little impatient.
"I come to dat at de end ob de roll call," responded Primus. "Do you tink it bery 'spectable now, for a man who, in his younger day, fight for liberty, to go for to take it away in his old age from anoder man?"
"But just consider," said Basset, whose cue was flattery and conciliation, "Holden went agin the very laws you made."
"I make de law, Missa Basset?" roared Primus, "haw! haw! haw! I make de law, haw! haw! haw! does you want to kill me! O dear!"
"Yes," said Basset stoutly, "and I can prove it. Now say, if the Americans didn't make their own laws, wouldn't the British make 'em for 'em? And who was it drove the British out and give us a chance to make our own laws eh?"
"Pity you isn't a lawyer," said Primus, suddenly abandoning his mirth at the other's explanation, "dere is a great deal in what you say—de white men owes a big debt to us colored pussons. Dat is a fust rate reason why I should want to see de law execute but not for me to go myself in particular, when, perhaps de ole man point his rifle at me, and tell me to clear out."
"Why, you don't think he'll resist?" cried the constable somewhat startled, feeling the apprehensions revive which Tom Gladding had occasioned, but which the passage of a few days had almost lulled asleep.
"'Tis bery hard to tell what a man do when he git in a corner," said Primus, shaking his head, and fastening his eyes on the constable's face, "but, if you want to know my 'pinion, it is just dis—if Missa Holden know what you up to, he make day light shine trough you, in less dan no time, rader dan be took."
"Poh?" exclaimed Basset, affecting a courage he was far from feeling, "you're skeary, Prime. So, in your judgment, it's safer to go by night, is it?"