I reckon she didn't know it herself." "The hell you say." "Yes, but that ain't all o' it.

I don't know how it happened--maybe he forgot, er put it off too long, er aimed ter git revenge--but, it seems, he never executed no paper freein' either her or her mother." "Yer mean the girl's still a slave ?" "Yer bet! That's the law, ain't it ?" "And Kirby knew about this ?" "I reckon he did.

I sorter judge, Tim, frum whut Carver sed, that he wus more anxious fer ter git thet girl than all the rest o' the stuff; an' it's her he wants ter git away frum yere on the dead quiet, afore Haines er any o' them others down at the Landin' kin catch on." "They couldn't do nuthin'; if thar ain't no papers, then she's his, accordin' ter law.

I've seen that tried afore now." "Of course; but what's the use o' runnin' eny risk?
A smart lawyer like Haines could make a hell ov a lot o' trouble just the same, if he took a notion.

That's Kirby's idee--ter cum' up yere in a boat, unbeknownst to enybody, tie up down thar at Saunders', an' run the whole bunch o' niggers off in the night.