I believe you will be prudent, discreet, and silent for my sake." "Certainly I will be all that, Captain Passford, for I think you are a bigger man than Jeff Davis," protested Dave.
"That is because you do not know the President of the Confederate States, and you do know me; but Mr.Davis is a man of transcendent ability, and I am only sorry that he is engaged in a bad cause, though he believes with all his heart and soul that it is a good cause." "He never treated me like a gentleman, as you have, sir." "And he never treated you unkindly, I am very sure." "He never treated me any way, for I never saw him; and I would not walk a hundred miles barefooted to see him, either.

I am no gentleman or anything of that sort, Massa-- Captain Passford, but if I ever go back on you by the breadth of a hair, then the Alabama River will run up hill." "I am satisfied with you, Dave; and here is my hand," added Christy, extending it to the steward, who shook it warmly, displaying a good deal of emotion as he did so.

"Now, Dave, you know Mulgrum, or Pink, as you call him ?" "Well, sir, I know him as I do the rest of the people on board; but we are not sworn friends yet," replied Dave, rather puzzled to know what duty was required of him in connection with the scullion.
"You know him; that is enough.

What do you think of him ?" "I haven't had any long talks with him, sir, and I don't know what to think of him." "You know that he is dumb ?" "I expect he is, sir; but he never said anything to me about it," replied Dave.

"He never told me he couldn't speak, and I never heard him speak to any one on board." "Did you ever speak to him ?" "Yes, sir; I spoke to him when he first came on board; but he didn't answer me, or take any notice of me when I spoke to him, and I got tired of it." "Open that door quickly, Dave," said the captain suddenly.
The steward promptly obeyed the order, and Christy saw that there was no one in the passage.