Ford seemed wonderfully at home and at ease; and Dick found voice enough to say, half aloud,-- "Ain't I glad he's got de rudder, dis time?
Cap'n Dab couldn't steer t'rough dis yer." The "steering" was well done; and it brought them nearly to the farther end of the great, splendid room, and seated them at a round table that seemed as well furnished as even Mrs.Foster's own.

They all imitated Ford in hanging their hats on the appointed pegs before sitting down.
"Now, boys, what shall we have ?" he said, as he gazed learnedly up and down the printed bill of fare.

"Speak up, Joe, Fuz, what's your weakness ?" Every boy of them was willing to let Ford do his best with that part of the dinner; and he was hard at work deciding what soup and fish he had better pick out, when the tall waiter who had bustled forward to receive the coming "order," bent over his shoulder, and pointed to Dick Lee, inquiring,-- "Beg pardon, sah! Is dis young colored gen'l-man of youah party?
It's 'gainst de rules ob de establishment, sah." Dab Kinzer felt his face flush fiery red; and he was on the point of saying something, he hardly knew what, when Ford looked calmly up into the mahogany face of the mulatto waiter, with,-- "You refer to my friend from Africa?
We'll talk about that after dinner.
Gumbo soup and Spanish mackerel if you please.

Sharp, now!" "But, sah"-- "Don't be afflicted, my friend.

He's as white as anybody, except on Fridays: this is his black day.