The consequence was that the liquor poured over the sides of the spout in a torrent.

The manager screamed at the top of his voice--"_let down the valve, let it down_!" But the poor man, more and more frightened, hoisted it still higher,--and the precious liquid--pure sugar--spread in a thick sheet over the earthen floor.

The manager at last sprang forward, thrust aside the man, and stopped the mischief, but not until many gallons of sugar were lost.

Such an accident as this, occurring during slavery, would have cost the negro a severe flogging.

As it was, however, in the present case, although Mr.
C.'looked daggers,' and exclaimed by the workings of his countenance, 'a kingdom for a _cat_,'[A] yet the severest thing which he could say was, "You bungling fellow--if you can't manage better than this, I shall put some other person in your place--that's all." '_That_'s ALL' indeed, but it would not have been all, three years ago.