Of all the slaves on the plantation, Chunk appeared the most docile
and ready to oblige every one. He waited on the Confederate troopers
with alacrity, and grinned at their chaffing with unflagging good-
nature. In all the little community, which included an anxious Union
scout, Chunk was about the most serene and even-pulsed individual.
Nature had endowed him with more muscle than nerves, more shrewdness
than intellect, and had quite left out the elements of fear and
imagination. He lived intensely in the present; excitement and
bustle were congenial conditions, and his soul exulted in the
prospect of freedom. Moreover, the fact that he had proved himself
to Zany to be no longer a mere object for ridicule added not a
little to his elation. Shrewd as himself, she was true to her word
of keeping an eye on him, and she was compelled to see that he was
acting his part well.
Miss Lou positively refused to come down to dinner. She had buried
her face in her pillow, and was almost crying her eyes out; for in
the confusion of her mind, resulting from her training and
inexperience, she feared that if all her kin insisted on her
marriage, and gave such reasons as had been urged upon her, she must
be married.
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