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At
the
end
of
a
quarter
of
a
mile
I
reached
the
wood-pasture
,
and
it
was
a
short
time
indeed
that
I
had
been
running
it
.
Climbing
on
to
a
high
fence
,
I
could
see
the
cotton
press
,
the
great
house
,
and
the
space
between
.
It
was
a
conspicuous
position
,
from
whence
the
whole
plantation
was
in
view
.
I
saw
Tibeats
cross
the
field
towards
the
house
,
and
enter
it
--
then
he
came
out
,
carrying
his
saddle
,
and
presently
mounted
his
horse
and
galloped
away
.
I
was
desolate
,
but
thankful
.
Thankful
that
my
life
was
spared
,
--
desolate
and
discouraged
with
the
prospect
before
me
.
What
would
become
of
me
?
Who
would
befriend
me
?
Whither
should
I
fly
?
Oh
,
God
!
Thou
who
gavest
me
life
,
and
implanted
in
my
bosom
the
love
of
life
--
who
filled
it
with
emotions
such
as
other
men
,
thy
creatures
,
have
,
do
not
forsake
me
.
Have
pity
on
the
poor
slave
--
let
me
not
perish
.
If
thou
dost
not
protect
me
,
I
am
lost
--
lost
!
Such
supplications
,
silently
and
unuttered
,
ascended
from
my
inmost
heart
to
Heaven
.
But
there
was
no
answering
voice
--
no
sweet
,
low
tone
,
coming
down
from
on
high
,
whispering
to
my
soul
,
"
It
is
I
,
be
not
afraid
.
"
I
was
the
forsaken
of
God
,
it
seemed
--
the
despised
and
hated
of
men
!
In
about
three-fourths
of
an
hour
several
of
the
slaves
shouted
and
made
signs
for
me
to
run
.
Presently
,
looking
up
the
bayou
,
I
saw
Tibeats
and
two
others
on
horse-back
,
coming
at
a
fast
gait
,
followed
by
a
troop
of
dogs
.
There
were
as
many
as
eight
or
ten
.
Distant
as
I
was
,
I
knew
them
.
They
belonged
on
the
adjoining
plantation
.
The
dogs
used
on
Bayou
Bœuf
for
hunting
slaves
are
a
kind
of
blood-hound
,
but
a
far
more
savage
breed
than
is
found
in
the
Northern
States
.
They
will
attack
a
negro
,
at
their
master
's
bidding
,
and
cling
to
him
as
the
common
bull-dog
will
cling
to
a
four
footed
animal
.
Frequently
their
loud
bay
is
heard
in
the
swamps
,
and
then
there
is
speculation
as
to
what
point
the
runaway
will
be
overhauled
--
the
same
as
a
New-York
hunter
stops
to
listen
to
the
hounds
coursing
along
the
hillsides
,
and
suggests
to
his
companion
that
the
fox
will
be
taken
at
such
a
place
.
I
never
knew
a
slave
escaping
with
his
life
from
Bayou
Bœuf
.
One
reason
is
,
they
are
not
allowed
to
learn
the
art
of
swimming
,
and
are
incapable
of
crossing
the
most
inconsiderable
stream
.
In
their
flight
they
can
go
in
no
direction
but
a
little
way
without
coming
to
a
bayou
,
when
the
inevitable
alternative
is
presented
,
of
being
drowned
or
overtaken
by
the
dogs
.
In
youth
I
had
practised
in
the
clear
streams
that
flow
through
my
native
district
,
until
I
had
become
an
expert
swimmer
,
and
felt
at
home
in
the
watery
element
.
I
stood
upon
the
fence
until
the
dogs
had
reached
the
cotton
press
.
In
an
instant
more
,
their
long
,
savage
yells
announced
they
were
on
my
track
.
Leaping
down
from
my
position
,
I
ran
towards
the
swamp
.
Fear
gave
me
strength
,
and
I
exerted
it
to
the
utmost
.
Every
few
moments
I
could
hear
the
yelpings
of
the
dogs
.
They
were
gaining
upon
me
.
Every
howl
was
nearer
and
nearer
.
Each
moment
I
expected
they
would
spring
upon
my
back
--
expected
to
feel
their
long
teeth
sinking
into
my
flesh
.
There
were
so
many
of
them
,
I
knew
they
would
tear
me
to
pieces
,
that
they
would
worry
me
,
at
once
,
to
death
.
I
gasped
for
breath
--
gasped
forth
a
half-uttered
,
choking
prayer
to
the
Almighty
to
save
me
--
to
give
me
strength
to
reach
some
wide
,
deep
bayou
where
I
could
throw
them
off
the
track
,
or
sink
into
its
waters
.
Presently
I
reached
a
thick
palmetto
bottom
.
As
I
fled
through
them
they
made
a
loud
rustling
noise
,
not
loud
enough
,
however
,
to
drown
the
voices
of
the
dogs
.
Continuing
my
course
due
south
,
as
nearly
as
I
can
judge
,
I
came
at
length
to
water
just
over
shoe
.
The
hounds
at
that
moment
could
not
have
been
five
rods
behind
me
.
I
could
hear
them
crashing
and
plunging
through
the
palmettoes
,
their
loud
,
eager
yells
making
the
whole
swamp
clamorous
with
the
sound
.
Hope
revived
a
little
as
I
reached
the
water
.
If
it
were
only
deeper
,
they
might
lose
the
scent
,
and
thus
disconcerted
,
afford
me
the
opportunity
of
evading
them
.
Luckily
,
it
grew
deeper
the
farther
I
proceeded
--
now
over
my
ankles
--
now
half-way
to
my
knees
--
now
sinking
a
moment
to
my
waist
,
and
then
emerging
presently
into
more
shallow
places
.
The
dogs
had
not
gained
upon
me
since
I
struck
the
water
.
Evidently
they
were
confused
.
Now
their
savage
intonations
grew
more
and
more
distant
,
assuring
me
that
I
was
leaving
them
.
Finally
I
stopped
to
listen
,
but
the
long
howl
came
booming
on
the
air
again
,
telling
me
I
was
not
yet
safe
.
From
bog
to
bog
,
where
I
had
stepped
,
they
could
still
keep
upon
the
track
,
though
impeded
by
the
water
.
At
length
,
to
my
great
joy
,
I
came
to
a
wide
bayou
,
and
plunging
in
,
had
soon
stemmed
its
sluggish
current
to
the
other
side
.
There
,
certainly
,
the
dogs
would
be
confounded
--
the
current
carrying
down
the
stream
all
traces
of
that
slight
,
mysterious
scent
,
which
enables
the
quick-smelling
hound
to
follow
in
the
track
of
the
fugitive
.
After
crossing
this
bayou
the
water
became
so
deep
I
could
not
run
.
I
was
now
in
what
I
afterwards
learned
was
the
"
Great
Pacoudrie
Swamp
.
"
It
was
filled
with
immense
trees
--
the
sycamore
,
the
gum
,
the
cotton
wood
and
cypress
,
and
extends
,
I
am
informed
,
to
the
shore
of
the
Calcasieu
river
.
For
thirty
or
forty
miles
it
is
without
inhabitants
,
save
wild
beasts
--
the
bear
,
the
wild-cat
,
the
tiger
,
and
great
slimy
reptiles
,
that
are
crawling
through
it
everywhere
.
Long
before
I
reached
the
bayou
,
in
fact
,
from
the
time
I
struck
the
water
until
I
emerged
from
the
swamp
on
my
return
,
these
reptiles
surrounded
me
.
I
saw
hundreds
of
moccasin
snakes
.
Every
log
and
bog
--
every
trunk
of
a
fallen
tree
,
over
which
I
was
compelled
to
step
or
climb
,
was
alive
with
them
.
They
crawled
away
at
my
approach
,
but
sometimes
in
my
haste
,
I
almost
placed
my
hand
or
foot
upon
them
.
They
are
poisonous
serpents
--
their
bite
more
fatal
than
the
rattlesnake
's
.
Besides
,
I
had
lost
one
shoe
,
the
sole
having
come
entirely
off
,
leaving
the
upper
only
dangling
to
my
ankle
.
I
saw
also
many
alligators
,
great
and
small
,
lying
in
the
water
,
or
on
pieces
of
floodwood
.
The
noise
I
made
usually
startled
them
,
when
they
moved
off
and
plunged
into
the
deepest
places
.
