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"
My
name
is
Celeste
,
"
she
answered
.
"
I
belong
to
Carey
,
and
have
been
two
days
among
the
palmettoes
.
I
am
sick
and
ca
n't
work
,
and
would
rather
die
in
the
swamp
than
be
whipped
to
death
by
the
overseer
.
Carey
's
dogs
wo
n't
follow
me
.
They
have
tried
to
set
them
on
.
There
's
a
secret
between
them
and
Celeste
,
and
they
wont
mind
the
devilish
orders
of
the
overseer
.
Give
me
some
meat
--
I
'm
starving
.
"
I
divided
my
scanty
allowance
with
her
,
and
while
partaking
of
it
,
she
related
how
she
had
managed
to
escape
,
and
described
the
place
of
her
concealment
.
In
the
edge
of
the
swamp
,
not
half
a
mile
from
Epps
'
house
,
was
a
large
space
,
thousands
of
acres
in
extent
,
thickly
covered
with
palmetto
.
Tall
trees
,
whose
long
arms
interlocked
each
other
,
formed
a
canopy
above
them
,
so
dense
as
to
exclude
the
beams
of
the
sun
.
It
was
like
twilight
always
,
even
in
the
middle
of
the
brightest
day
.
In
the
centre
of
this
great
space
,
which
nothing
but
serpents
very
often
explore
--
a
sombre
and
solitary
spot
--
Celeste
had
erected
a
rude
hut
of
dead
branches
that
had
fallen
to
the
ground
,
and
covered
it
with
the
leaves
of
the
palmetto
.
This
was
the
abode
she
had
selected
.
She
had
no
fear
of
Carey
's
dogs
,
any
more
than
I
had
of
Epps
'
.
It
is
a
fact
,
which
I
have
never
been
able
to
explain
,
that
there
are
those
whose
tracks
the
hounds
will
absolutely
refuse
to
follow
.
Celeste
was
one
of
them
.
For
several
nights
she
came
to
my
cabin
for
food
.
On
one
occasion
our
dogs
barked
as
she
approached
,
which
aroused
Epps
,
and
induced
him
to
reconnoitre
the
premises
.
He
did
not
discover
her
,
but
after
that
it
was
not
deemed
prudent
for
her
to
come
to
the
yard
.
When
all
was
silent
I
carried
provisions
to
a
certain
spot
agreed
upon
,
where
she
would
find
them
.
In
this
manner
Celeste
passed
the
greater
part
of
the
summer
.
She
regained
her
health
,
and
became
strong
and
hearty
.
At
all
seasons
of
the
year
the
howlings
of
wild
animals
can
be
heard
at
night
along
the
borders
of
the
swamps
.
Several
times
they
had
made
her
a
midnight
call
,
awakening
her
from
slumber
with
a
growl
.
Terrified
by
such
unpleasant
salutations
,
she
finally
concluded
to
abandon
her
lonely
dwelling
;
and
,
accordingly
,
returning
to
her
master
,
was
scourged
,
her
neck
meanwhile
being
fastened
in
the
stocks
,
and
sent
into
the
field
again
.
The
year
before
my
arrival
in
the
country
there
was
a
concerted
movement
among
a
number
of
slaves
on
Bayou
Bœuf
,
that
terminated
tragically
indeed
.
It
was
,
I
presume
,
a
matter
of
newspaper
notoriety
at
the
time
,
but
all
the
knowledge
I
have
of
it
,
has
been
derived
from
the
relation
of
those
living
at
that
period
in
the
immediate
vicinity
of
the
excitement
.
It
has
become
a
subject
of
general
and
unfailing
interest
in
every
slave-hut
on
the
bayou
,
and
will
doubtless
go
down
to
succeeding
generations
as
their
chief
tradition
.
Lew
Cheney
,
with
whom
I
became
acquainted
--
a
shrewd
,
cunning
negro
,
more
intelligent
than
the
generality
of
his
race
,
but
unscrupulous
and
full
of
treachery
--
conceived
the
project
of
organizing
a
company
sufficiently
strong
to
fight
their
way
against
all
opposition
,
to
the
neighboring
territory
of
Mexico
.
A
remote
spot
,
far
within
the
depths
of
the
swamp
,
back
of
Hawkins
'
plantation
,
was
selected
as
the
rallying
point
.
Lew
flitted
from
one
plantation
to
another
,
in
the
dead
of
night
,
preaching
a
crusade
to
Mexico
,
and
,
like
Peter
the
Hermit
,
creating
a
furor
of
excitement
wherever
he
appeared
.
At
length
a
large
number
of
runaways
were
assembled
;
stolen
mules
,
and
corn
gathered
from
the
fields
,
and
bacon
filched
from
smoke-houses
,
had
been
conveyed
into
the
woods
.
The
expedition
was
about
ready
to
proceed
,
when
their
hiding
place
was
discovered
.
Lew
Cheney
,
becoming
convinced
of
the
ultimate
failure
of
his
project
,
in
order
to
curry
favor
with
his
master
,
and
avoid
the
consequences
which
he
foresaw
would
follow
,
deliberately
determined
to
sacrifice
all
his
companions
.
Departing
secretly
from
the
encampment
,
he
proclaimed
among
the
planters
the
number
collected
in
the
swamp
,
and
,
instead
of
stating
truly
the
object
they
had
in
view
,
asserted
their
intention
was
to
emerge
from
their
seclusion
the
first
favorable
opportunity
,
and
murder
every
white
person
along
the
bayou
.
Such
an
announcement
,
exaggerated
as
it
passed
from
mouth
to
mouth
,
filled
the
whole
country
with
terror
.
The
fugitives
were
surrounded
and
taken
prisoners
,
carried
in
chains
to
Alexandria
,
and
hung
by
the
populace
.
Not
only
those
,
but
many
who
were
suspected
,
though
entirely
innocent
,
were
taken
from
the
field
and
from
the
cabin
,
and
without
the
shadow
of
process
or
form
of
trial
,
hurried
to
the
scaffold
.
The
planters
on
Bayou
Bœuf
finally
rebelled
against
such
reckless
destruction
of
property
,
but
it
was
not
until
a
regiment
of
soldiers
had
arrived
from
some
fort
on
the
Texan
frontier
,
demolished
the
gallows
,
and
opened
the
doors
of
the
Alexandria
prison
,
that
the
indiscriminate
slaughter
was
stayed
.
Lew
Cheney
escaped
,
and
was
even
rewarded
for
his
treachery
.
He
is
still
living
,
but
his
name
is
despised
and
execrated
by
all
his
race
throughout
the
parishes
of
Rapides
and
Avoyelles
.
